The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly looking to sign veteran defenseman Troy Stecher to Sportsnet Elliotte Friedman notes the team is aiming for a “soft landing” for the popular blueliner. A well-liked and reliable defenseman, Stecher is an extra for the Oilers on most nights, and with some tough roster decisions looming, a trade may make the most sense.
The Oilers suddenly have a surplus on defense as several players, including Alec Regula, return to the roster in the coming week. The 31-year-old Stecher has been a reliable player since taking over, appearing in 79 regular-season games and eight playoff games for Edmonton.
Stecher, an outstanding unrestricted free agent with a $787,500 cap hit, has provided steady, low-risk minutes. He’s not the best at anything, but he’s stable, which would make him a potentially popular trade option for a team looking for solid defensive play at a cheap price. He’s unlikely to win a spot in Edmonton over Regula and Ty Emberson, so the Oilers appear ready to give them more opportunities on another team.
If the Oilers move on from Stecher, don’t expect a big return. First, he would have to clear waivers, meaning any interested team could simply wait until Stecher was demoted and pick him up for free. However, since the Oilers want to make sure Stecher ends up on a good team where he might want to play, they need almost nothing to make a deal to a desired destination.
The goal, as Friedman put it, is to “find him a soft landing.” Even though he doesn’t have trade protection, that doesn’t really matter in a situation like this.
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