Maple Leafs defenceman Troy Stecher says he 'just left the fire' in Edmonton

When the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed Troy Stecher off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers it was a quiet move that was meant to help while the team navigates through injuries, while adding some much needed puck-moving on the back end.

But TSN's Mike Johnson revealed that given how he framed Edmonton as 'the fire,' it's fair to say Stecher doesn't mind getting a reset in Toronto.

The defender was asked by Johnson how he feels walking 'into the fire' with Toronto, with Stecher noting he was just happy to get out:

Johnson then added on:

At the time of Stecher's comments, Edmonton had been leaking goals and taking some lopsided losses, adding even more pressure around a team that's been to back-to-back Cup Finals.

Stecher's last game with Edmonton was Oct. 30 where he skated against the Rangers. Since then, he has seen the team go 4-4-1 which draws quite the parallel to the Maple Leafs.

Stecher's line also lands for Leafs fans, because Toronto has its own version of 'the fire'; constant scrutiny, big expectations, and a season that hasn't gone to plan.

But unlike Edmonton, Toronto has dealt with a significant amount of injuries already this season and the team hasn't been able to gel as much as they'd like.

With fans feeling let down by their self-admitted distaste for the new identity change, Stecher was walking into a very hostile environment for a new player, but has quickly started to win over those same fans with his playing style and heart.

The Maple Leafs are struggling in the standings and on the injury front, there's no denying it. But their struggles have a lot to do with injuries and finding a lack of chemistry with certain players.

Whether you see Edmonton or Toronto as the bigger 'fire' right now, Stecher's attitude and compete level are exactly what the Leafs keep saying they want. If he keeps playing the way he did in his debut, that waiver claim could quietly become one of Brad Treliving's smartest moves of the season.