It Worked Once Before: Maple Leafs Linked to Ex-Oiler as Blue Line Fix

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to search for answers on the blue line, and one suggested trade idea making the rounds leans on a familiar formula: bringing in a steady ex-Oiler to stabilize things.

With Toronto hovering on the outside of the playoff picture, one writer pitched a trade idea that would see the Leafs move a struggling forward to Pittsburgh, and the Penguins send back a recently-acquired defenseman who likely isn’t in their long-term plans.

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The proposed move is also intriguing because it reunites former Edmonton Oilers teammates Brett Kulak and Troy Stecher. Would adding Kulak to the Leafs help stabilize their defensive depth, while giving the Penguins a player with some offensive upside and a draft pick?

Grabbing an Oiler Worked Once Before for the Maple Leafs

Stecher was claimed on waivers earlier this season and has been a pleasant surprise for Toronto, playing massive minutes, sometimes in a top-four role. In Edmonton, he was rarely in the lineup, and now that he has fixed the bottom pair, he has kept mistakes to a minimum and brought some calm to a defense group that has often lacked it, it might be worth the Leafs trying to rinse and repeat.

Kulak was a five/six on the Oilers, but in the playoffs, filled in admirably in a top-four role when injuries struck. He is currently with the Pittsburgh Penguins after being moved in the Stuart Skinner–Tristan Jarry deal, and has become a name to watch as Pittsburgh weighs its options ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. If the Penguins decide to sell, Toronto could be a landing spot.

The suggested trade (first prosposed by Heavy.com)— sending Matias Maccelli and a 2027 second-round pick to Pittsburgh — is where things get interesting.

For the Leafs, it’s a bet on structure over upside. Maccelli hasn’t found his footing in Toronto, and the pick carries value, particularly if the Leafs slide further down the standings.

A Stecher–Kulak third pair could take pressure off Toronto’s top four, and there’s even a scenario where Kulak complements Morgan Rielly, similar to how Luke Schenn and Ron Hainsey once did.

There’s also a longer view. Kulak’s $2.75 million cap hit is manageable, and even as a pending UFA, he could be retained beyond this season without major cap gymnastics.

This isn’t a flashy solution. But sometimes, what worked once before works again — especially for a team desperate for stability.

Next: The Oilers’ Early-Season Mistake That Cost Stuart Skinner His Job