The winnipeg jets have elected to sit defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a roster move made less than 24 hours before the NHL Trade Deadline at 3: 00 PM ET on Friday. The decision follows injuries to key blueliners and draws attention because Stanley is widely considered an intriguing defenseman on the market. The move changes the lineup with Ville Heinola and Isak Phillips drawing into the defensive group.
Winnipeg Jets roster move and immediate fallout
The team announced the scratches with Josh Morrissey, Neil Pionk and Colin Miller all out injured, creating the openings filled by Heinola and Phillips. Sitting Stanley and Schenn shifts depth charts at a critical moment: Stanley has surged offensively this season and is a pending unrestricted free agent, while Schenn brings veteran depth and a long NHL resume and is also set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The timing — inside a 24-hour window before the 3: 00 PM ET Friday deadline — places both players squarely in trade-deadline conversations.
Stanley: size, season breakout, contract status
Logan Stanley, a 6-foot-7 defenseman, is in a career season with nine goals and 21 points after scoring just five NHL goals across the previous five seasons. He is one penalty minute shy of reaching 100 penalty minutes for the first time in his career. Stanley is under a two-year contract paying $1. 25 million per season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, factors that have made him one of the more discussed defensemen available before the deadline.
Schenn: veteran depth and track record
Luke Schenn, a two-time Stanley Cup champion from the 2020 and 2021 Tampa Bay teams, has served in recent years as a depth defender and blocked-shot, physical presence. This season he has one goal and seven points in 46 games. Schenn was acquired by the team last year after a short stint with Pittsburgh following a trade from Nashville. A 2008 fifth-overall draft pick, he has 45 goals and 212 points in 1, 118 NHL regular-season games over an 18-year career, plus international medals from the 2008 World Juniors and the 2009 World Championship. Schenn is also set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Immediate reactions and personnel signals
Captain Adam Lowry spoke as fans and observers speculated about what might come next for the club and its players ahead of the deadline. The roster change and the list of injured defensemen send a clear signal that short-term lineup management and longer-term roster decisions are converging with the trade window now less than a day away at 3: 00 PM ET on Friday. A trade-deadline broadcast special is scheduled for March 6th from 11: 00 AM-3: 30 PM ET to cover trade-day activity in real time.
Quick context: the scratches come with three regular defensemen sidelined and two younger players, Ville Heinola and Isak Phillips, stepping into the group. Stanley’s size and statistical jump and Schenn’s veteran profile explain why both names are linked to deadline chatter.
What’s next: expect roster updates as teams finalize moves before the 3: 00 PM ET Friday deadline, and watch whether the winnipeg jets make further changes to their blue line or use Stanley and Schenn as trade chips in the closing hours. Injury reports, lineup cards and any transaction notices will determine how the club approaches the immediate stretch after the deadline.
