With defenceman Troy Stecher, Maple Leafs’ gain is Oilers’ loss

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Wondering where the Maple Leafs would be without Troy Stecher might be overdoing it.

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There’s certainly no denying the impact the veteran defenceman has made on the Leafs since mid-November, however, when the Edmonton Oilers decided that Stecher could no longer help them.

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Before playing host to Connor McDavid and the Oilers on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs were 6-2-3 in 11 games since claiming Stecher off waivers from the Oilers on Nov. 15. The 31-year-old British Columbia native was averaging 20 minutes 12 seconds of ice time a game, well above his National Hockey League career average of 17 minutes 28 seconds in 577 games. In his past six games, Stecher didn’t play less than 22 minutes in any of them.

The blow of playing without the injured Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo has been lessened thanks to the pairing of Stecher and Jake McCabe.

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The two D-men have helped the Leafs remain in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference.

“I think people are starting to see it here, but I pride myself on having a good attitude and trying to work hard,” Stecher said on Saturday morning. “I’m a believer in karma. If you keep your mouth shut and put your nose down and you go to the grindstone, I feel like odds are most of the time it’s going to work out in your favour.

“I’ve been fortunate to have the success I’ve had here playing with Caber, but you’re only as good as your last game.

“It’s one thing to get that opportunity, it’s another what you do with it and I’ve tried to make the most of it.”

Youth movement

Younger defencemen in Edmonton such as Ty Emberson and Alec Regula helped push Stecher out the door.

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“We didn’t really just have a place for him, and unfortunately, he was the odd guy out,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “For him to come here and playing as well as he is, we are extremely happy for him.

“There’s a guy who worked extremely hard every single day, and no matter if he was playing or not, he brought the same attitude.”

Crucial for Leafs coach Craig Berube is that Stecher doesn’t leave him guessing. For the most part, Stecher has been poised in the defensive zone and moves the puck well.

“I know what I’m going to get shift to shift,” Berube said. “He skates and competes and makes the simple play with the puck. He has been pretty solid for us all around.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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