Islanders sign Logan Stanley, send Isaiah George to AHL as season-opening roster appears set
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley looks on during the second period of an NHL game against th Islanders on March 31 in Buffalo, N.Y. Credit: AP/Jeffrey T. Barnes
When the Islanders essentially set their season-opening roster on Sunday, the defense corps included a striking omission and a surprisingly big addition — big in the literal sense.
The Islanders, who will open their 84-game regular season on Wednesday night in Toronto, announced they had reassigned defenseman Isaiah George, 22 — who was given every opportunity to make the team out of training camp — to their AHL affiliate in Hamilton, Ontario, along with former first-round picks Kashawn Aitcheson, also a defenseman, and sharpshooting wing Cole Eiserman.
They also announced the signing of unrestricted free agent defenseman Logan Stanley, a 6-7, 231-pound lefthanded shot who has played 278 NHL games for the Jets and Sabres and presumably will be in the lineup against the Maple Leafs. He agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal after compiling nine goals, 17 assists and 128 penalty minutes in 76 games for the Jets and Sabres last season.
“It didn’t work out, which is unfortunate,” Stanley, 28, said of getting a new contract earlier in the offseason. “But I’m excited to be here now. I was skating every day at home with the junior team there, the Kitchener Rangers.”
The defensive-minded, physical Stanley said he understands his role in supporting the forwards and keeping the net area clear in front of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov (third goalie Vitek Vanecek was placed on waivers for the purpose of reassigning him to Hamilton).
It’s something the Islanders did not do well last season.
“He checks a lot of boxes,” coach Pete DeBoer said of Stanley. “He’s big, experienced but still young. The coaches know him well. [Assistants] Rocky [Thompson] and [Bob] Boughner coached him. I’ve known the family since Logan was a little kid.
“We have to get better around our net. There’s no secret to that. We were 30th in high-danger chances given up around our net. We’ve got the ability now to ice a pretty big, heavy, physical defense back there. I think he’s a very underrated skater.”
Neither Matthew Schaefer (upper body) nor Tony DeAngelo (maintenance) practiced on Sunday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, but both are expected to be in Wednesday’s opener. If so, the pairings likely will be the lefthanded Schaefer playing on his off-side with lefty Adam Pelech, lefthanded Alexander Romanov with righty Ryan Pulock and Stanley with the righthanded DeAngelo.
That would make lefty Matt Kessel and righty Scott Mayfield the healthy scratches, with Kessel likely ticketed for Hamilton once top-six forward Mathew Barzal (left knee) is activated off injured reserve. The Islanders said Barzal will travel with the team to Toronto.
George entered training camp with the chance to earn a spot in the top six, something general manager Mathieu Darche said in the offseason was the organization’s hope.
George, a fourth-round pick in 2022, has played 37 NHL games over the past two seasons and 80 AHL matches.
“I think disappointment is the wrong word,” DeBoer said. “It’s a journey to become an NHL defenseman and he took a step. It’s an opportunity for more growth, and hopefully the next time he comes up, he’s a little bit better. Hopefully he’s a regular at some point.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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