The Columbus Blue Jackets have a few areas on their roster that they should be looking to improve during the summer. Among them is their blueline, as their defensive group could simply use more depth.
When looking at this year’s pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley is an interesting potential option for the Blue Jackets to consider.
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The first thing that immediately stands out about Stanley is his size. The 6-foot-7, 231-pound defenseman would provide the Blue Jackets’ defensive group with a hulking defenseman, which is never a bad thing for a team with playoff expectations like the Blue Jackets to have around.
Stanley also showed this season that he is capable of providing some offense from the point in addition to his toughness. In 76 games this season split between the Winnipeg Jets and Sabres, Stanley set new career highs with nine goals, 17 assists, and 26 points. If he translated this kind of offense over to next season, he would give the Blue Jackets a bit more offensive production from the point, which is needed.
However, Stanley’s biggest impact comes from his gritty style of play. The big blueliner isn’t afraid of the physical side of the game, as threw 110 hits and had 128 penalty minutes this season. He would be a good player for the Blue Jackets to have around when the games get tougher and would give them another player to protect their top stars.
Another appealing factor about Stanley is his age. This is because the Sabres defenseman just turned 28 years old in May and has multiple years left in his prime. With this, he could be a nice long-term fit on a Blue Jackets club that is looking to break out and become real threats in the Eastern Conference.
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If the Blue Jackets signed Stanley, he could fit well on their bottom pairing. He would also give them another option to work with on their penalty kill because of his shutdown ability.
Overall, if Stanley ends up not re-signing with the Sabres and testing the market, he is one of the defensemen that the Blue Jackets should have on their radar. While he is not a star, he would be a good hard-nosed defenseman for the Blue Jackets to add to their roster.
In 278 career NHL games over six seasons, Stanley has recorded 14 goals, 48 assists, 62 points, 333 penalty minutes, 351 blocks, 467 hits, and a plus-29 rating.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14.
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