"It may have taken him a game or two to get comfortable in a new system, but of late, Stecher's been one of Toronto's most important players. He's recorded four points in his last four games, he's formed an effective pair with Jake McCabe, and Stecher's been eating up minutes, much like you'd see out of a number-one defenseman. The mobile right-handed blueliner skated a team high 24:23 in Carolina on Thursday,"
"While Treliving would be wise to find a long-term fixture to take over their power-play quarterback, the importance of finding another blueliner has decreased significantly since Stecher's arrived on the scene. Having him and McCabe form such an effective tandem gives Berube a chance to play Chris Tanev with Morgan Rielly, once Tanev returns to the ice. Throw in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and eventually, a healthy Brandon Carlo,"
Troy Stecher arrived via waiver pickup from Edmonton and quickly became a top Leafs defenseman, recording four points in four games and averaging over 24 minutes in recent contests. He pairs effectively with Jake McCabe and has taken on heavy minutes akin to a number-one defenseman. Stecher's emergence lessens the immediate need to acquire another right-handed blueliner and allows a potential pairing reshuffle—Chris Tanev could play with Morgan Rielly when healthy. Adding Oliver Ekman-Larsson and a healthy Brandon Carlo would stabilize the blueline depth. Brad Treliving can prioritize upgrades among forwards and pursue a trade for Matias Maccelli.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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