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Logan Stanley

Jets Re-Sign Logan Stanley And David Gustafsson

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The Jets took care of a pair of their restricted free agents on Saturday, announcing the re-signings of defenseman Logan Stanley and center David Gustafsson to two-year contracts.  Stanley will carry a $1.25MM AAV while Gustafsson checks in at $835K.  Both players were eligible to file for salary arbitration but elected not to do so on Friday.

Stanley was a first-round pick by Winnipeg back in 2016, going 18th overall.  At the time, they were hoping that they’d secured a key cog of their future back end.  However, that has yet to become the case.

Playing time has been hard to come by for the 26-year-old in recent years.  He played in just 19 games in 2022-23, leading to an indication that he wouldn’t mind a change of scenery.  He wound up re-signing the following summer but the lack of playing time continued as Stanley got into just 25 games last season where he had one goal and one assist while logging less than 14 minutes a night.  He also saw action in three of their five playoff contests.

However, with Brenden Dillon departing in free agency, there could be an opportunity for Stanley to play more of a regular role next season although Ville Heinola (who is now waiver-eligible) is likely to be in the mix there as well.  This deal gives him a $250K raise while Winnipeg gets an extra year of club control to see if Stanley can become at least a regular part of their back end.

As for Gustafsson, the 24-year-old was a late second-round pick in 2018 (60th overall) and spent most of last year with Winnipeg, albeit in a limited role.  He suited up in 39 games last season, picking up three goals and four assists in just over nine minutes a night of action while winning more than 54% of his faceoffs.  He got into four postseason contests, scoring once.  Gustafsson also played in six regular season games with AHL Manitoba where he collected three assists.

Gustafsson won’t have the option of returning to the Moose next season without going through waivers first.  The likelier scenario is that he once again stays in the mix to anchor the fourth line or hold onto the 13th spot on Winnipeg’s forward group.  He will still have another year of RFA eligibility once this contract ends.

With these signings, the Jets are down to four remaining restricted free agents.  On the back end, Heinola, newly-acquired Dylan Coghlan, and Simon Lundmark need new deals while up front, Cole Perfetti still needs to be signed.  They have a little over $4.25MM in remaining cap space, per CapFriendly.

Jets Receiving Interest In Logan Stanley

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Playing time has been hard to come by for Jets defenseman Logan Stanley this season.  Accordingly, teams have started to call around to ask about his availability, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.

The 6’6 rearguard was the 18th selection in the 2016 draft but has failed to live up to his draft billing.  Stanley has just 119 career NHL appearances under his belt, only four of which have come in 2023-24 as he has been a frequent healthy scratch.  More of a stay-at-home player, the 25-year-old has 20 career points along with 157 blocks and 228 hits.

Stanley was frustrated with his situation last season, one that saw him limited to just 19 appearances between injuries and scratches.  The end result was a reported trade request although clearly, that didn’t come to fruition.  This summer, Stanley accepted a one-year, $1MM contract in August, the amount of his qualifying offer.  He’ll once again be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights in July, owed that same amount as a qualifier.

With Declan Chisholm finally seeing some NHL action in recent weeks, Winnipeg is currently carrying eight blueliners on its active roster with Ville Heinola – ready for an NHL look himself – on injured reserve.  They also have Kyle Capobianco – a regular on the roster last year – at AHL Manitoba.  Accordingly, it might make sense for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to explore selling off some surplus depth although Garrioch does point out that Stanley is not being shopped.

Of course, it’s fair to say that Stanley’s value is far from being at its peak.  Seventh or eighth defensemen generally don’t yield much of a return on the trade market so it’s fair to say they’d be selling low.  That’s not something Cheveldayoff typically does as he’s well-known for his patience to find the right move.

Stanley’s level of performance hasn’t changed much over the years so it’s fair to question how much upside he has left with Winnipeg.  However, given where he was picked, it’s likely that there are organizations who believe a change of scenery could do him some good and that they can unlock his potential, so to speak.  If there are enough of those, the Jets could get a good enough offer to be persuaded to move on at some point in the coming weeks.  Otherwise, his extended stint in the press box seems likely to continue.

Jets Healthy Scratch Defender Nate Schmidt

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The Winnipeg Jets are expected to healthy scratch defenseman Nate Schmidt in their Thursday game against the Vegas Golden Knights. This will be only the second time that Winnipeg has scratched Schmidt, with his last scratching coming on March 4th of last season. Schmidt slotted back into the lineup immediately after, scoring a goal in his first game back and recording seven points in 18 games through the rest of the season.

