Is Logan Stanley Deserving Of A Spot In The Jets Lineup?

The Winnipeg Jets had cut the lead in half and were building off of the momentum before a costly turnover by Logan Stanley allowed the Los Angeles Kings to regain their two-goal advantage, proving to be enough to sink their hopes of a comeback.

While the turnover by Stanley isn't the sole reason they lost, the timeliness of his costly error is a reoccurring theme that many fans have grown tired of witnessing. 

Listed at 6'7 and 231 lbs, Stanley has the frame to be a physical force but shies away from imposing himself far too frequently. In 56 games, Stanley has thrown just 78 hits, ranking sixth on the team. For reference, Luke Schenn has thrown 49 hits in nine games with the Jets. 

If Stanley isn't a physical force, isn't providing offence from the blue line, is prone to costly turnovers and struggles to impact the game defensively, what argument is there for HC Scott Arniel to continuously write down Stanley's name in the lineup? Now 26 years old, there's little to no evidence that shows Stanley will break out and become what the Jets envisioned. 

Making matters worse, Stanley has remained in the lineup over Ville Heinola, who's yet to be given a proper shot at consistent NHL hockey. He's skated in 52 games in his NHL career, spanning over five seasons. His career-high of 17 games has come this year, a season in which Heinola has played in one game since Jan. 17. 

Heinola has been a point producer on every team he's played for prior to joining the Jets. In 154 AHL games with the Manitoba Moose, the 24-year-old has scored 23 goals and 103 points. 

Heinola is built similarly to Josh Morrissey, both are a bit undersized with great mobility and puck skills. Morrissey and Dylan DeMelo have formed a great pairing due to their games complementing each other. DeMelo's best trait is his defensive game allows Morrissey to flourish offensively, something Heinola and Schenn could do if given the opportunity. 

Heinola is signed for an additional season at a very low cap hit, but the Jets need to decide on his future before his value hits rock bottom. Wasting his development sitting in the press box while a defenseman older than him continues to make ill-advised errors could result in a waste of valuable assets. 

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