As a player In the National Hockey League, there’s always someone coming for your job.
This has proven to be true for Restricted Free Agent Defenseman Logan Stanley, who has spent parts of the last three years in the Winnipeg Jets lineup.
Since being drafted by the Jets 18th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Stanley has played in 114 games with three goals and 20 points.
The 25-year-old blue-liner had a frustrating start to his NHL career, struggling to find consistent ice time with the Jets since making his debut in the 2020-21 regular season. Over the last three seasons, he’s averaged just 14:32 of ice time per game.
In 2022-23, Stanley saw his ice time drop down to just 13:43 per game, a significant downgrade from 15:39 the year prior. An unclear path to consistent ice time has likely contributed to the trade request reportedly made by Stanley in March.
With the Jets' d-core remaining largely unchanged from last year, opportunities for more ice time at the position are few and far between. This could leave Stanley as the odd man out in Winnipeg.
Stanley stands in at a towering six-foot-seven, 242 pounds with a left-handed shot from the point. His size allows him to play a physical style of hockey, averaging over two hits per game in each of the last two seasons.
Although he’s a commanding presence on the ice with a big body, Stanley’s skating abilities are far from elite. He’s able to force opposing attackers to the outside on the rush, but if they can get past his big body, they’re off to the races.
It’s been a frustrating tenure in Winnipeg for both Stanley and the Jets' fanbase who wants to see more from their former first-round draft selection.
As of right now, it appears Logan Stanley will be the odd man out on the Jets' blue line, and he may need to play elsewhere to see more consistent ice time.
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