There’s no question that Logan Stanley, aka “The Stanimal,” has become a fan favourite among Winnipeg Jets fans in what can best be described as an “all systems failure” of a season. The Jets sit nine points back of the final Western Conference wild-card spot, currently held by the Anaheim Ducks, with one game remaining before the Olympic break. While the focus should be on the future and treating this season as a one-off, one major question on the to-do list is what to do with Stanley.

Stanley, 27, has exploded offensively on the Jets’ backend this season. Through 54 games, he’s posted a whopping nine goals and nine assists for 18 points, along with a career-high 97 penalty minutes. For context, over the previous five seasons Stanley had just five total goals, one in each season, and surpassed that mark in only 32 games this year. His sixth goal came against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 15.

The towering six-foot-seven defenceman was selected 18th overall in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has been a work in progress ever since. After completing four years of junior hockey (2014-2018) with the Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, he joined the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, from 2018-2020, recording nine goals and 32 points. He then made the jump to the Jets in 2020-21, where his development path began to get rocky.

Stanley missed two months early in the 2022-23 season with a broken ankle, then suffered a high-ankle sprain one game after returning. The following year, he was routinely a healthy scratch, which eventually led to him requesting a trade. While nothing materialized, it marked a point where Stanley felt he wasn’t developing the way he had hoped within the organization, and a fresh start may have benefited him.

The Waterloo, Ontario native is averaging a career-high 16:33 of ice time per game. He’s also racked up 89 hits and 67 blocks, and isn’t afraid to get physical or drop the gloves, something he’s done several times this season.

That brings us to the big question: should the Jets extend Stanley, or trade him?

Stanley signed a two-year, $2.5 million extension on July 6, 2024, and is set to become a UFA this summer. Whether it’s via an extension or free agency, he’s about to get paid. The Athletic’s NHL Trade Board 3.0 suggests he’s “in position to cash in this summer with a contract that could be worth $25M or more.”

A $5M+ AAV for Stanley sounds bizarre. If you’re Kevin Cheveldayoff, why wouldn’t you try to extract maximum value while his stock is at an all-time high? This feels like a general manager’s IQ test, as I, and some folks on X, like to call it.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period also believes Stanley won’t be the only blueliner on the move, reporting that 36-year-old Luke Schenn is expected to be dealt before the deadline.

Schenn, to me, is a no-brainer to move. Yes, he provides veteran presence and physicality, but he’s slow and simply too old for where this team is headed. Winnipeg should be looking to get whatever assets they can for him, maybe even recoup some lost picks.

Elliotte Friedman also weighed in on his 32 Thoughts podcast, suggesting Winnipeg and the Detroit Red Wings could be a potential trade match.

Friedman speculated that Stanley could be part of a deal, while Kyle Bukauskas wondered about Schenn.

I’ve been trying to figure out why Stanley has suddenly found this offensive gear, already sitting one goal shy of double digits. Then it hit me: it’s a contract year, and we’ve seen this story before. I believe “The Stanimal” is playing for a payday. That isn’t surprising, but this is where Kevin Cheveldayoff needs a reality check. When a player’s value is this high, you have to capitalize, especially with contenders potentially willing to part with a first-round pick or more.

Of course, there will be those who argue the Jets should keep Stanley at all costs, believing he’s finally becoming the player they hoped for all along. I’m just not buying it. The numbers don’t line up. You can point to injuries, healthy scratches, and stalled development, but an offensive spike like this is both shocking and highly questionable. The Jets need to sell.