Stanley Adds Size to Islanders Blue Line

There was a big addition to the New York Islanders blue line on Sunday.

Logan Stanley, the 6’7”, 231 lbs. defenseman signed a one-year deal with the team, joining just before the start of the season.

“I think it's a great opportunity,” Stanley said. “Guys seem great so far, and [the team has] got a great coaching staff that I have some familiarity with. I'm excited about the opportunity.”

In Stanley, the Islanders acquired a big body with 278 games of NHL experience, playing parts of six seasons with the Winnipeg Jets before finishing last season with the Buffalo Sabres.

“He checks a lot of boxes,” Head Coach Pete DeBoer said. “Big, experienced, but still young.”

At 6’7” Stanley is the tallest player on the Islanders blue line – adding more size to a blue line that includes Scott Mayfield (6’5” 215 lbs.), Ryan Pulock (6’2”, 221 lbs.). His 110 hits would have led Islanders d-men last season, albeit with the caveat that Alexander Romanov was sidelined for a majority of the year. He's also dropped the gloves 24 times (23 in the regular season, once in the playoffs) in his NHL career, which ranks eighth since he entered the league in 2021. 

“When you look at the physicality in the league, a lot of it came to the East in the off-season, and you have to be able to have some of that in your lineup,” DeBoer said. “The ability to add a guy like that, that can also play, is huge.”

Stanley is coming off a career-year offensively setting career highs in goals (9), assists (17) and points (26) in 76 games with the Jets and Sabres. DeBoer also said the 28-year-old defenseman was an “underrated skater,” pushing back on the notion that his skating was a deficiency.

“He's a very underrated skater,” DeBoer said. “I don't buy the knock that he's not a good skater. You see him out there in the drills today. For his size, he's light on his feet. I've heard that, but when you're on the ice with him, I don't see that.”

Bo Horvat has gone into the corner against Stanley in the past and knows first-hand the challenges of matching up against the hulking d-man. While he’ll have to do it more in practice now, he’s grateful to have him on the same team.

“He's a big man. He gets into you. He's tough to get around,” Horvat said. “Whenever you're going down against a guy like that, it makes it harder on you, and we're excited to have him.”

DeBoer has emphasized the Islanders need to clear the front of their net and adding a big body should help clear traffic.

“We have to get better around our net,” DeBoer said. “We were 30th in high danger chances given up around our net. We've got the ability now to ice a pretty big, heavy physical defense back there.”

Stanley kept himself in shape by skating with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, where he played his last year of junior hockey. (He previously played for the Windsor Spitfires under Islanders Assistant Coach Rocky Thompson, where they won the Memorial Cup together in 2017.) He appreciated the team letting him train with them in lieu of being at an NHL camp. While it’ll be a crash course in the Islanders systems and personnel, Stanley is just happy for the chance to start the season with the team.

“I would have loved to have been at Training Camp. It didn't work out, which is unfortunate, but I'm excited to be here now,” Stanley said. “My summer ended a while ago and I wanted to get back to playing and get back to work. I'm excited for the opportunity here.”