"What the Leafs know for sure this season is that Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers are not getting it done. You can probably add Brandon Carlo and Simon Benoit to that list as well but bringing in Stecher doesn't address their shortcomings. It is a move that will eventually produce a Myers and/or Mermis demotion. The need is clearly there, but the question is whether or not Troy Stecher is the player to help address it."
"In contrast, at 5-foot-10, Troy Stecher doesn't fit with the big bad Leafs image that Brad Treliving and Craig Berube are trying to build. And at 31, Stecher isn't a step towards a youthful reimagining of the blueline, he's more of the same and after Stecher getting into 66 regular season games and eight playoff games for the Oilers last season, he's only played six of 19 games for the Oilers this season, he hasn't looked as good in the system he's used to playing."
"He's a right shot which is always a bonus. He's a player that the Oilers were hoping they would be able to clear and report to the AHL, so he's still seen as a defenceman that adds value in the eyes of a club that has been to the Stanley Cup Final in the past two playoffs. And Stecher is a player that Brad Treliving has acquired once before and one that Treliving and Berube would have seen a lot of during their time in the Western Conference."
The Maple Leafs require a shakeup on the bottom of their defensive depth chart as Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers are not performing. Brandon Carlo and Simon Benoit also fail to provide consistent reassurance, so a change is necessary. Troy Stecher is a right-shot defender with NHL experience and prior familiarity to Leafs management through Brad Treliving. Stecher is 5-foot-10 and 31 years old, offering experience rather than youth, and has seen reduced usage this season. His on-ice differentials were poor for the Oilers, though a 1.51 GA/60 and 2.48 xGA/60 are workable figures.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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