Logan Stanley, a defenceman for the Jets, has struggled to get playing time this season. As a result, teams have begun contacting him to inquire about his availability, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

Despite being selected with the 18th pick in the 2016 draft, the 6’6 rearguard has fallen short of expectations. Stanley has only made 119 NHL appearances in his career, and just four of those were in 2023–24 due to his many healthy scratchings. The 25-year-old, who prefers to play at home, has 20 career points, 157 blocks, and 228 hits.

Stanley was not happy with his circumstances from the previous season, as he was only able to make 19 games due to injuries and scratches. The ultimate consequence was a trade request that was reported, even though it was evident that it was not fulfilled.

In August of this year, Stanley accepted a one-year contract worth $1 million, which was the amount of his qualifying offer. In July, he will be eligible for salary arbitration and will once again be a restricted free agent, owing the same amount as a qualifier.

Winnipeg presently has eight blueliners on its active roster, with Ville Heinola—ready for an NHL look himself—on injured reserve. Declan Chisholm has finally seen some NHL play in recent weeks. Additionally, Kyle Capobianco, who was a regular on the team the previous season, is at AHL Manitoba. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff may therefore want to consider offloading some excess depth, even though Garrioch notes that Stanley is not being shopped.

Naturally, one may argue that Stanley’s worth has not yet reached its zenith. It’s reasonable to assume that seventh or eighth defenseman would be selling cheaply because they typically don’t bring much of a return on the trade market. Cheveldayoff is recognized for his ability to wait patiently for the perfect move, so that’s not something he usually does.