Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs Surprisingly Successful Defenseman Wants to Return Next Season

Defenseman Troy Stecher says he wants to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and noted the two sides had briefly talked.

by
NHL Trade Talk
May 27, 2026

Troy Stecher says he’s hoping he’ll return to the Toronto Maple Leafs next season, but is aware that things might not pan out, given how much change the organization has gone through, and will go through this offseason.

A pending UFA, Stecher was claimed off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers and immediately fit onto a Maple Leafs roster that had holes on their blue line. Not a regular in Edmonton, he started playing key minutes in Toronto, shocking almost everyone with how much he could handle the additional responsibility. He averaged 19:46 in his 58 games with the team, and he’s earned the right to a conversation about his future.

That said, the Maple Leafs struggled as a whole, and an argument can be made that if Stecher is in your top four, the blue line needs upgrading. As surprisingly successful as he was, he’s not a top-four guy over the course of a full season. Stecher can serve a role, and he’s happy to do so. He won’t complain, he’ll give his all, and he’s a locker room guy who is well-liked. Hoping he gets a chance to continue his career in Toronto, he talked about what’s next on Leafs Morning Take this week.

“It was great — I really had fun playing there. It’s a world-class organization,” he said. “Who knows what’s going to happen here, obviously, in the offseason with all the changes that we had. I’ve said before, I’ll say it again: I hope I’m back. I really enjoyed being a Leaf, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

Have the Maple Leafs Offered Stecher a New Deal?

When asked if there had been any conversations between the organization and his people, Stecher said some, but didn’t get into the details of how much.

“I mean, I’m not going to say no. There obviously has been. To what degree, I don’t know — that’s all on my agent. I will say the biggest thing is just the change. You know, I think there’s so many different categories and topics the organization wants to talk about, focus on, and dive into. I’m sure the draft is a huge focus, and with July 1st coming around, so there has been some combo. I don’t know if it’s just a check-in or how serious it is.”

But, at the end of the day, man, I’m hopeful to be a Leaf.

Next: Golden Knights vs Avalanche Series Produces 2 Coaching Options for Oilers