The top priority for the Buffalo Sabres and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen leading into the NHL Trade Deadline was to add depth on their blueline. The Sabres have dealt with injuries at the position and have been leaning heavily on their Top 4 in terms of ice time.
On Thursday night, Kekalainen was able to not only add just one but two defensemen in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets that acquired Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn. In return, the Sabres sent defenseman Jacob Bryson and former first-round pick Isak Rosen, along with a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
While this is not the splashy move of adding a Colton Parayko, it is a move that checked a lot of boxes for what Buffalo needs. It really helps solidify the roster down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Logan Stanley is the 'beefier' defenseman the Sabres were looking for
It was reported leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline that the Buffalo Sabres wanted to add size to their defense. Logan Stanley certainly does that at 6'7" and 231 pounds and is a physical presence in the defensive zone with 453 hits in 261 career games.
Prior to this season, Stanley had not added much in the offensive end, but he is having a career season on that end with nine goals after only five in the prior five seasons. Stanley is currently in the final year of his two-year contract and is set to be a free agent after this season.
Luke Schenn is a veteran who brings Stanley Cup experience
Luke Schenn is a former first round pick after being drafted by Toronto in the 2008 NHL Draft but is currently playing in his 18th season in the league. This season with Winnipeg, he has seven points in 46 games while averaging only about 13 minutes of ice time.
The Sabres now have options with how they approach that third pair, and they could use Stanley and Schenn together, as they have 265 minutes of ice time together this season. They have a modest xGoals % of 42.1% due to a solid xGoals Against Per 60 Minutes of 2.49, according to MoneyPuck.
Similar to Stanley, Schenn is in the final year of his contract and is set to be a free agent after this season.
What does it mean for Michael Kesselring and Conor Timmins?
This is probably the biggest question and it is something that might take some time to figure out. Michael Kesselring was expected to be a big part of the defense this season after the Sabres traded for him over the summer.
However, injuries have really derailed his season, and he has struggled to make an impact. Meanwhile, Conor Timmins is still out with a broken leg but appears close to returning.
With Kesselring and Timmins both being right-shot defenseman, the Sabres will probably test out Stanley with Kesselring to start until Timmins is ready to return. At that point, it might be a rotation to find the best pair heading into the playoffs.
For Schenn, he is probably viewed as a veteran who could be ready to step in if there is an injury or as the third option if Kesselring and Timmins struggle playing with Stanley.
This is a type of move that might not generate a ton of headlines but adds a lot of value to the Buffalo Sabres roster, especially in the playoffs.