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ELMONT, NEW YORK – APRIL 09: Troy Stecher #28 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on April 09, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Vancouver Canucks are going to be an intriguing team to watch this offseason. With the Canucks being in a rebuild, there is an expectation that they will trade away some of their veteran players during the summer. Among the Canucks in the rumor mill early on this offseason are Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson, Nils Hoglander, and Filip Hronek.
However, while the Canucks are tearing things down as they continue their rebuild, it is also possible that they could look to add some players in free agency this year. One area that they could look to add more depth is their defensive group.
Because of this, a Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman has been named as a potential free agent target for the Canucks to consider.
Maple Leafs’ Troy Stecher Named Potential Free Agent Target for Canucks
In a recent article for The Athletic, Thomas Drance discussed 15 pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) who the Canucks should consider signing on July 1. Among the players mentioned by Drance was Maple Leafs defenseman Troy Stecher.
“Perhaps the Canucks should rectify their unforced error from five years ago and bring back a high-character right-handed defender capable of helping to insulate Vancouver’s younger defenders while managing deceptively strong defensive results,” Drance wrote about Stecher.
The idea of the Canucks bringing back Stecher is certainly an intriguing one. The 32-year-old blueliner played each of his first four seasons with the Canucks from 2016-17 to 2019-20. He was a solid part of the Canucks’ blueline over that time, recording 11 goals, 64 assists, and 75 points in 286 games. This included him scoring three goals and setting career highs with 21 assists and 24 points in 71 games for Vancouver as a rookie in 2016-17.
Since his time with the Canucks ended, Stecher has had stints with the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Maple Leafs. Overall, he has become quite the journeyman, and it would be fascinating to see him return to the Canucks.
If the Canucks brought back Stecher on a cheap short-term deal, he would have the potential to slot nicely on their bottom pairing. He would also offer them another option to work with for their penalty kill if needed.
Maple Leafs Have a Decision to Make With Stecher
With Stecher being a pending UFA, the Maple Leafs will need to decide whether or not they want to keep the veteran blueliner around. They recently acquired fellow right-shot defenseman Darren Raddysh in a blockbuster sign-and-trade, so the Maple Leafs’ right now is now getting crowded. However, Stecher could still be a good player for the Maple Leafs to keep around as their seventh defenseman for extra depth.
However, if the Maple Leafs do not re-sign Stecher, he could get a decent amount of interest around the NHL. The 32-year-old had a solid year with Toronto in 2025-26, posting three goals, 11 assists, and 14 points in 58 games.
If Stecher does test free agency, the Canucks could be a team to watch. It will be interesting to see what happens with the 10-year veteran this summer from here.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL, NFL, and MLB for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered sports since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
