The New York Islanders added size to their blue line this morning, signing defenseman Logan Stanley to a one-year, $1.5MM contract.
The move came alongside a pair of roster assignments, as the Islanders sent down two young left-shot defensemen who were in the mix for an NHL job: 2025 first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson and 22-year-old Isaiah George. Instead of keeping either one around for a third-pairing look next to Scott Mayfield, New York went the free-agent route with the regular season only a few days away.
Stanley’s deal closes a long stretch on the open market for the 28-year-old, who has played nearly 300 NHL games and had never before been an unrestricted free agent. A 2016 first-round pick and longtime Winnipeg Jet, Stanley hit free agency after a deadline trade to the Buffalo Sabres last season failed to turn into a major role. His market ended up quieter than expected, and he settled for a one-year contract.
At 6’7″ and 231 pounds, Stanley is exactly the kind of defenseman you notice right away. He brings reach, hits, and plenty of trouble for opponents trying to work through his side of the ice. The flip side is that his physical tools have never fully translated into the kind of steady NHL impact teams hope for from a player with that frame.
For a while last season, though, it looked like Stanley might be breaking through. He opened the year with his best offensive stretch yet, scoring nine goals and 21 points in 59 games for the Jets. That production pushed him into trade buzz, and Winnipeg eventually sent him and veteran defenseman Luke Schenn to Buffalo in a deal that brought back Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks, including a second-rounder.
Buffalo believed Stanley could settle a spot that had turned into a revolving door on the third pair. Head coach Lindy Ruff had already tried Bryson, offseason addition Michael Kesselring, and AHL standout Zach Metsa in the No. 6 role.
None of them really stuck. Kesselring averaged 13:23 of ice time per game, far below the 17:41 he logged the year before in Utah, while Metsa and Bryson each struggled to even get into double digits in minutes.
Stanley and Schenn were supposed to bring some order to that chaos, but the fit never fully took hold. Stanley did not score for Buffalo and finished with five points in 25 combined regular season and playoff games. He also spent time as a healthy scratch in both the regular season and the playoffs, a finish that hurt his case heading into free agency after the momentum he built in Winnipeg.
Now he gets another chance with the Islanders, and the early expectation is that he’ll line up on the left side of Peter DeBoer’s third pair with Mayfield. That would give New York a big, heavy duo, since Mayfield is listed at 6’4″ and 215 pounds. If that pairing sticks, the Islanders’ defense would average 6’3″ in height, which would make this one of the tallest blue lines in the league.
There’s still some lineup tension to sort out, though. If Stanley claims that third-pairing spot, veteran Tony DeAngelo could wind up in the press box. DeAngelo, 30, has posted 54 points in 111 games over his one-and-a-half-year run on Long Island, but his role has become less central since Matthew Schaefer arrived and took over as the Islanders’ clear No. 1 power-play quarterback.
That leaves New York with a crowded defense group and a real competition for minutes. The Islanders now have six blueliners with significant NHL experience, plus the reigning Calder Trophy winner, and Stanley’s arrival only deepens that group. For Stanley, it’s another fresh start and another shot to rebuild his standing before likely reaching free agency again next summer.
In Other News...
Mathew Barzals Status Just Put Islanders Fans On Opening Night Watch
Mathew Barzals status has become one of the Islanders early camp storylines, and for good reason. The center has missed the preseason after not passing his physical at the start of training camp, leaving the team to manage his recovery while keeping an eye on the start of the regular season. Even so, the setup is not as ominous as it first sounds, because the Islanders still have a path to getting him back into the lineup quickly once he is ready.
Barzal is currently designated as injured non roster because of a left knee injury, a label that keeps him off the active group for now but does not close the door on a fast return. He is eligible to play the same day he is placed on the roster, which is why opening night now feels like the date to watch. For the Islanders, the hope is straightforward: have one of their most important players ready when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Forward Group Sends A Clear Message About Opening Night
The Islanders locked in their opening-night roster before the 5 p.m. deadline, and the shape of the forward group says plenty about where things stand heading into the new season. The club officially carried 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies, with 19-year-old Victor Eklund earning a spot out of training camp and giving the lineup a fresh look right away.
Matthew Barzals status is the other part of the picture, as he is listed as Injured Non-Roster and does not count toward the 23-player limit. There is still no timeline for his return, which leaves the Islanders with a little more uncertainty in the short term even as they head into opening night with their roster set. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Enter The Season With One Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Islanders wrapped up their preseason with a few final roster calls that helped clarify the shape of the group heading into opening night. Logan Stanley was signed, while Cole Eiserman and Kashawn Aitcheson were assigned to Hamilton, a reminder that the club is still sorting through its depth even as it moves from exhibition mode to the regular season under coach Pete DeBoer.
New York also closed the preseason with a loss to New Jersey, so the focus now shifts to how the lineup pieces fit once the games count. Bo Horvat, Ryan Pulock, Matthew Schaefer, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and Semyon Varlamov are all expected to play key roles, but the bigger question around the Islanders remains how the roster settles after those last decisions and what it means for the tone of the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]