Winnipeg Jets Rumors: Trade Market Being Explored for Former First-Round Pick

The Winnipeg Jets sit third place in the Central Division with a 15-8-2 record and there's little doubt GM Kevin Cheveldayoff will be active before March's trade deadline looking to upgrade his roster. After re-signing Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck last summer, the Jets continue to push to be a Stanley Cup contender. 

This season, most of the Jets incoming trade calls have been surrounding former first-round pick, Logan Stanley. The 25-year-old defenseman plays with an edge, he's an above-average skater for a 6-foot-6 blueliner and he's shown in the past, with some consistent ice time, he can be productive.

Stanley's best season came back in 2021-22 when he recorded 13 points in 58 games and he hasn't been able to crack Rick Bowness' lineup on a regular basis so far this year. Teams are starting to notice that Stanley has played only five games this season and the trade calls have been picking up in a major way. Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman had this to say on a recent episode of 32 Thoughts:

Friedman on 32TP: "Logan Stanley is not a UFA, he's a RFA with arb rights, but it's a situation there where the player wants to play more, I think at different times Winnipeg has explored the market for him"

— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) December 8, 2023

Stanley comes with some team control as he's a pending restricted free agent at season's end, and has arbitration eligibility. The Jets have roughly $7 million in deadline cap space and certainly have some flexibility financially when it comes to trade activity. 

Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports