The Bruins still have a hole to patch on the back end, and a surprising name from a division rival has surfaced as a possible fit: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley.
Stanley’s season put him in the kind of position plenty of players chase in a contract year. After being traded to Buffalo from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline in March, he gave the Sabres a real boost on defense down the stretch and into the playoffs. In 17 games, he averaged just under 15 minutes per night, finished with five assists and posted a plus-5.
Now he’s out on the open market and still unsigned.
There should be interest before training camp arrives, and Buffalo could certainly try to bring him back. But the reality is that Stanley, Winnipeg’s first-round pick in the 2016 Entry Draft, may not land the kind of deal he was hoping for. That opens the door for other teams to make a move.
For Boston, the timing is interesting. The Bruins’ reported trade with the Oilers fell apart on July 1, leaving a gap on the blue line.
Andrew Peeke departed in free agency for the Utah Mammoth, while Don Sweeney added Will Borgen in a trade with the New York Rangers and signed Connor Clifton in free agency. That has left second-year head coach Marco Sturm with plenty of defensemen to sort through, but Stanley would still be a name worth serious consideration.
The appeal is pretty straightforward. At 6-foot-7 and shooting left, Stanley would bring size and edge to the Bruins’ defense. He’d make life harder on opponents and add a physical presence to the bottom four when the group is healthy, not suspended, and available.
Boston’s clearest need remains a right-shot defenseman. Even so, a player like Stanley could still make sense on a prove-it deal.
The Bruins like their teams big, physical, and difficult to play against, and Stanley fits that mold. On the right contract, he could be a sneaky-good addition for the Black and Gold.
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