Jets bolster Sabres' blue line, sending Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to Buffalo in a significant defenseman acquisition.
The Winnipeg Jets are sending defenseman Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to the Buffalo Sabres in a package deal, according to multiple sources.
As part of the completed trade, Winnipeg retains 50 per cent on Luke Schenn salary.
Stanley, 27, has emerged as one of Winnipeg’s most productive defensemen this season. The Kitchener, Ontario native is in the midst of a career year, recording nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 59 games.
His breakout campaign has made him an appealing trade target around the league, particularly given his ability to handle significant minutes while playing under a very manageable cap hit.
Stanley is averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per game and carries a cap hit of $1.25 million. Over the course of his NHL career, he has appeared in 261 games with 14 goals and 43 assists.
Schenn, 36, has been more of a reliable depth option this season with one goal and seven points in 46 games while providing a physical presence through hits and shot blocking.
The veteran defenseman brings a wealth of experience, including two Stanley Cup championships across a career that has spanned more than 1,100 NHL games.
One of the quieter, underrated pieces of the deal is 22-year-old Isak Rosen. The Swedish forward was the 14th overall pick at the 2021 NHL Draft and has yet to break into the NHL in a big way. After joining the Sabres for three separate stints, Rosen has been unable to carve out a roster spot, recording eight points in 31 NHL games.
Rosen has spent most of his time playing in the AHL, where this season he has been a standout with 25 goals and 18 assists for 43 points in 37 games.
In each of his four pro seasons, Rosen has continued to grow into now a point-per-game player and despite not being ready for the NHL just yet, he could turn into a possible depth scoring option in the near future.
Bryson, 28, is already a depth piece as the Jets likely added the former fourth round pick in 2017 as a filler defenseman for the time being.
The London, Ontario native is a pending free agent but could find a home in Winnipeg, having carved himself out a role as a seventh defenseman for most of his career in Buffalo. So far this season, Bryson has five points and a minus-one rating in 35 games.
Buffalo already had one of the deepest defense cores with Stanley and Schenn joining the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, Michael Kesselring, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and Bowen Byram.
Winnipeg will have future assets they can work with as they look to regroup for next season.
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