An introduction to Logan Stanley, Buffalo’s imposing new defenseman

Logan Stanley was itching to get in on the action Sunday night, when the Buffalo Sabres beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in an 8-7, back-and-forth, fight-filled, edge-of-your-seat affair.

But with his work visa still being processed, the Sabres’ new defenseman can’t yet play or even practice with the team. Buffalo acquired Stanley from the Winnipeg Jets before Friday’s trade deadline, and he was in the building for the back-to-back weekend sellouts at KeyBank Center.

“It’s a little bit of a weird situation,” the Waterloo, Ontario, native said during Sunday’s first intermission. “… I can’t really join the team on the ice yet, so I’m just hoping it resolves itself quick.”

This is the first change of NHL scenery for Stanley, a former first-round pick who’s played each of his first six seasons in Winnipeg – that made for some mixed feelings when he learned he’d been traded.

“Obviously emotional. I’ve been in Winnipeg for a long time and met some great people and had some great relationships with teammates and whatnot,” he said. “So, saying bye to those guys was tough, but really excited for the opportunity here.

“… I think this is a great sports town and passionate fans. So, to see the Sabres having success this year and people are coming out and supporting them, it’s awesome. The building’s gonna be rocking for the rest of the way.”

Acclimating to a new locker room will be easier with two Jets teammates, fellow trade pickups Luke Schenn and Tanner Pearson, joining him in Buffalo. Each of them will add depth and playoff experience to the Sabres’ lineup.

Here’s what you can expect from Stanley when he suits up for the blue and gold in the near future.

Major physicality

General manager Jarmo Kekäläinen referred to the 6-foot-7, 231-pound Stanley as a “tree,” but when he gets some momentum and lines up a target, “bulldozer” might be more fitting. Check out some of his biggest hits from the last couple seasons:

Stanley has 96 hits so far this season, now second among Sabres defensemen behind Mattias Samuelsson.

He’s also not afraid to drop the gloves, and had he played Sunday, it’s a fair bet he would’ve done so. Stanley has 20 career fights, including one at KeyBank Center last season against Dennis Gilbert.

“You’ve got a guy that will fight anybody in this league and look after a teammate,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.

A heavy shot

Stanley has been firing pucks as fast as 97 mph this year, and it’s translated to results. After scoring one goal each of his first five seasons, he’s got nine on 74 shots in 2025-26 – a 12.2 shooting percentage. NHL average is 11 percent, so his production isn’t unsustainable.

Of course, Buffalo will happily take any offense it gets from Stanley as a complement to defensemen like Rasmus Dahlin (13 goals), Mattias Samuelsson (12) and Bowen Byram (10). Everyone’s found their chances to jump into the play and contribute this season, and the forwards have covered the blue line well when needed.

But as Kekäläinen said Friday, Stanley is here primarily with defense in mind.

“I put a lot of work into my game over the last couple years, and it’s starting to show and pay off,” Stanley said. “I worked on my skating a ton and a little bit of skill work. Just (my) overall game has been getting better. The offensive side is great, but I’m still focusing on defense first and making a good first pass.”

Where he fits

Winnipeg’s injuries pushed Stanley into a bigger role this season, as he’s played a career-high 17:12 per game. Considering how the Sabres’ top four defensemen have thrived with heavy workloads, Stanley should see third-pair minutes most nights.

Ruff prefers left-right defense pairings, but he isn’t married to it, so the left-shot Stanley is likely to see ice time with various partners.

This talented defense corps has made an impression around the league; forward Sam Carrick raved about the group after his Sabres debut, and Stanley is similarly impressed.

“We were here with Winnipeg a couple months ago, and you could see the skill and the speed that they play with,” Stanley said. “It’s gonna be a lot of fun. It’s gonna be nice to get on the ice with them, pick their brain on how they play and hopefully learn some stuff.”

Ruff wasn’t too familiar with Stanley’s game before the trade, but he phoned a friend to get the inside scoop.

“My former teammate, a guy I coached with, was a guy I spent a lot of time talking to yesterday: (Jets coach) Scott Arniel,” Ruff said. “Went through the player’s game. He loves the guy. And we talked about what’s his best suit, where can he continue to get better at. We went through a lot of stuff.”