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Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

It has been an offseason of change for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who not only dismissed general manager Brad Treliving late in the regular season on March 30, but they’ve also hired former Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka as his replacement; his first major decision was the removal of head coach Craig Berube behind the Toronto bench, and the search for his replacement is underway.

There will also be roster turnover, as is the case every season with every team. One pending free agent on the club roster is veteran defenseman Troy Stecher, who hopes to remain with the club going into next season.

Troy Stecher Wants To Remain With The Toronto Maple Leafs

Stecher, who was acquired by the Maple Leafs off the waiver wire last November, was in the final season of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $787,500 that he signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2024.

While making an appearance with Nick Alberga and former NHL veteran Jay Rosehill on the Leafs Morning Take podcast, Stecher said that his preference is to remain with the Maple Leafs, with whom he played in 38 games this season while scoring three goals and adding eight assists.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I hope I’m back and I really enjoyed being a Leaf,” Stecher said. “It was great and I have really fond memories playing there. It’s world-class organization.”

Right now, he’s unsure how serious contract talks are, as he said that he leaves that all up to his agent.

“I’m not going to say there haven’t been talks, there obviously have been, but to what degree?” said Stecher “That’s all on my agent.

“The biggest thing is just the change [around the organization]. There’s so many different categories and topics that I’m sure the organizations want to focus on and dive into, including the draft and July 1.”

Stecher also made it clear his only aspiration is to play in the NHL.

“To say that I want to play hockey is true, but I want to play in the NHL, and I only want to play in the NHL,” said Stecher. “When you pull back all the layers, at the end of the day I’m just playing hockey. It’s all I’ve ever known and all I’ve ever loved to do, and I don’t take it for granted.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to do that every single day. Whether it’s the regular season, off-season, or playoffs, I’m going to make sure I’m applying myself to my craft. I’m going to survive in this league for as long as I can and I take a lot of pride in that grind.”

Troy Stecher Was Claimed By The Maple Leafs In November Off Waivers

Stecher, who was never drafted into the NHL, has played for several clubs during his career, including the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Oilers, and Maple Leafs.

He’s appeared in 566 career games, and has scored 22 goals while adding 95 assists. He’s also scored four goals with three assists in 29 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.