It took me unexpectedly.
I used to be chatting on a Vancouver radio station Friday previous to the Winnipeg Jets dealing with off in Vancouver towards the Canucks and when requested concerning the defence, I said instantly and with conviction, “Neal Pionk is the Jets’ greatest defenceman.”
This can be a a lot totally different assertion than when the Jets traded one of many group’s prime defencemen, Jacob Trouba, to New York for Pionk, and I mentioned, “Neal who? How do you say this man’s final identify?”
Now, figuring out what we all know, I’d say with conviction that as we speak the Jets would commerce Trouba for Pionk – straight-up – as a result of Pionk is that good.
Pionk is an ideal trendy defenceman.
He defends arduous. He can skate. He can carry the puck. He performs in all conditions — 5-on-5, penalty kill and energy play — and on that energy play as a right-handed shot, Pionk can discover Mark Scheifele for the one-timer — like he might for Patrik Laine earlier than him.
As well as, from all the things one hears, Pionk is a superb particular person. One additionally hears that Pionk goes to receives a commission.
A restricted free agent after this season, with a present cap hit of $3 million — how can one not argue that Pionk deserves to be paid in the identical time period and wage as Josh Morrissey, whose present contract has a cap hit that’s double Pionk’s present pay?
Previous practices in hockey are likely to favour “homegrown” gamers, ones a group has drafted and developed, relating to contracts.
Neal Pionk wasn’t drafted by anybody, a free agent out of school, however look how he’s developed. And when the time comes, the Jets want to verify the defenceman stays at house right here in Winnipeg.
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