The Leafs have claimed RD Troy Stecher after he was placed on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers.

The Leafs defense has been in a bad way this season as they've had many issues with the puck and general underperformance. They've not been helped by the injury to Chris Tanev, too.

The official move was they played Anthony Stolarz on IR retroactive to Nov 11th. IR requires players to be on for 7 days, so Stolarz can be brought back from waivers on Tuesday when the Leafs play next (in St. Louis).

Stecher, 31, makes $787,500 this year and is a UFA in the summer. He started his career out of college with the Canucks, then Detroit where he made a quick stop in LA for a playoff run (traded for a 7th). He then signed with Arizona before being acquired by Brad Treliving with the Calgary Flames (in the Ritchie-Ritchie trade), before signing with Arizona again the next summer. Edmonton then traded for him (for a 7th) and extended him until now when he was waived and claimed by the Leafs.

This is an interesting article that talks about Ty Emberson, but gets to teammate Stecher lower down. It appears the Oilers picked Emberson over Stecher, and when they needed space for Zach Hyman to come off LTIR, they waived Stecher.

Scout’s Analysis: Where Ty Emberson fits on Edmonton’s defence
As part of their off-season lineup shuffling, the Oilers brought in 24-year-old defenceman Ty Emberson from San Jose. Scout Jason Bukala examines the player and projects where he fits into the lineup.
Sportsnet.caJason Bukala

Anecdotes about Stecher are that he's a hard worker, good skater, and moderately good defensively. Oilers fans called him the "Nurse Whisperer" during the season where he was partnered with Darnell Nurse and they apparently played pretty well.

This post has some quotes from Stecher when he was pushed out of the lineup in the playoffs that certainly make him sound like a very level-headed and mature person:

BLOG: Oilers show their humility when making tough lineup decisions in the playoffs | Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers aren’t letting their individual emotions get in the way of collective success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when debating difficult lineup decisions every night with their deep & experienced roster
Edmonton Oilers logoJamie Umbach

For now in Toronto, Stecher is an alternative to several Leafs who have made it quite clear they're not cut out for the NHL.

Stecher was waived while the Oilers were on a road trip, so presumably he went back home to see where he'd end up next. It's unclear if he's available tonight in Chicago.

Roster Shenanigans