Moments ago, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news that the Edmonton Oilers have acquired defenceman Troy Stecher in trade from the Arizona Coyotes. The Oilers will send a fourth round draft pick to the Coyotes.
Stecher is a 29 year old right shot defenceman with 489 games of NHL experience through his time with the Canucks, Kings, Red Wings, Coyotes, and Flames. In 47 games this season, Stecher has scored just one goal and 5 points. He's owed just $1.1M in cap space, which still leaves the Oilers around $1.5M in cap space at the moment. The Coyotes will not retain any salary in the trade.
For weeks it had been clear that Ken Holland wanted to acquire a seventh defenceman. Heading into the playoffs, having NHL caliber defensive depth is an absolute must. Now with Broberg and Stetcher, the Oilers are perfectly situated to go on a long run in the playoffs with their depth. An upgrade in the top four would've been nice, but the team is still more than capable of winning as it is, and this trade still makes them better.
