From the moment he arrived in pro hockey, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Troy Stecher has proven to be an instant plug-and-play option.
Undrafted, he signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks and impressed at the 2016 Young Stars tournament in Penticton, B.C., just a few months after signing.
College players often have the edge in the rookie tournaments, and Stecher was older (22) than many of the players on the ice. Still, he was exceptional at both ends, fired nine shots on net and parlayed that first game into real momentum entering training camp in the fall of 2016.
Stecher would play 71 NHL games and four AHL games in his first pro season. His mobility and willingness to play a physical style despite being a smaller (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) defenceman allowed him opportunities to play.
These years later, Stecher has played in almost 500 NHL games, and those four AHL contests remain the only ones on his resume.
Oilers fans saw Stecher in Edmonton last season. He was acquired by the Oilers at the deadline and saw action in seven regular season games (two assists); he did not play in the postseason.
What can the Oilers expect from Stecher?
Offence
Over his career, Stecher has shown an ability to post offence at five-on-five. Per 82 games during his time in the NHL, he is averaging 2-13-15 boxcars.
Among right-handed defenceman projected to play for the Oilers this season, that ranks well behind Evan Bouchard (7-23-30), who is one of the best offensive puck movers in the NHL.
However, Stecher’s offensive output at five-on-five compares well to the rest of the group.
Ty Emberson (nine points in 30 games) enjoyed a strong run with the San Jose Sharks in his NHL debut, but his resume suggests he will land shy of Stecher as an offensive player.
Josh Brown is a rugged enforcer type, offence (3-6-9 per 82 games) is not his calling card.
If the Oilers run the same top pairing in 2024-25 (Bouchard with Mattias Ekholm) Stecher would be the best offensive option for the second pairing with Darnell Nurse. There is evidence Nurse performs best with a strong passer and Stecher covers that area well.
Defence
Stecher is undersized but plays an aggressive style. That’s good, because the Oilers need gritty players. It’s also a worry, because smaller defencemen who play that style often land on the injured list by season’s end.
When Stecher was on the ice at five-on-five last season in the desert, the results were strong compared to the rest of the Arizona Coyotes.
| Category | Stecher On | Stecher Off |
|---|---|---|
|
Shots Pct |
48.3 |
47.2 |
|
Corsi Pct |
49.8 |
48.2 |
|
Fenwick Pct |
49.3 |
47.6 |
|
Goal Pct |
53.9 |
49.3 |
|
X-Goal Pct |
50.6 |
48 |
All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick
Stecher was above average across the board with the Coyotes last season. His possession and outscoring numbers were all better than average.
Puck IQ shows him with 26 percent of his time versus elites (48.9 Dangerous Fenwick percentage, above average relative to other Arizona defencemen) and 42 percent of his minutes five-on-five versus mid-level talent with a 48.9 percent Dangerous Fenwick percentage.
Almost 70 percent of his minutes came against quality NHL talent, and his team outscored opponents 22-14 against the elite and mid-level talent combined.
Stecher can defend.
Competition and role
Stecher will be applying for the right side second pairing job alongside Nurse at training camp this season.
The Oilers could invite competition via a PTO, but as it stands the No. 2 right side job comes down to Stecher versus Emberson.
Stecher’s advantages include experience in the NHL and the 49 minutes he played with Nurse last season after coming over at the deadline. The pairing, via Natural Stat Trick, owned positive numbers in real and underlying numbers in that short time span.
That isn’t a guarantee Stecher wins the job with Nurse, but it probably means the veteran gets the first shot at the role.
The third pairing right side job is also open, with Brown being the main competition for either Stecher or Emberson.
Stecher would be a strong option for the third pairing with Brett Kulak. During the 2023-24 season, the two men barely played together but based on experience and style of play Kulak-Stecher could represent a quality third pairing.
Long shot city
There was a time when the Oilers were known for giving chances to long shots and distant bells.
The organization has been rewarded handsomely over the years by taking a chance on unheralded prospects or fringe NHL players. Here’s a brief list of defencemen signed since 1979 and their collective impact on the team.
• Charlie Huddy, signed as an undrafted free agent in 1979. He spent parts of three seasons in the minors before emerging as a feature player on Edmonton’s five Stanley Cup winners. Huddy played more than 1,000 regular season games in the NHL.
• Steve Staios, signed after a journeyman’s career with the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Thrashers. Known for his ability to play forward and defence, Staios became an important member of the Oilers for most of a decade. He played a key role for the 2006 Oilers, who came within a game of winning the Stanley Cup.
• Jason Smith, traded in his mid-20s for draft picks, would become the Oilers captain and the heart and soul of the team over parts of eight seasons. He was top pair defence on the 2006 team.
• Matt Benning, who signed with Edmonton out of college and made the team in the fall of 2016. He is a doppelganger for Stecher, right down to being a rugged and undersized player who impressed out of the box in the fall of 2016.
The Oilers haven’t needed to sign or develop this kind of player in recent years. The draft and free agency have provided a steady stream of quality options.
The Philip Broberg offer sheet by the St. Louis Blues has opened up the kind of opportunity that was commonplace during the time of Huddy and Smith.
Stecher doesn’t look like the next player to spike from the family of players listed above, but Charlie Huddy didn’t look like Charlie Huddy until he played pro hockey.
The absence of alternatives clears the mind.
Player and team need each other. Stecher has an outstanding chance to find a hockey home this fall.
(Photo: Ron Chenoy / USA Today)
