The Toronto Maple Leafs should offer Troy Stecher a contract for next season.

Stecher, 32, is a pending unrestricted free agent, who can hit the open market on July 1. While he’s not the best defenceman among the group of upcoming free agents, Stecher is a serviceable six-seven option, who John Chayka should try to keep in the mix. The veteran mobile defenceman knows exactly what he is, he has the versatility to be effective at the bottom of the lineup, and Stecher’s also made it very clear he’d like to return to the Maple Leafs next season.

Stecher appeared in 58 games last season for the Leafs, after being claimed off waivers. He chipped in with three goals and 11 assists, for 14 points, averaging 19:45 of ice-time. While Stecher isn’t the right-handed top-pair option that Chayka needs to land this offseason to run his power play, Stecher can effectively kill penalties, he brings a lunch pail type of attitude to the ice every single game, and he’s well aware that his strength is his speed, so he’ll need to continue to use his feet to get him into proper positioning on the ice. Stecher’s at his best when he’s not trying to do too much, keeping his game simple, advancing the puck, and playing so hard that his teammates build off the momentum of his work ethic.

Chayka wants to reshape the Maple Leafs blueline, that’s been paramount since day one of his arrival. Plus, there’s the fact William Nylander and Auston Matthews both mentioned retooling on defence to find more two-way blueliners during their exit interviews, so we know it’s top of mind for a lot of people. Heading into free agency July 1, Chayka’s goal should be to have a few of the current d-men moved out, including Morgan Rielly, Brandon Carlo, Simon Benoit and Phillipe Myers. Toronto should keep Jake McCabe, Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Troy Stecher in the mix, and you can throw in Ben Danford for good measure. Chayka needs to find a true number one defenceman for the Leafs, one that can run the power play, and be a two-way force, eating up heavy minutes. Keeping Stecher in the mix gives the Leafs an experienced option for their bottom pair, and a pro’s pro, who is going to set an example day to day in practice on how hard you should be working.

Stecher brings a lot of intangibles to the table and isn’t going cost Chayka a ton to sign. If it’s a two-year deal, just over league minimum likely gets it done. It may need to be a one-way deal, which is risky, but something the Leafs could afford to gamble on based on the fact Danford looks ready to jump in as soon as next season. Stecher is also someone the young d-man can learn from as his attitude is one of his best traits.

“That’s just who I am, and what I pride myself on as an individual player. It’s what I feel I’ve tried to bring to every team I’ve been on, no matter the level,” Stecher said on Leafs Morning Take May 26. “Looking at both my North Dakota and pro career, I’m probably not the prototypical undersized defenceman. I don’t put up a lot of points, so I pride myself on playing with a lot of compete, pride, and tenacity.”

The Maple Leafs won’t be the only team to make a contract offer to Stecher this summer, as the Vancouver Canucks are likely going to circle back, and same can be said about the Edmonton Oilers. The San Jose Sharks only have two defencemen signed to NHL contracts for next season, so we know they’ll be in the market for a veteran, or two. The only thing not working in Stecher’s favour is the fact the free-agent market is littered with veteran middle-of-the-pack right-handed defenceman. Chayka’s going to look to be creative this offseason, and there’s several trades expected, but on the free-agent front, there hasn’t been much speculation on who the Leafs’ GM is interested in locking in.

Stecher wasn’t perfect in Toronto last season, but he was overworked. The Leafs were going through a slew of injuries, and he was playing more than he should have been for significant stretches. Heading into next season, it’s expected the Maple Leafs blueline will look much different. Frankly, Chayka would be very wise to keep Stecher around the big smoke, a place the player loved calling home.

“It was great, and I have really fond memories of playing here. It’s a world-class organization, and who knows what’s going to happen here in the off-season with all the changes we’ve had,” Stecher said. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I hope I’m back. I really enjoyed being a Leaf, and I’ll just leave it at that.”

Stecher shouldn’t be playing top four minutes for the Maple Leafs next season, but he should be on their roster as a depth option, who they can insert in the lineup, and know exactly what they’re going to get on a nightly basis. Hard hat, work boots, and a blue-collar mentality. Something the Leafs could use more of heading into next season.