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Neal Pionk Inks Long Term Extension With Jets
Neal Pionk Inks Long Term Extension With Jets
Neal Pionk was the big fish on D that was about to hit the free agent market this Summer. Winnipeg was somehow able to get him locked up right before the start of the playoffs. Pionk apparently has no problem paying Canadian taxes and will be staying with the Jets long term.
The team announced it’s a six-year deal worth a total of $42 million. That’s an AAV of $7 million per season that will begin during the 2025-26 campaign.
Pionk, 29, posted 39 points in 69 games for Winnipeg this season. That includes playing secondary PP unit behind Josh Morrissey. That includes being second on the Jets in time-on-ice per game (22:04) and tied for third in plus/minus (+21). He’s had a damn good year and has since been rewarded for it.
The analytics say this is a win for both sides. It’s hard to really disagree with that if you use common sense. The Jets get Pionk for less than what Shea Theodore signed for. It’s significantly less than what Jakob Chychrun signed with Washington for. Considering that there really isn’t going to be much available on the free agent market, Pionk likely could have gotten a tick more if he actually made it onto the open market.
Pionk has been a mainstay for the Jets since being acquired in a package during the Jacob Trouba trade. Based on how Trouba aged with the Rangers, I don’t think it’s a trade the Jets feel too badly about.
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