The Toronto Maple Leafs surprised the hockey world by claiming Troy Stecher from the Edmonton Oilers after the blueliner hit waivers earlier this week. When looking at the current state of the Leafs’ blue line, the deal made sense.
The Maple Leafs needed a right-shot defenseman with Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo on the shelf. For better or worse, Stecher is an experienced NHL defenseman who’s been on two long playoff runs the last couple of seasons.
So, when Stecher debuted against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, there was plenty of expectation regarding what the 31-year-old could deliver for the Maple Leafs. While his debut was hardly mind-shocking, Stecher delivered exactly what the Leafs needed: A reliable defenseman who wasn’t going to make any bonehead plays. He was tough on the puck and even got a shot on net in 13:31 of ice time.
It's natural to assume that Craig Berube wasn’t going to throw him into the fire in his first game. But judging from what we saw, Stecher could make Brandon Carlo expendable. The reason behind that assertion is that the Maple Leafs need a solid, defensive right-shot defenseman who can come in and stabilize the blue line.
That’s it. No fancy gimmicks. No big-time plays. Just a reliable, physical blueliner who can be relied upon to hit the ice in all situations. It’s still early, but Stecher could take Carlo’s spot while the former longtime Bruin is on the mend.
Maple Leafs could move Carlo with Stecher on board
One of the prevailing thoughts has been that the Maple Leafs are looking to shake things up by moving current roster players. One of the players on the bubble has been Carlo. However, GM Brad Treliving might have bit his tongue on trading Carlo, given the need for a right-shot defensive defenseman.
Assuming Stecher can outperform Carlo at this point, there’s no reason to assume Treliving would hold onto Carlo if he can get a decent return.
Of course, that’s not something that will happen overnight. The Maple Leafs need to be sure they can rely on Stecher moving forward. But then again, why claim Stecher if the club is just going to send him down to the AHL after Carlo returns?
Treliving knows what he’s doing. He knows Stecher from their days in Calgary. The Leafs’ GM knows that Stecher is a reliable if unspectacular blueliner. Adding the former Oiler now gives Treliving the flexibility to make a big move on the blue line without leaving his team out to dry.