NHL Notebook: Winnipeg Jets sign Logan Stanley and MacKenzie Weegar thinks Calgary Flames are headed in the ‘right direction’
11 months ago
The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenceman Logan Stanley to a one-year contract worth $1 million for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign.
Last season, the towering six-foot-seven blueliner fought for a full-time roster spot with fellow defenceman Dylan Samberg and, at times, Ville Heinola and Kyle Capobianco. It didn’t help that a fractured foot kept Stanley out for the beginning of the season and then a lower-body injury plagued him in early December, too. Although it certainly wasn’t the year Stanley was hoping for, he did make 19 appearances for the Jets, scoring one goal and three points while averaging 13:42 of ice time per night.
Stanley, who requested a trade in March seven years after the club drafted him 18th overall in 2016, could still be a candidate to be dealt at some point, and this palatable deal could help necessitate a change of address. The blueliner has struggled to establish himself in Winnipeg since he made his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season. In 2021-22 he had the best year of his three in the NHL, scoring one goal and 13 points while averaging nearly 16 minutes a night on the ice.
He joined Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose for two seasons in 2018. His first year with the Moose he recorded six goals and 22 points. He joined the Jets full time in 2020-21 scoring one goal and four points while averaging just over 13 minutes of ice time a night.
Here’s more details on the news from Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis:
Stanley was the team’s second last remaining RFA, along with depth defenseman Declan Chisholm. Stanley’s deal matches his qualifying offer from back in June, and will be an RFA again next summer.…The 25-year-old has spent his entire NHL career with the Jets since getting selected 18th overall in 2016. He played a career-best 58 games in 2021-22, where he scored one goal and 13 points. Stanley last played in the AHL in 2019-20, recording 32 points over two seasons.
MacKenzie Weegar thinks Calgary Flames are moving in the ‘right direction’
After a disappointing first year with the Calgary Flames that saw the whole team underperform, defenceman MacKenzie Weegar thinks the club in on the right track after significant organizational changes.
The Flames named assistant general manager Craig Conroy as their new general manager to replace Brad Treliving in May. Conroy’s first order of business was to promote assistant coach Ryan Huska to fill the full-time head coaching duties after Darryl Sutter left.
Huska brings a more upbeat style for the Flames heading into the 2023-24 campaign after Calgary finished 19th in the league in goals for at 258 and tied for 19th in power-play percentage at 19.8 this past season.
According to Weegar, the Flames are already feeling better about their future with Conroy in the driver’s seat and Huska as head coach.
“I think with the two new hirings with Craig and ‘Husk’, I think that was already moving in the right direction,” the defenseman told NHL.com.
“There’s lots of rumors of guys not wanting to be here or guys staying. To be honest, I kind of keep my head out of it and my nose out of it. I just want guys that want to be here. And I think Craig and Husk are on the same page.
“For me the turnover, it doesn’t really affect me. All that matters is the guys that want to be here and guys that want to win here in Calgary and if you don’t want to be a part of it, unfortunately you have to move on even if they’re great friends and great guys. For me, you want to win and I think we want to win now. It starts with Craig and Husk at the helm.”
Last season the Flames missed their post-season opportunity for the second time in the past three years. The club finished fifth behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card from the Western Conference.
Here’s more on what Weegar had to say from NHL.com‘s Aaron Vickers:
“I don’t really know how it’s going to be,” Weegar said.“I know [Craig and Huska] personally and they’re great guys. We all know Darryl and Husk, they’re both different guys and different personalities. I think just the focus point might be this year where it’s a little more fun coming to the rink and I think that’s going to be big for a lot of guys. You just want to come in and enjoy it. We’re going to have our ups and downs … but just have fun with the guys. I think if we have fun, we’ll be winning more.”
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