Oilers place Troy Stecher on waivers, send Isaac Howard to AHL
The Edmonton Oilers made a pair of roster moves on Friday afternoon, placing defenseman Troy Stecher on waivers and sending rookie forward Isaac Howard to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.
Stecher, 31, has appeared in six games with the Oilers this season, averaging 13:37 of ice time with no points, three shots, and eight penalty minutes.
Howard, 21, has skated in 17 games with the Oilers in his first professional season, collecting two goals and three points to go along with 10 penalty minutes and a minus-two rating.
With top-line winger Zach Hyman finally expected back in the lineup for his season debut on Saturday, the Oilers needed to clear room on their roster. Whether Stecher is claimed off waivers remains to be determined, but for now, Howard will continue his rookie campaign in the minors.
The #Oilers have placed defenceman Troy Stecher on waivers & loaned forward Isaac Howard to the @Condors. https://t.co/8kzVajd7xi
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 14, 2025An undrafted player who spent his developmental years with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees and at the University of North Dakota, Stecher began his NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks in 2016 and quickly emerged as a fan favorite with his hometown club.
The 5’10” right-handed defender has also played with the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, and Calgary Flames during his 566-game NHL career, collecting 22 goals and 117 points. He’s added four goals and seven points in 29 playoff contests with the Canucks, Kings, and Oilers.
A first-round pick (No. 31 overall) of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, Howard spent his first post-draft season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before transferring to Michigan State, where he played his sophomore and junior years. He scored 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games with the Spartans in 2024-25, winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate men’s hockey player in the nation.
After failing to come to terms on a contract with the Lightning, Howard joined the Oilers organization by way of a trade in the 2025 off-season that saw fellow first-round prospect Sam O’Reilly head to Tampa Bay. But with Howard, like the rest of the team, struggling out of the gate in the 2025-26 campaign, the Oilers saw fit to shuffle him down to make room for one of their top veteran forwards.
Through 19 games, the Oilers currently sit outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference with an 8-7-4 record and 20 points. They fell 5-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday evening and will return to action in Carolina on Saturday.