Logan Stanley is still out there, and that’s turning a few heads.
More than two weeks into free agency, the defenseman remains without a new contract after plenty of people expected him to land one on day one. Stanley had been moved to the Buffalo Sabres with Luke Schenn ahead of the 2026 Trade Deadline, and Buffalo’s playoff push carried all the way into the second round before it was ended in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens. Even with that run, some around the team figured the Sabres might try to keep him around.
That possibility seemed even more logical once Buffalo traded Bowen Byram. At that point, Stanley looked like a clean way to help firm up the blue line depth. Instead, he’s still an unrestricted free agent, and the market has left him waiting.
One team that fits the bill is the Anaheim Ducks. Their offseason has already been busy, nearly losing Leo Carlsson to a massive offer sheet while also saying goodbye to Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba. The biggest issue there is the blue line, especially the right side, but adding Stanley would at least give them more stability on the left and could help make the overall defensive group more playable.
The Boston Bruins also make sense. They’re close enough to true contention that another defenseman feels like a practical move, and Stanley shouldn’t cost much.
He would be an upgrade on Mason Lohrei, and there’s also a path where he becomes Charlie McAvoy’s partner. Either way, Boston would get more flexibility with its pairings.
Then there’s Calgary, where the timeline is different. The Flames are not expected to contend this season and are likely to finish near the bottom of the standings.
Their future still looks promising, but they’re several years away from being serious Western Conference threats. That’s why a one-year deal for Stanley could work for both sides.
He could bet on himself, the Flames could potentially flip him at the 2027 Trade Deadline for future assets, and he’d have a chance to land with a contender and earn a raise from the next team that comes calling.
Calgary’s young defensemen, especially Zayne Parekh, also make Stanley a useful fit as someone who could help keep the group focused through the rebuild.
The Sabres were worth mentioning as a possible landing spot, but after they added Olen Zellweger from the Ducks, that return now looks unlikely.
Still, Stanley should have options. Anaheim, Boston, and Calgary all make sense in different ways, and he ought to find a new deal before training camp arrives.
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For the Sabres, the challenge is less about identifying the problem than finding a way to solve it without emptying the cupboard. Any pursuit of a true No. 1 goalie would almost certainly force Buffalo to weigh young talent, draft capital and whether it is ready to part with pieces it has been protecting for a bigger move. The Jets have not finalized anything, and the market around Hellebuyck is still taking shape, but this is the kind of opening the Sabres have been waiting for if they want one more chance to finally settle the crease. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge is that the Sabres do not have much cap room to work with, which means any deal would likely have to be carefully structured. Anaheims own salary situation could create an opening, but Buffalo would still need the right mix of retention or salary coming back to make a move fit, leaving this as one of those situations worth watching as the market develops. [Read more 🡒]