2016 Top 25 Under 25: #22 Logan Stanley

When Logan Stanley was drafted this past June, the reaction was a mix of rage, sadness, disappointment, and unbridled frustration. Standing at an imposing 6'7'', and weighing in at 225 lbs, Stanley was a player where opinions from scouts ranged from stating he was a top 15 defender in the draft and worthy of a first round selection, to nothing more than a fourth round flier. It's not hard to see why.

Stats

In his draft year, Stanley was able to notch 17 points over the course of 64 games. An definite improvement from the paltry 4 that he had from the year previous. This uptick in points is part of the reason why scouts started to considered him a serious player in the draft. Despite his issues with his skating and puck handling, many saw this as a sign of things to come from the Spitfires' defenseman.

Thoughts From Other AIH Authors

Arby

Ugh.

Truck

Players who perform like Stanley (pre-draft) often don't fair well. Dude has size and some skill, but he is very, very raw and prone to getting beat. Definitely cheering for the kid – even if I'm not a believer.

Andy

I like Stanley. There I said it. the big 6 ft 7 inch lefty defenseman was the Jets second pick in this past draft, and a lot of Jets fans and pundits were amazed that the Jets would pick him, let alone trade a few draft picks to move up and get him. He is, in a way, slated to be a Buff replacement several years down the road. Anyway, for the time being, Stanley will set his sights on helping his London Knights win hockey games, and hopefully he'll show the promise that convinced the Jets to risk a lot to get him

Brian

There is no denying the talent and potential that's there with Stanley. But I'm not gonna act like I was thrilled with the pick. I think there were better defensemen available with similar ceilings and were more likely to reach said ceilings. On the other hand though, if Stanley turns out the way the Jets hope, adding another giant to the blue line could always be nice.

Summary

Obviously, I am cheering on Logan Stanley and I really hope he can prove everyone wrong, including me and become a staple on the Jets blueline for years to come. However, history has not been kind to players who have the point production in junior that he has. Perhaps he explodes this year and grows even more than he did the previous year. Considering what the Jets gave up for him and the other defenseman that were available, he needs to reach his ceiling in order to be a success.