In the span of a single season, Logan Stanley has gone from a fringe presence to a fan favorite in Winnipeg - and the transformation hasn’t just been dramatic, it’s been loud.
A year ago, there were more than a few folks in the stands (and probably in the front office) who thought Stanley’s best view of the game came from the press box. Now?
He’s hearing MVP chants at Canada Life Centre and inspiring custom fan-made T-shirts proclaiming allegiance to “Stanimal.” It’s the kind of grassroots support usually reserved for cult heroes or pro wrestlers - and it’s all rooted in one thing: Stanley’s play.
This season, Stanley has finally put all the tools together. The size (a towering 6-foot-7), the skating, the physical edge, the willingness to throw his weight around - it’s all been there in flashes before.
But now, he’s added a new dimension: scoring. And more importantly, he’s found consistency.
The former first-round pick from 2016 has arrived, not just as a serviceable NHL defenseman, but as a legitimate everyday contributor.
For the Jets, this moment has been a long time coming. Stanley was always going to be a bit of a project - that much was clear from the start.
But when you invest in a player with this kind of frame and raw ability, you’re hoping for exactly this: a payoff that justifies the wait. And now that it’s here, the question shifts from “Can he play?”
to “Can the Jets afford to let him go?”
Stanley is 27, entering what should be the prime of his career, and reportedly looking for a deal in the $4 to $5 million range per season. That’s not a small number, but it’s also not out of step with what capable, physical, left-shot defensemen command on the open market - especially ones with his size and upside.
Letting Stanley walk in free agency this July - or moving him before the March 6 trade deadline - would leave a noticeable hole on the Jets’ blue line. There just aren’t many players like him floating around the league, and Winnipeg doesn’t exactly have a surplus of left-side depth to absorb that kind of loss.
From Stanley’s perspective, this is the perfect time to make his move. He’s healthy, he’s contributing, and he’s finally silenced the critics who questioned whether he could stick in the NHL.
Now, he’s looking to cash in - and you can’t blame him. Players spend their whole careers trying to hit that sweet spot where performance meets opportunity, and Stanley’s found it.
A year ago, not many fans would’ve blinked if the Jets let him go. Today?
That’s a different story. Now, the idea of losing Stanley feels like a step backward - the kind of move that could come back to haunt a team with playoff aspirations.
Bottom line: Stanley’s earned his moment. And if the Jets want to keep riding this wave, they may need to pay to keep the “Stanimal” in Winnipeg.