Sabres' Logan Stanley looms as a $1.25 million decision
Sabres' Logan Stanley looms as a $1.25 million decision originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Buffalo Sabres are going to have a bunch of decisions to make this offseason, including the most discussed, Alex Tuch .
But one flying under the radar while Buffalo makes a playoff run is Logan Stanley .
It's hard to miss Stanley, of course, as he's 6-foot-7 playing as a defenseman.
His contract, though, is flying under the radar.
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It's been known all along, of course. The Sabres were able to trade for Stanley from Winnipeg before the deadline because he's a pending unrestricted free agent. He was no good to the Jets on an expiring contract, but he's helpful to Buffalo.
Stanley is dinged up as the Sabres move forward into the second round, but he'll hope to get back onto the ice and try to prove he deserves a good payday this offseason.
In 2025-26, Stanley has made $1.25 million, and it's not clear what his deal might look like in the offseason, but in a new article, Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin had thoughts .
"Stanley had a wide range of outcomes following his trade to Buffalo," Larkin wrote on Friday. "A towering, mean defenseman with a heavy shot, he could establish himself as a difference maker on a team with potential to make a deep playoff run. On the other hand: Stanley, a below-average defender, could be exposed or given limited minutes during the stretch run and postseason if he struggled. How it turned out: he’s only getting 13:52 of TOI per game in the playoffs, playing on the third pair and second penalty-kill unit. The trade has hurt his wallet, though he still possesses enough (perceived) upside that he should land a multi-year deal somewhere."
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There aren't many players that have Stanley's size and physicality, so his uniqueness could help his cause in free agency.
But as Larkin says, he could help himself more by playing well as the Sabres journey deeper into the playoffs. If Stanley does that, he'll likely earn himself a raise.
