Troy Stecher told Leafs Morning Take he wants to be back with the Maple Leafs and that he's been discussing a potential extension with the team.
Last season the Toronto Maple Leafs took a chance on adding Troy Stecher off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers after some injury issues caused them to need some insurance. What was meant to be a stop-gap solution turned into a 58-game stint with the team as a concrete part of their third-pairing defensive group.
Stecher, 32, added 14 points in that span while also giving Toronto a lot more flexibility and versatility in addition to some much needed playmaking. He didn't cost much at all, and he was one of the few bright spots in a season that had minimal.
Troy Stecher wants to be back in blue and white with Toronto exploring their options
But he's an unrestricted free agent come July 1 and with a lot of changes expected in the Maple Leafs locker room, there's still no idea as to whether or not Stecher is going to be part of things in 2026-27.
Though he certainly hopes he will be.
Stecher appeared on Leafs Morning Take and explained that despite being a free agent, he wants to come back to Toronto given that he loves the city and how welcoming they were to him when he came in:
I hope I'm back, I really enjoyed being a Leaf.
Not only that, but it seems like Stecher and Toronto are actually working towards some type of deal, as Morning Take co-host Nick Alberga explained the two sides were working towards an agreement:
As Troy Stecher revealed on @LMTake_ today, there have been preliminary discussions in recent weeks between the Maple Leafs and Stecher's camp on a new contract.
-
Stecher would not really be a focal point for the team but can serve as a wonderful bottom-pair or seventh defender option depending on what Toronto needs at the time. Every team needs a veteran lynchpin and Stecher fits the bill on the blueline.
Is there room for Troy Stecher on the Maple Leafs blueline though?
This is a bigger question than whether or not Toronto wants him back at all. Clearly he can offer some help but it's a matter of whether they'll have space.
We don't know the status of Simon Benoit or Philippe Myers yet, meanwhile there's talks about bringing in names like Darren Raddysh or potentially Rasmus Andersson as a way to improve things, but that pushes everyone down the depth chart.
Add in the possibility of Ben Danford, Henry Thrun, and William Villeneuve all vying for a job come training camp, it's going to be tough to outplay them and they're younger and fit both a win-now and rebuilding timeline.
He certainly fits their cap space though, as he could sign for two years at $2-million and be one of the cheapest yet one of the most versatile veterans on the team.
The best course of action for Stecher is the hope that John Chayka's audit of the blueline sees several pieces go. Morgan Rielly, Brandon Carlo, Benoit, and Myers, all need to go, so there's four spots opened up.
Raddysh can take the top spot, meanwhile players like Villeneuve and Danford can get their minutes. That does leave a spot open for Stecher, who could fit really nicely beside Danford as the veteran voice who can provide the offence while guiding the rookie defensively.
Right now, all Troy Stecher is focusing on is being part of the Maple Leafs next season. The team also seems to have that intent in mind, but whether they have the room to do it is yet to be determined.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
The Maple Leafs are mourning the passing of former player Forbes Kennedy