The 32-year-old Schmidt is in his third season with the Winnipeg Jets, joining them via trade after Winnipeg dealt a 2022 third-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for the defender. His first year with the Jets was a career year, with Schmidt recording 32 points in 77 games, good for the second-highest scoring season of his career. He also averaged 20 minutes of ice time, confidently operating in the team’s top four. But his role, and his scoring, dwindled last season, with Schmidt netting 19 points in 71 games while serving on the team’s third pair. He’s maintained this latter role into the 2023-24 season and currently sits without a point, and with a -3, through three games this year.

Logan Stanley will appear in his season debut in light of Schmidt’s scratching, likely lining up next to Dylan Samberg. Stanley, 25, appeared in 19 games with the Jets last season, tallying three points and 21 penalty minutes. It was his third year of operating as Winnipeg’s seventh defenseman, with Stanley appearing in 114 games and scoring 20 points through that stretch. Winnipeg traded up to select Stanley 18th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft and awarded him his NHL debut during the 2020-21 season.

Snapshots: Nylander, International Tournaments, Stanley

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Much has been made of Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander’s pending free agency, with reports indicating the two sides are far apart in contract talks. One person who isn’t worried is Nylander himself, who told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman today there’s “lots of time” to work out a deal and that he remains committed to staying in Toronto.

Of course, he may feel that way, but the team has other factors to consider. They’re balancing a tricky long-term salary cap situation with an extension needed for Auston Matthews, limiting their ability to maintain negotiations with Nylander without certainty on Matthews’ cap hit next season. New GM Brad Treliving won’t utilize Nylander as a one-year rental if they don’t get close to an extension, either – the wounds of losing Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary last season are still fresh, and Treliving will undoubtedly move Nylander before the trade deadline if there’s no extension in place.

Nylander is entering the final season of a six-year, $45MM deal he signed hours before the December 1 RFA deadline in 2018. Nylander’s reported ask for an extension is $10MM per season.

More from across the NHL sphere today:

  • Speaking at the European Player Media Tour, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly once again reiterated the NHL’s desire to work with the NHLPA on an international best-on-best tournament for February 2025, whether it’s branded as a World Cup of Hockey or not. Notably, however, Daly indicated a specific plan to return to a regular schedule of international appearances, including a return to the Winter Olympics, new messaging that hasn’t been heard from an NHL official in quite a while: “So if we do a ’25 international tournament, we do the ’26 Olympics, the ’28 World Cup of Hockey, the ’30 Olympics, the ’32 World Cup of Hockey, and so on.” Since NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh assumed his post earlier this year, he’s been clear about the players’ desire to return to a consistent schedule of international tournaments.
  • Despite reportedly requesting a trade earlier this year, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley told the Jets’ Jamie Thomas he’s “happy with how [negotiations] went” on his new one-year contract with Winnipeg and looks forward to training camp next month. Stanley alluded to his series of injuries last season, which limited him to 19 games, making it hard to get along with new head coach Rick Bowness, whom Stanley said he’ll speak to in the near future after signing his extension. It’ll be tough for Stanley to break into the lineup every game, however, especially after the Jets signed breakout defender Dylan Samberg to a longer, richer contract earlier in the summer.

Jets Re-Sign Logan Stanley

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The Jets have reached an agreement on a new deal with one of their remaining restricted free agents.  They announced that they’ve re-signed defenseman Logan Stanley to a one-year contract.  The one-way deal will pay him $1MM and matches what his qualifying offer was back in June.

The 25-year-old was a first-round pick by Winnipeg back in 2016 (18th overall) with the team hoping that his 6’7 stature could make him a force on their back end.  While Stanley has shown flashes of being an impact player, he hasn’t been able to do that consistently at this point in his career.

Last season was a tough one on multiple fronts for Stanley.  He missed a total of 40 games due to a pair of lower-body injuries and when he was healthy, he struggled to get into the lineup.  The end result was just 19 appearances during the regular season, the lowest of his three-year career.  In those games, Stanley had just three points along with 44 hits while logging less than 14 minutes a night.  In the playoffs, Stanley got into just one contest, playing less than nine minutes in total.

Along the way, Stanley requested a trade, one that has yet to be granted.  The challenge for Winnipeg in terms of extracting value for Stanley is that at this stage of his career (spanning 114 games), he simply hasn’t shown enough to be counted on as a full-time top-six blueliner.  GM Kevin Cheveldayoff won’t want to give Stanley away as the trade value for a depth defender isn’t particularly high while on the flip side, an acquiring team won’t want to pay a higher asking price for someone who hasn’t yet landed a full-time lineup spot yet.

Unfortunately for Stanley, his situation hasn’t changed much over the summer as Winnipeg’s back end hasn’t changed.  If nothing else, it might have gotten more crowded with Declan Chisholm (their other remaining RFA) now waiver-eligible while Ville Heinola (who also has made it known he’d welcome a change of scenery) also in the mix.  At the moment, Stanley will likely be battling for the sixth or seventh spot on the depth chart which puts him exactly where he was a year ago.

