Published Nov 15, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 1\u00a0hour ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 2 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Some veteran help is on the way for the defensively challenged Maple\u00a0Leafs.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n On Saturday, prior to their game in Chicago, the Leafs claimed blueliner Troy Stecher on waivers from the Edmonton Oilers<\/a>. Stecher is well-known to Toronto general manager Brad Treliving and coach Craig Berube from his five stops in the Western Conference, when he broke in with the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> in 2016 as a free agent out of the University of North Dakota, via the BCHL Penticton Vees. He was the first player from nearby Richmond B.C., to play for Vancouver.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The 31-year-old right-shot Stecher fits nicely under the cap at $787,500 US this season and becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. Though he met the Leafs in Chicago, Stecher did not play, likely debuting in one of the two home dates next week before a six-game road trip. Brandon Carlo joined fellow defenceman Chris Tanev on the shelf Saturday, listed as day-to-day by Berube with a lower-body issue.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In another roster move Saturday, Toronto shifted goaltender Anthony Stolarz to the injured reserve list, retroactive to Nov. 11 when he suffered an upper body injury in Boston.<\/p>\n WHAT STECHER\u2019S ARRIVAL MEANS<\/p>\n At 5-foot-10, 184 pounds, Stecher will be the smallest Leafs defenceman, but he\u2019s rugged and has offensive smarts, twice reaching 20-plus points in a full season. Stecher played 66 games in Edmonton last season, the most NHL action he\u2019d seen in years. He was in eight of the Oilers\u2019 playoff matches during their long run to the final, but was used just six times this season.<\/p>\n Toronto entered this weekend with a 3.83 goals-against average, worst in the National Hockey League, partly due to their inability to break out of their own zone cleanly and now beset by injuries. Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis have been inconsistent as replaceents for Tanev, who is day-to-day with an upper body injury from a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Stecher has 22 goals and 117 points in 566 total NHL games. He\u2019d not played in two weeks for Edmonton and was placed on waivers as the Oilers sought to clear cap and roster space for the return of former Leaf Zach Hyman from a wrist injury.<\/p>\n Though Stolarz is on IR and can\u2019t play until late next week, he is almost recovered from an upper-body injury.<\/p>\n Joseph Woll was expected to start in Chicago and, following Stolarz, Dennis Hildeby and the departed Cayden Primeau, will represent the fourth different goalie Toronto has used before the season\u2019s 20-game mark.<\/p>\n That\u2019s happened only once before to the Leafs in more than a century according to NHLStats \u2014 three seasons ago when Woll, Michael Hutchinson, Jack Campbell and Peter Mrazek were all deployed by mid-November.<\/p>\n lhornby@postmedia.com<\/p>\n X: @sunhornby<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links SportsHockeyNHLToronto Maple Leafs Get the latest from Lance Hornby straight to your inbox Sign Up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285709,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-285708","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"stecher](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/troyweb-e1763237458512.jpg\")
Oilers defenceman Troy Stecher battles for position against new teammate Matthew Knies during a game at Rogers Place in February. Stecher, 31, was claimed on waivers by the Maple Leafs on Saturday. Photo by Leila Devlin \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.9.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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