Logan Stanley sent to AHL

The Winnipeg Jets are nearing their opening day 23-man roster and one of their final cuts Involved sending 2016 first-round pick Logan Stanley to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

The former 17th overall pick had a breakout season with the Kitchner Rangers of the OHL last season, recording a career-high 42 points in 61 games. Stanley is more known for his defensive game, of course, but it was a positive sign to see him start to bring more offence to the table.

It isn’t really a surprise that the Jets decided to send Stanley down for some AHL seasoning as the organization’s mantra has been to bring prospects along slowly. There’s a good chance Stanley will see a cup of coffee at the NHL level this season, but it’s best for his development to play big minutes with the Moose.

Winnipeg has eight defencemen on the roster right now: Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, Dmitry Kulikov, Josh Morrissey, Ben Chiarot, Joe Morrow, and Tucker Poolman.

This cut brings the Jets close to their final roster. As Ken Wiebe suggests above, the final spot on the roster likely comes down to Brendan Lemieux or Tucker Poolman, though the latter has an uphill battle because carrying eight defencemen isn’t ideal. Both Lemieux and Poolman can be sent to the AHL without going on waivers.