Troy Stecher and Emil Andrae are fighting for one spot on Toronto's blue line, and Jim Hiller's call will say plenty about his approach.
Camp opens soon, and this is Hiller's first run behind Toronto's bench since getting the job back in June.
Stecher put up 14 points last season, three goals and 11 assists over 64 games, finishing at minus-8.
Andrae matched him with 11 assists but added only two goals across 61 games, and he closed the year at plus-15.
Cap-wise it's basically a wash. Stecher sits at $787,500. Andrae carries a $903,334 hit.
Toronto's presumed top four on defense looks like Morgan Rielly, Darren Raddysh, Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson mixed in too.
So who gets the last job? It depends on whether Hiller trusts a plus-15 rating or leans on a 32-year-old who has already logged the minutes.
Down the stretch, Stecher managed one point over his final 10 games and finished at minus-8 in that span. Andrae picked up one point as well, but he closed that stretch at plus-2.
Toronto's brutal finish makes every roster call bigger this fall
Toronto finished last season 32-36-14 for 78 points, good for 28th overall and eighth in the division.
The finish wasn't pretty either. The Maple Leafs closed on a seven-game skid and went just 2-7-1 down the stretch.
That kind of fade puts pressure on every depth decision Hiller makes, right down to his sixth defenseman.
It's a bit like picking between a dependable used truck and a newer model still breaking in.
One you trust. The other might run better once it warms up.
If Hiller wants stability while his top players sort themselves out, Stecher is the safer set of keys to hand over.
If he's building for the long haul, Andrae is worth the risk. My money says he gets the longer look once camp opens.
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Nothing gets settled on paper. This one gets decided in scrimmages, in coverage lapses, in who Hiller trusts with the puck when a game is on the line.
Should Jim Hiller start the season with Emil Andrae over Troy Stecher on the blue line?
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