Logan Stanley signs one-year deal with New York Islanders
The 28-year-old defenceman joins the Islanders after a career-best 26-point season split between the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres.
EAST MEADOW — The New York Islanders have signed defenceman Logan Stanley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, the team announced Sunday.
The 28-year-old left-shot defenceman is coming off a career-best season when he tallied 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) over 76 games split between the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres.
"The big man has signed his first ever contract as a UFA," said a report from Illegal Curve Hockey.
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He joined the Islanders for practice on Sunday after the team reassigned young defencemen Kashawn Aitcheson and Isaiah George to their American Hockey League affiliate in Hamilton.
Today’s signing ends what was a prolonged stint as an unrestricted free agent for Stanley, a veteran of nearly 300 NHL games. A 2016 first-round pick and longtime member of the Winnipeg Jets, Stanley had never been an unrestricted free agent before in his professional career.
After failing to earn the trust of head coach Lindy Ruff upon being traded to the Buffalo Sabres at last season’s deadline, Stanley found free agent interest more muted than most expected, and has had to settle for a one-year deal.
Stanley was shipped to the Sabres along with Luke Schenn at the 2026 trade deadline for defenceman Jacob Bryson, forward Isak Rosen, a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in 2027.
He did not score a goal in Buffalo, putting up just five points in 25 combined regular season and playoff games, and spent time as a healthy scratch both in the regular season and in the playoffs.
The six-foot-seven, 231-pound defenceman will bring a strong physical presence to the Islanders' blue line. He recorded 110 hits and 128 penalty minutes last season.
His tenure in Buffalo began with a bang as he dropped the gloves in his Sabres debut.
Early last season, it looked like 2025-26 might end up a career year for Stanley. He began the season entering a new stratosphere of offensive production, flying past his previous career highs by producing nine goals and 21 points in just 59 games for the Jets.
His shooting percentage jumped from a career mark of 2.2% entering the season to 12.2%, and he surpassed the 20-point mark for the first time in his career.
Now, Stanley will get a fresh NHL opportunity with a new franchise and a new coach. He’s almost certain to begin the season skating on the left side of head coach Peter DeBoer’s third pairing, partnering with Scott Mayfield.
Playing Stanley and Mayfield together would give New York a tall, physical third pairing as Mayfield himself stands 6’4", 215 pounds.
Based on the expected lineup of the Islanders’ blueline, the addition of Stanley raises the average height of the team’s defense to 6’3", meaning the club has what is likely one of the tallest defenses in the NHL.
If he draws into a third-pairing role alongside Mayfield, that would likely put veteran Tony DeAngelo in the press box.
Fans will get a chance to see him for the first time in an opposing jersey on November 19th when the Islanders play the Jets in Winnipeg.
With files from Illegal Curve Hockey, Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports