Troy Stecher? We hardly knew ye late last season.
But now that he’s had his ankle repaired which compromised him from the minute he arrived from Arizona at the trade deadline last March, maybe now we’ll see why the Edmonton Oilers quickly re-signed the right-shot defenceman on July 1 to a two-year contract with an AAV of $787,500.
While the Oilers are set on left side with Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak, it’s a mosh-pit of right-shot defencemen with Stecher, Ty Emberson, Josh Brown and farmhand Phil Kemp, all defensive types, auditioning for top 6 spots in the wake of Cody Ceci’s trade to San Jose (for Emberson), Vincent Desharnais signing in Vancouver and Philip Broberg, who played right side, in St. Louis now.
The burning question is who plays with Nurse on the second defence pair if assistant coach Paul Coffey doesn’t want to break up one of the NHL’s best D-pairings in Ekholm and Evan Bouchard?
It might be Stecher, 30, who has 494 NHL games and got a taste of playing with Nurse after the trade deadline deal.
Or, maybe they see what Emberson, who played in the first D pair in San Jose with Mario Ferraro but only for 30 games because of three separate injuries, gets a look to start camp on-ice sessions Sept. 19.
Stecher has no illusions about where he fits.
As long as he fits, somewhere.
Nothing’s ever been gifted to the undrafted defenceman, probably because of his size (5’10”, 185 pounds). He’s had to grind his way to his ninth NHL season, on his sixth team (his hometown Canucks, Detroit, Los Angeles, Calgary, Arizona and now Edmonton).
But, at least his foot is better, now.
“Just happy to have a healthy kick at the can,” he said.
The ankle first started being a problem before last Christmas. After playing seven games here after the trade, he eventually needed surgery at the end of May. He was a spectator throughout the playoff run, on the best team he’s ever been on.
“I blocked a shot back in December (Arizona) and didn’t think anything of it. You take a shot off the foot and you call them stingers or whatever,” he said.
“But the friction of my boot (and foot) over time created a cyst.”
‘Playing injured’
Later in the season, Stecher would block a shot that broke his foot and was out of Arizona’s lineup for several weeks. During that time they drained the cyst, but it got infected.
“I wasn’t healthy, was playing injured and it became unbearable getting my foot in the boot,” said Stecher.
“It wasn’t the pressure. I had a ball bigger than a golf ball on the side of my ankle. I couldn’t get it (foot) into the skate. We would drain it, I would tie the skate up and overnight it would refill and we’d drain it again. Over time, it was getting down to the bone, and inside the organs so there was a high risk of infection, and that’s what happened.”
Surgery was required.
Not playing in the post-season was hard on the heart for Stecher.
“Super frustrated on an individual level. I wanted to help but I couldn’t. At the same time it was motivating and inspiring. It definitely was a cool experience to rub shoulders with these guys,” said Stecher, who watched his team battle back from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7.
“I could say so many good things about the individuals and the group. We faced adversity (playoffs) and always found a way to come out on top. Not just the final, but being down 3-2 in the series with Vancouver. The buy-in from this group was unbelievable. And the guys still supported me being on the sidelines,” he said.
The management gave him a helping hand, too.
“Not to tip my own cap, but obviously I did something right because they wanted me back,” he said.
“I’d waited all this time for this opportunity (to be on Cup threat) and I wasn’t sure how they felt about me. Maybe they were sour because I was injured and missing time, but they came calling right away. This is where I wanted to be”
So, this is his best-ever shot to win a Stanley Cup.
Right now it looks like the Oilers will use the season to see if Stecher, Emberson or any other right-shot D can work nicely with Nurse, unless they break up the big-time Bouchard-Ekholm duo and Bouchard plays with Nurse.
If they find they need help in the top 4, they’ll trade at the deadline. The thought of re-acquiring former Oiler defenceman Adam Larson, if the Seattle Kraken are out of the playoff picture has become a moot point, as Larsson agreed to a four-year extension with Seattle with a $5.25 million AAV.
‘Belief in myself’
Stecher doesn’t know where he’ll play.
“I’ve always been doubted, people counting me out,” said Stecher.
“Being a smaller guy and the way I play. I’m not an offensive defenceman. People assume being small I’m going to put up points but that’s not my game.
“I’ve had the same mentality since junior (Penticton). In the NHL, I’ve always come to camp feeling I had to earn my roster spot. I know there’s going to be doubters but I have belief in myself.”
Will he get a shot with Nurse?
“I think it’s common sense that Ek and Bouch would stay together,” said Stecher.
“I’ve seen speculation (that he might audition with Nurse) but guys are going to earn their ice-time or not. Internal competition is good, it pushes everybody. I’ve been in this position my entire career. Every year in Vancouver I started in the third pair and I’d be with (Alex) Edler at the end of the season. In Detroit same thing. I ended up playing with Marc Staal in the second pair.
“Being a smaller guy and not an offensive guy I have to earn the trust of my teammates and the coaching staff through repetitions. One thing I pride myself on is my work ethic,” he said.
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