Stanley will once again be a restricted free agent next summer with a $1MM qualifier.  He’ll have arbitration rights at that time as well, something he elected not to exercise this time around, a decision likely made with the hopes that it might help facilitate a trade.  If he’s still around next summer, it’ll be interesting to see if he takes that route if nothing changes for him in the coming months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets Notes: Hellebuyck, Scheifele, Stanley, Chisholm

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Things have been quiet on the Connor Hellebuyck trade rumors front over the past few weeks. No teams have made serious offers for the pending UFA’s services since he reportedly informed interested teams he desired a $9.5MM AAV on a long-term extension. Without a trade in place, the Jets haven’t shut the door completely on trying to extend their franchise netminder. In a mailbag today, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe says he believes Winnipeg has made a short-term, two-to-three-year extension offer to Hellebuyck, although it’s not something he suspects Hellebuyck’s camp would ever agree to.

Hellebuyck reportedly told Winnipeg he was unwilling to sign an extension in June, giving the Jets plenty of time to work out a deal. The team has had some interesting roster turnover this summer, though, getting a nice return package for Pierre-Luc Dubois that arguably upgraded their team in the short term. With a Western Conference that’s routinely anyone’s game aside from the few top dogs, it’s not out of the question the Jets return to the postseason in 2024 – maybe even with a better-equipped squad. As each day passes, it seems increasingly likely Hellebuyck will at least start next season in a Jets uniform. His primary goal remains winning a championship, so if Winnipeg can get off to a strong start with new faces in the fold, expect them to make a bigger push to keep Hellebuyck around after all.

Some other notes on the Jets from Wiebe:

  • Speculatively, Wiebe threw some cold water on the idea of trading first-line center Mark Scheifele to the Boston Bruins, citing Boston’s tight salary cap picture and the uncertainty surrounding Hellebuyck as reasons why. With Scheifele’s less exorbitant demands on an extension, he’s likely the easier of the two to trade if they do reach that point. Also a pending UFA, Scheifele currently carries a cap hit of $6.125MM and is coming off a career-high 42 goals in 2022-23. Considering all the moving parts involved in a potential trade with the Bruins, it makes sense the Jets would rather wait and see what a potential Hellebuyck return brings them before discussing a Scheifele deal.
  • Wiebe also believes the Jets may indeed sign RFA defenseman Logan Stanley before potentially honoring his trade request. As he notes, it’ll be a tough fit for Stanley to get consistent NHL time with Winnipeg next season after Dylan Samberg surpassed him on the depth chart last year. The 2016 first-round pick isn’t in line for a large raise, either, meaning it’s likely inconsequential if he signs a contract for 2023-24 with the Jets or if he signs with a new team after they trade for his signing rights. Stanley was eligible for salary arbitration this summer but opted not to file. He played in just 19 games for Winnipeg last season, recording three points and a 45.9% Corsi for at even strength while averaging just 13:43 per game.
  • Similarly, Wiebe thinks the Jets haven’t agreed to minor-league defender Declan Chisholm on a new deal yet, thanks to the latter’s desire for a one-way contract. Chisholm has just a pair of NHL games to his name but excelled in the minors with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last season, posting 43 points in 59 games and earning an AHL All-Star nod in the process. The 23-year-old defenseman may very well get claimed on waivers if the Jets sign him and attempt to send him back to Manitoba after a strong camp, though, so Chisholm is likely to earn an NHL salary next season regardless, although a two-way deal would remove that guarantee.

Snapshots: Stanley, Red Wings, Panthers

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Entangled in all of the trade deadline chaos, Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest reports that Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Logan Stanley has requested a trade from the team. Strickland also notes that Winnipeg is not guaranteed to move on from the young defenseman.

Drafted in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Stanley hasn’t entirely found his footing in Winnipeg. Last year, Stanley played relatively well throughout the season, racking up a modest 13 points in 58 games played. Also, as he is a defenseman that plays to his size, the 6’7″ defenseman managed to accrue 131 hits and 100 blocks over the course of last year. With a couple of trips to the injured reserve this season, Stanley desires a fresh start outside of Winnipeg. Because of his youth and contract status with the team, it is possible that Winnipeg could retain Stanley and try to repair a relationship that has soured for at least one side. If the relationship can’t be repaired, the playoff-hopeful Jets could send him to another team in an individual trade, or look to include Stanley in a larger deal.

