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The New York Islanders have been forced to constantly shuffle their forward lines due to a rash of injuries, with three of their projected top-six forwards—Mathew Barzal, Calum Ritchie, and Matias Maccelli—all currently sidelined. While those three are expected to return at some point, the team lost defenseman Alexander Romanov to a season-ending ACL injury in just the third game of the campaign, prompting significant changes on the back end.
Matthew Schaefer has cemented his spot on the top pairing, logging the most ice time on the team by a wide margin. When Romanov went down, head coach Peter DeBoer made the surprising decision to elevate Logan Stanley to partner with Schaefer—a move that raised eyebrows and disappointed some fans who questioned Stanley's place in the lineup after he was signed just before the regular season began, following training camp.
However, Stanley has silenced the critics with his strong play. Sharing the ice with a superstar like Schaefer certainly helps, but Stanley has more than held his own in a supporting role. Through 12 games, no defensive pairing has been on the ice for more goals than the Stanley-Schaefer duo. According to Money Puck, the Islanders have outscored opponents 5-3 with those two on the ice, and the pair boasts an expected goals percentage of 55.6% with 2.79 expected goals per 60 minutes.
Stanley's success isn't limited to playing with Schaefer. When paired with Adam Pelech for nine games and 12 minutes, the duo recorded an expected goals percentage of 80%—the highest mark on the team among lines and pairings with at least 10 minutes played. The next best defensive pairing? Stanley again, this time with Ryan Pulock, posting a 62.5% expected goals percentage in 11.7 minutes across 12 games.
While the sample sizes aren't huge, Stanley is making things happen for New York whenever he's on the ice. Known more for his defensive play than offensive prowess throughout his NHL career, he's off to a great start with the Islanders, recording five assists and a plus/minus of +8—the best on the team entering their game against the Minnesota Wild.
Key Analysis
DeBoer deserves credit for piecing together a patchwork blue line and finding combinations that are executing his game plan to perfection. Stanley's emergence as a reliable top-four option has been a pleasant surprise, and his chemistry with Schaefer has given the Islanders a formidable pairing that can be trusted in all situations. If Stanley can maintain this level of play, he could prove to be one of the season's most valuable under-the-radar acquisitions.