Calgary Flames acquire Troy Stecher and Nick Ritchie from Arizona Coyotes
Posted Mar 3, 2023 2:43 pm.
The Calgary Flames have acquired defenceman Troy Stecher from the Arizona Coyotes, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Stecher is from Richmond, B.C.. He returns north after a three-year run that saw him suit up for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes. Prior to that, the Stecher spent four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.
An undersized but tenacious blue-liner, the 28-year-old’s best campaigns came during his early years in Vancouver, where he collected 75 points over 286 games. He’ll join a Calgary defence corps that’s looked in need of bolstering, particularly given the loss of breakout star Oliver Kylington, who’s been away from the team this season while attending to a personal matter.
Per Friedman, the Flames acquired forward Nick Ritchie in the deal as well, with forward Brett Ritchie (older brother of Nick) and defender Connor Mackey going the other way.
Nick Ritchie joins the Flames after spending parts of two seasons in Arizona, following half a season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and runs in Boston and Anaheim.
The big-bodied winger’s best campaign came in 2020-21 for the Bruins, when he put up 15 goals and 26 points through 56 games for Boston.
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Both new members of the Flames are set to be unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, Ritchie playing out the final season of a two-year, $5-million deal, while Stecher is playing out a one-year, $1.25-million deal.
In a statement, the Flames announced Friday it has also acquired forward Dryden Hunt from the Leafs in exchange for forward Radim Zohorna.
Hunt is also from B.C.’s Cranbrook. He participated in 37 games with the New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, the Leafs this season.