Other notes:

  • The Detroit Red Wings announced today that Jordan Oesterle has been activated off of injured reserve, while forward Michael Rasmussen has been placed on the IR. Rasmussen appeared to have a lower-body injury after taking a shot off the knee in Detroit’s Saturday night game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now in his 4th season in the NHL, Rasmussen never seemed to live up to his ninth overall draft selection. Topping out at 27 points in 80 games last year, Rasmussen has played far better this year under new head coach Derek Lalonde. Playing in only 56 games so far this season, Rasmussen has produced a new career high of 29 points. After the trade of Tyler Bertuzzi earlier this morning, the Red Wings will now be without another valuable forward in the lineup.
  • Florida Panthers announce that forward Grigori Denisenko has been loaned back to the Panthers’ AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers. A frequent call-up of the Panthers this season, Denisenko has appeared in 18 games, scoring a total of three points. Denisenko will now join the third-place Checkers as he helps the team push for the playoffs in the AHL

Winnipeg Jets Activate Logan Stanley

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The Winnipeg Jets have activated defenseman Logan Stanley from injured reserve today, according to a team tweet. In a corresponding transaction, the Jets reassigned youngster Ville Heinola to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

Associate coach Scott Arniel told reporters last weekend that Stanley could return on Tuesday, and it turns out he was correct. The roster move suggests Stanley will be ready to go when Winnipeg takes on the Nashville Predators in an important divisional matchup tonight.

A pair of lower-body injuries have limited Stanley to seven NHL games this season, recording one assist in just 13:34 of ice time per game. He’s been on injured reserve with a lower-body injury since December 11 and missed 18 games earlier in the season with a fractured foot.

He’ll have to fight for minutes with another 24-year-old left-shot defenseman: Dylan Samberg. Samberg has impressed defensively in his first steady NHL season, is averaging over 15 minutes per game, and has eight points in 37 games.

Heinola, Winnipeg’s 2019 first-round pick, continues to scratch and claw for NHL time in Winnipeg. He’s played in just 10 out of Winnipeg’s 48 games and has been given little opportunity, playing 13:16 per game and recording one assist. The 21-year-old returns to Manitoba, where he has 11 points and a staggering +17 rating in just 14 games.

Snapshots: Graves, Stanley, Gauthier

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The Devils have yet to begin discussions regarding defenseman Ryan Graves, his agent Allain Roy confirmed to James Nichols of The Fourth Period.  The 27-year-old is in the final season of a three-year, $9.5MM contract and has 16 points in 42 games for New Jersey so far this year despite seeing his playing time dip by nearly two minutes a night compared to 2021-22.  He’s well-positioned to earn at least a small raise that could push him toward the $5MM mark on his next deal.  At the moment, the Devils only have four regular blueliners signed for next season with Damon Severson joining Graves among the UFA-eligible defenders this summer.  They already have nearly $19MM in commitments to the four they have so they might not want to keep both Graves and Severson in the fold for next season knowing those two could push the combined cost on their back end past the $30MM mark.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Jets defenseman Logan Stanley wasn’t in the lineup tonight against Philadelphia but associate coach Scott Arniel told Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link) that the blueliner could be ready to return on Tuesday. Stanley has been out of the lineup for a little more than six weeks with a lower-body injury.  The 24-year-old has been limited to just seven games this season which is a hardly ideal platform year for someone eligible for salary arbitration for the first time this summer.
  • The Rangers are optimistic that winger Julien Gauthier will be able to return Monday against Florida, notes Ethan Sears of the New York Post. The 25-year-old has missed the last three games due to an upper-body injury and is currently on injured reserve although a roster spot was created when Jonny Brodzinski was sent down after clearing waivers earlier today.  Gauthier started the season with AHL Hartford but has six goals in 32 games with New York since being recalled despite averaging just 8:29 per night.

Winnipeg Jets Make Several Roster Moves

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Dec 13: After the Jets returned Stenlund to AHL Manitoba for a short time, he’s back up under a regular recall now. That means he can stay even when everyone is healthy.

Dec 11: Earlier today, we covered how Winnipeg Jets players Logan Stanley and Saku Maenalanen would not be playing in today’s game against the Washington Capitals. Now, we have some more detail on each player’s situation.

The Jets have announced that Stanley and Maenalanen will be placed on injured reserve, which makes them unavailable until next weekend at the earliest. In a corresponding move, forward Kevin Stenlund has been recalled on an emergency basis from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moore.

This IR placement means Stanley, 24, will spend even more time away from the ice. The 2016 18th overall pick has skated in just seven games so far this season. He was activated off of injured reserve just three days ago, and had been out with a fractured foot since late October. Now, he’ll head back to injured reserve.

Maenalanen, 28, has not faced as much injury trouble this season as Stanley has. In 25 games Maenalanen has four goals and six points and has even seen some time on the Jets’ penalty kill. Maenalanen is in the middle of his return season after spending the past three seasons playing in his native Finland.

To fill a roster spot, the Jets have called up Stenlund. The 26-year-old Swede has been an important contributor for the Moose this season, scoring 14 points in 19 games. The big six-foot-four forward has 71 career NHL games on his resume and has 11 career goals.

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