Would Logan Stanley Be A Fit With The Penguins?

The Pittsburgh Penguins arguably have the worst left-side defense in the entire NHL heading into this season. The same could have been said last season, but the emergence of Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea shocked the entire NHL and helped thrust the Penguins back into the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Now, after a summer that saw Shea walk as a UFA and Wotherspoon traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Penguins once again find themselves with a paper-thin left side and far more questions than answers. One question is whether UFA defenseman Logan Stanley fits with the Penguins, given their lack of depth and how little toughness they currently have in their lineup.

The Penguins are set to open camp with a left side featuring Trevor van Riemsdyk, Samuel Girard, Declan Carlile, Ilya Solovyov, and Ryan Graves. It’s not a group that will strike fear into fans, unless perhaps they are Penguins fans. Veteran van Riemsdyk is a right-handed defender who has had a solid career, but he is not a top-pairing stalwart. Girard is a gifted offensive defender, but the Penguins can’t roll out a second pairing of him and Kris Letang this season, and that’s the current setup. Carlile is an unknown in Pittsburgh, but the Penguins are excited about him and hope he can be a Shea-type late bloomer. Solovyov is a big, mobile defender who isn’t afraid to clean up the dirty areas of the ice, which the Penguins badly need. He won’t produce much offense and is prone to inconsistency, but he should have every chance to prove he is an NHL regular.

Finally, Graves might be carrying the worst contract in hockey. Graves has three years left on his deal at $4.5MM per season and is likely no longer an NHL player. The 31-year-old has a good first pass and great size, but that is where his strengths end. Graves doesn’t use his size well, is prone to defensive gaffes, and cannot keep up with speedy, mobile teams. At this point, the Penguins might need to play Graves in the AHL for the remainder of his contract, as it doesn’t seem like a trade is out there for him.

The Penguins have five potential options at the NHL level, with more in the minors as well if Owen Pickering is ready to step in and grab a spot. The Penguins drafted Pickering in the first round in 2022, and they hope he can break through this year and establish himself as an NHL regular.

So, with all of those options, is it really worth bringing in another guy to compete for a spot in Pittsburgh? Let’s break it down. Going back to Stanley, the 28-year-old had a career year last season, tallying nine goals and 17 assists in 76 games. The nine goals look nice until you realize he never had more than one goal in any of his previous five NHL seasons and shot at more than double his career average shooting percentage. Stanley is also 6’7”, which would give Pittsburgh some much-needed size. He could offer the Penguins some toughness around their goalies and perhaps use his long reach to disrupt in the defensive zone. Stanley’s skill set is fairly limited, but he still has value as an NHL defenseman. So, should the Penguins offer him a PTO?

In the pro category of the analysis, there are a few good reasons to bring in Stanley to Pittsburgh’s training camp on a PTO. The main one is that signing him to a PTO costs zero. Pittsburgh wouldn’t need to guarantee Stanley anything, and if he wasn’t a fit, they could simply cut him. They’d get a free look at the player to see if he’s a better fit than what they already have. GM Kyle Dubas is always looking to roll the dice and acquire cheap depth, which Stanley could offer. And despite the warts in his game, Stanley has NHL success, having set career highs last season.

The problem for Stanley is that the Penguins have a bunch of left-shot defensemen who could play on a third pairing, and none who should really be in the top four. Stanley isn’t that, and in fact, he is a third-pairing defenseman at best for Pittsburgh, something the Penguins have plenty of. The big issues with Stanley and Pittsburgh being a fit are that he isn’t exactly a defensive specialist, and his defensive reputation isn’t great. Stanley has a lot of great tools in his tool belt, but consistently strong defensive play isn’t one of them.

That is a big part of why Stanley remains unsigned on the eve of training camps opening. He can be exposed defensively, which isn’t great for a player who historically doesn’t put up much offense. That would be especially problematic in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins already have Girard, Letang, Graves, and Erik Karlsson. Four defensemen with reputations for being exposed defensively. Pittsburgh doesn’t need a big defenseman who is often out of position, makes slow reads, struggles to close gaps, and misses assignments. They already have Graves doing all of that.

Another big concern is that Stanley isn’t the most mobile defender, and head coach Dan Muse’s style of play requires defensemen who can retrieve pucks quickly, make a solid first pass, defend against the rush, and move laterally. The Penguins have long been a transition team, which leads to a lot of chances against, something Stanley doesn’t defend all that well.

Ultimately, Stanley probably wouldn’t be a great fit in Pittsburgh, given the warts in his game and the younger options they have who could step up and fill a role. At some point, Pickering needs a long NHL look, and that time is probably this season. The Penguins are likely not that interested in blocking a young player’s development, especially when it’s been a high priority the last few years.

But if the Penguins offer Stanley a PTO, there is really no downside. They would get a free look at a player many expected to cash in big this summer. That never happened, and Stanley will be playing with a huge chip on his shoulder this season, and he will not lack motivation to perform well.