New York Islanders Sign Logan Stanley

Today’s signing ends what was a prolonged stint as an unrestricted free agent for Stanley, a 28-year-old veteran of nearly 300 NHL games. A 2016 first-round pick and longtime member of the Winnipeg Jets, Stanley had never been an unrestricted free agent before in his professional career.

After failing to earn the trust of head coach Lindy Ruff upon being traded to the Buffalo Sabres at last season’s deadline, Stanley found free agent interest more muted than most expected, and has had to settle for a one-year deal.

A hulking 6’7″, 231-pound defensive defenseman, Stanley’s game is built around his size. He boasts an impressive reach to be able to kill plays, and his imposing frame allows him to dole out big hits and generally make life more difficult for the opposition. But while Stanley’s size allows him to stand out from other defensemen in the NHL, he’s never quite been able to leverage his impressive physical tools to become a steady, consistently valuable NHL defenseman.

Early last season, it looked like 2025-26 might end up a career year for Stanley. He began the season entering a new stratosphere of offensive production, flying past his previous career highs by producing nine goals and 21 points in just 59 games for the Jets.

That impressive step up in terms of production helped him attract considerable trade interest, and he was packaged with veteran defenseman Luke Schenn in a trade that sent him to the red-hot Sabres. Buffalo surrendered 2022 No. 13 overall pick Isak Rosen, depth defenseman Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks (including a second-rounder) to be able to add Stanley and Schenn.

The hope in Buffalo was that the addition of Stanley would end what had been a revolving door of defensemen in the team’s No. 6 role over the course of the year. Ruff, the team’s head coach, had tried several options on the team’s third pairing before adding Stanley, including Bryson, offseason trade addition Michael Kesselring, and AHL standout Zach Metsa.

None of those options earned the veteran coach’s trust. Kesselring averaged just 13:23 time on ice per game (well below the 17:41 per game he averaged the prior year in Utah), while Metsa and Bryson each struggled to play even double-digit minutes per game. The addition of Stanley (alongside Schenn) was meant to end the team’s instability in the No. 6 role.

Unfortunately for both Stanley and the Sabres, that did not really happen. Stanley didn’t score a goal in Buffalo, putting up just five points in 25 combined regular season and playoff games, and spent time in the press box as a healthy scratch both in the regular season and in the playoffs. That Stanley’s impact faded considerably after the deal to Buffalo did damage to his case as an unrestricted free agent, sapping the momentum he had built through his strong start in Winnipeg.

Now, Stanley will get a fresh NHL opportunity with a new franchise and a new coach. He’s almost certain to begin the season skating on the left side of head coach Peter DeBoer’s third pairing, partnering with Mayfield.

Playing Stanley and Mayfield together would give New York a tall, physical third pairing as Mayfield himself stands 6’4″, 215 pounds. Based on the expected lineup of the Islanders’ blueline, the addition of Stanley raises the average height of the team’s defense to 6’3″, meaning the club has what is likely one of the tallest defenses in the NHL.

Of course, Stanley’s position in New York’s lineup is not guaranteed. If he draws into a third-pairing role alongside Mayfield, that would likely put veteran Tony DeAngelo in the press box. The 30-year-old has had an impressive one-and-a-half-year stint on Long Island, scoring 54 points in 111 games.

But ever since Matthew Schaefer arrived and took over as the Islanders’ undisputed No. 1 power play quarterback, DeAngelo’s role in New York has been more secondary. It could be now that DeBoer prefers the size and physicality Stanley brings over the offensive and puck-moving ability DeAngelo offers.

In any case, it appears it will be a competitive year for Islanders defensemen, with the team now boasting six blueliners with considerable NHL experience, alongside the reigning Calder Trophy winner. The addition of Stanley today only further bolsters New York’s depth on the blueline, and gives Stanley a chance to re-establish his value on what could be a quality team before a likely trip back to the open market next summer.