Troy Stecher is motivated and plans to bring a chip on his shoulder to the Maple Leafs

“I was excited,” Stecher said when asked about his reaction to the claim. “I’m obviously excited for a fresh start, to see the team and how competitive they are and where they are in the standings. It kind of goes hand in hand with the way I’m playing, with a lot of motivation. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder and I think the team does too.”

The Maple Leafs will be the seventh team Stecher has committed to in his career, and he points out that’s where the chip on his shoulder comes from.

“It’s my tenth year [in the NHL]and it’s my seventh team, so I just want to prove people wrong and most importantly that I’m right. That’s where it comes from internally.”

Stecher isn’t the prototypical Brad Treliving defenseman we’ve been used to seeing over the past two years, standing just 6-foot-4 and weighing 184 pounds, but there are two factors in his game that led general manager Brad Treliving to take a shot on him. First, he’s right-handed, and second, he plays bigger than his size. He goes into the corners, isn’t afraid to get hit, and blocked 66 shots in 66 games for the Oilers in 2024-2025.

The Maple Leafs have had issues defensively all season, with issues stemming from both the defensive corps and the net. Stecher won’t help much on offense, but that’s not what they need from him. His consistency will help a team that now has both Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo behind it.

Matthew Knies drew on Stecher’s tenure in the league to date and talked about the value of an experienced defensive unit.

“Yes, it’s good to add that experience,” Knies told reporters after practice. I think our entire D corps has a lot of experience, so it’s good to add another player like that. You know, let the attackers play a little more comfortably, knowing you have an experienced D to protect you.

When asked about the team’s problems, Stecher brushed off the concerns and suggested it won’t take much to get back in the right direction.

“Every team experiences ebbs and flows, highs and lows throughout the season,” Stecher said. “You take that further when it comes to individuals. When you say that sometimes when you’re losing, you deserve to win and sometimes when you’re winning, you deserve to lose. So I think it’s typical of the way things are going right now: We’re in a little bit of trouble, but it just takes one jump to get back in the win column.”

The Maple Leafs will host the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday in what will likely be Troy Stecher’s debut as they look to snap their losing skid.

PRESENTED BY TABLEBEURS + SOCIAL