Maple Leafs Glue Guy should not be traded anyway

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the Toronto Maple Leafs moving players, and fans are already playing the “who’s next?” game. One man who shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near that conversation? Troy Stecher. He’s exactly the kind of steady presence you cling to when things get shaky.

Here are four reasons.

Reason 1: Stecher has the right attitude

Stecher is not the most striking player on the roster, but his attitude is extremely positive. The man loves playing in Torontoand that should not be ignored. One of the absolute best feel-good moments of the season was the night he got the home crowd excited after a win.

That kind of pure joy may seem like a “little something,” but you can put it in a bottle and hand it out as a pre-match libation; the team would likely be right in the playoff mix instead of trying to claw their way back into the Atlantic Division.

Reason 2: Stecher isn’t too cool to engage the crowd

Players no longer directly involve the audience, but they should. It’s more important than many people think. When a team goes through ups and downs, you need players to keep the atmosphere light, keep things grounded and remind everyone that the “good game of hockey” is supposed to be fun. Stecher does that better than most.

Reason 3: Stecher works as if someone is trying to prove something

One thing about Stecher: he never cheats on the work. He doesn’t rely on natural talent or size. Instead, he’s built his career on showing up and grinding. Coaches love that. Teammates feed off it. Fans love it.

Younger players also learn from it. Every team needs a few guys who push the pace just by how seriously they take the job. He is one of those players who makes others better simply by the way he handles himself.

Reason 4: Stecher fits wherever you put it

Stecher has been around the league enough to know how to adapt on the fly, and that’s a bigger asset than people think. Do you need someone to fill in on special teams? He can do it. Do you need stable minutes from the third pair? Finished. Do you need someone to fill a gap after an injury? He is reliable.

The Maple Leafs don’t have a lot of defensive depth left, so moving someone who can slot in at a variety of spots doesn’t make much sense, especially heading into the stretch run.

The bottom line for Stecher and the Maple Leafs

If the Maple Leafs actually have Stecher on a trade list somewhere, they might want to reconsider. He’s the type to keep a team together when things get messy around them: positive, hard-working and can get into just about any situation.

Trading him wouldn’t just leave a hole on the blue line; it would tarnish the spirit of the room. Sometimes the smartest move is to keep the player who gives you more than his stats. Stecher is exactly the kind of player you want on your team.

Related: What Happened to Ex-Maple Leafs Goalie Ilya Samsonov?