Logan Stanley now has MORE goals this season (6) than he has in his entire six-year career (5) 🤯
The towering 6-foot-1 defenseman was selected 18th overall in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has been a work in progress ever since. After completing four years of junior hockey (2014-2018) with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers, he joined the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, from 2018-2020, where he recorded nine goals and 32 points. He then made the jump to the Jets in 2020-21, where his development path started to get shaky.
Stanley missed two months at the start of the 2022-23 season with a broken ankle, then suffered a high ankle sprain one game after his return. The following year he was routinely a healthy scratch, which ultimately led to him asking for a trade. Although nothing came of it, it marked a point where Stanley felt he was not developing within the organization in the way he had hoped, and a fresh start might have benefited him.
The Waterloo, Ontario native has averaged 16:33 of ice time per game in his career. He also has 89 hits and 67 blocks to his name, and isn’t afraid to get physical or drop the gloves, something he’s done several times this season.
Which brings us to the big question: should the Jets extend Stanley or trade him?
An AAV of over $5 million for Stanley sounds bizarre. If you’re Kevin Cheveldayoff, why not try to squeeze the most value out of it while his stock is at an all-time high? This feels like the general manager IQ test, as I, and some people at X, like to call it.
“The Winnipeg Jets are expected to move Luke Schenn at some point before the trade deadline. He likely won’t be the only blueliner the team moves, as sources suggest to me that Logan Stanley is also a very likely candidate to be traded this offseason. The Jets have not yet had formal contract negotiations with his agent, and there is a strong belief that Stanley will be dealt.”
Schenn is a no-brainer for me to move. Yes, he offers veteran presence and physicality, but he’s slow and simply too old for where this team is going. Winnipeg should look to get whatever assets they can for him, and maybe even recoup some lost picks.
“I’ve heard from a few people that Detroit and Winnipeg might be a match there.”
Friedman speculated that Stanley could be part of a deal, while Kyle Bukauskas wondered about Schenn.
I’ve been trying to figure out why Stanley has suddenly found this offensive tackle who is already one goal shy of double figures. Then it dawned on me: It’s contract year and we’ve seen this story before. I believe “The Stanimal” is playing for a payday. That’s not surprising, but this is where Kevin Cheveldayoff needs a reality check. When a player’s value is this high, you have to capitalize, especially if there are contenders who might be willing to part with a first-round pick or more.
Of course, there will be those who argue that the Jets should keep Stanley at all costs, believing he will finally become the player they’ve been hoping for all along. I just don’t buy it. The numbers are wrong. You can point to injuries, healthy scratches and stalled development, but an offensive spike like this is both shocking and highly questionable. The Jets need to sell.
#Kevin #Cheveldayoff #advantage #Logan #Stanleys #trade