Neal Pionk was one of the Winnipeg Jets’ best defensemen last year, but how many points will the Omaha, Nebraska native have in the 2021 season.
In June of 2019, the Winnipeg Jets made a huge trade that sent star defenseman Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers for a first round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and Neal Pionk.
At the time Pionk was not the most well-known player around the NHL. He just completed his first full professional season with the Rangers and had six goals and 20 assists in 73 games. His one stat that turned heads was his -16 plus/minus.
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The year before, in 2017-2018, Pionk split his time between the Rangers and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. During that year he had a combined total of 31 points in 76 games played.
Pionk was extremely impressive in his first year in Winnipeg with the Jets. Last season he amassed six goals, 39 assists and finished with a +10 plus/minus. The twenty-five-year-old led all Jets defensemen in points and was ranked top-15 in the league for points by a defenseman in 2019-2020.
Last year, Pionk clearly showed that he has what it takes to be a top offensive defenseman in the NHL, and both he and the Jets will be looking for more of the same in 2021.
At the end of the upcoming campaign, Pionk’s contract will expire and he will become a restricted free agent. Also, he will eligible for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.
Therefore, I am predicting that this will play in Pionk’s favor and this will be his best season as a professional. I predict Pionk will score 7 goals and have 32 assists for 39 points in 2021.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Do you think Neal Pionk will score more or fewer points than we predicted in 2021? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL*