The biggest competition in Maple Leafs training camp is between three smaller defencemen - Toronto Star

Troy Stecher, Nick Blankenburg and Emil Andrae are all fighting for a spot on the Leafs' blueline this training camp.

Troy Stecher, left, battles with William Nylander for the puck during Leafs training camp last week.

Troy Stecher is entering his 11th season in the NHL, the first of a two-year contract with the Maple Leafs, and he still doesn’t feel like he has a secure job.

“As a player that’s what you strive for, get a contract to play on an NHL team and try to win a Stanley Cup,” said Stecher. “I’m still very much in that fight, every day trying to prove myself.

“Belief goes a long way, staying focused on what I can control. There’s going to be younger players, bigger players, always somebody trying to take your spot. Just believe in yourself and work hard.”

The 32-year-old Stecher this season is pencilled in as the sixth defenceman, paired on the right side with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He’s getting pushed for a job by 28-year-old Nick Blankenburg, another right-shot defenceman who is in camp on a professional try-out, as well as Emil Andrae, a 24-year-old left-handed defenceman acquired over the summer in a trade with Philadelphia for goalie Joseph Woll.

It’s conceivable all three make the team after cuts are announced next week, but barring injuries only one will play at a time. The other two will be up in the press box, with Morgan Rielly, Darren Raddysh, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe and Ekman-Larsson all ahead of them on the depth chart.

No other No. 1 draft pick has entered the NHL with a softer cushion than the Maple Leafs phenom.