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Neal Pionk

Jets Recall Elias Salomonsson

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The Jets announced they’ve recalled defense prospect Elias Salomonsson from AHL Manitoba. Connor Hellebuyck is headed to injured reserve in the corresponding move. The placement is retroactive to Nov. 19, his last appearance before undergoing an arthroscopic knee procedure that has him out for another month-plus.

Salomonsson, 21, is coming off an All-Star Game nod in his rookie season with the Moose last year. The smooth-skating righty may be in his second professional season stateside, but he racked up parts of four seasons in Sweden’s top league with Skellefteå before landing in Manitoba. He’s never put up particularly gaudy point totals. However, he’s never been in a position to, logging top-four minutes in a notoriously offense-suffocating SHL before playing top-pairing minutes on a Moose team that scored just 2.35 goals per game last season. Over the past two seasons, he’s posted a 5-28–33 scoring line with a -7 rating in 70 games for Manitoba.

It’s been more of the same from the 6’2″ Salomonsson to begin this year. He’s yet to score a goal through 17 AHL contests, but has six assists – a number that’s tied for the team lead amid another disastrous offensive campaign from the Moose. His even rating has him tied for fourth on the team among skaters with at least 10 appearances this season.

Salomonsson’s skating, stick skills, and vision are what made him the No. 12-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting in the 2022 draft. He went to the Jets midway through the second round at No. 55 overall and signed his entry-level contract a few weeks later, although they loaned him to Skellefteå in back-to-back campaigns before the deal went into effect for 2024-25. In those two seasons, Salomonsson advanced with Skellefteå to the Swedish Hockey League championship series both times, winning the crown in 2024. He also earned a silver medal with the Swedes at that year’s World Junior Championship.

Salmonsson ranked inside the league’s top 100 prospects on offseason lists from Elite Prospects (No. 94) and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (No. 76). He’s universally lauded as Winnipeg’s top defense prospect and is a consensus top-three prospect in their pool.

His ceiling will likely be directly related to his point production at the NHL level. He has enough of a well-rounded skillset to virtually guarantee him a job as Winnipeg’s No. 3 right-shot defender with penalty kill deployment next season after Colin Miller becomes an unrestricted free agent. How his ability to read plays adjusts to the top level will determine whether he can challenge Dylan DeMelo or Neal Pionk for a top-four job and steal some power-play work, too.

In the short term, he’s ticketed to make his NHL debut tomorrow against the Capitals in second-pairing duties alongside Dylan Samberg in place of Pionk, who left Sunday’s game against the Wild in the first period with a lower-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day and was back on the ice before today’s practice, Kelly Moore of 680 CJOB Winnipeg reports, so he isn’t expected to miss significant time.

With Samberg missing a good chunk of the campaign so far due to wrist surgery, Pionk has struggled. The 30-year-old righty scored 39 points and had a +21 rating in 69 appearances last season, practically a career year, that landed him a six-year, $42MM extension. This season, he’s been limited to a goal and four assists in 21 appearances despite an uptick in power-play deployment. His two-way play has taken a step back, too. After controlling 56.7% of expected goals with Samberg last season, he controlled just 42.5% when Logan Stanley was elevated to his left side in Samberg’s absence to begin this season. Since Samberg’s return, though, his and Pionk’s xGF% is back over 54.

Salmonsson likely won’t stick with the big club once Pionk is healthy, barring a particularly impressive performance alongside Samberg in his debut. He’s still got another year left on his entry-level deal and remains waiver-exempt through that time.

Image courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.

Jets’ Neal Pionk, Josh Morrissey Leave With Injury

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The Winnipeg Jets saw their top two defenders leave Sunday’s match against the Minnesota Wild. Neal Pionk appeared to be in pain from the opening shift. He labored on the bench throughout the first period, and left the game before the start of the second. Later in the second period, Josh Morrissey had a puck riccochet up into his face. He immediately returned to the locker room but returned in the third period. Winnipeg went on to lose the game 3-0.

Morrissey appeared to be no worse for wear after returning. He finished the day with 25:49 in ice time, the most of any player in the Sunday matchup. That will be a silver lining for the Jets, who lean heavily on Morrissey as their top-defenfer. He has recorded five goals, 22 points, and a team-leading 43 blocked shots in 20 games – while averaging more than 24 minutes of ice time. He will now have until Wednesday to rest this upper-body injury.

Pionk, however, could miss time. He seemed clearly nagged by a lower-body injury sustained on a hit attempt in his first shift. He’s operated as Morrissey’s relief this season, averaging 23:46 in ice time through 20 games from the second-pair. Pionk has recorded five points, 36 blocked shots, and 41 hits in that timeframe – sticking to the hard-nosed defensive style that earned him a six-year extension last April.

Winnipeg would have to fill a role on their top defense pair and top penalty-kill unit should Pionk fall out of the lineup. Dylan DeMelo could be asked to double up his role, sticking next to Morrissey and taking on some vacant second-pair minutes. The Jets could also promote Colin Miller from the third-pair. Winnipeg will likely turn towards healthy scratch Luke Schenn to fill the remaining lineup hole. He has two points and a minus-four in 16 games this season.

However the Jets choose to shake up their defense, the resulting group will face a tough task. Winnipeg lost superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to an extended absence late last week. They have turned towards Eric Comrie and rookie Thomas Milic to fill the crease – and have now allowed three-or-more goals in six of their last seven games.

Jets, Neal Pionk Agree To Six-Year Extension

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The Jets and defenseman Neal Pionk have agreed to a long-term extension to keep him off this summer’s unrestricted free agent market, Murat Ates of The Athletic reports. The team later announced it’s a six-year, $42MM deal, making him $7MM per season. The deal breaks down as follows, per PuckPedia:

2025-26: $4MM salary, $4MM signing bonus
2026-27: $8MM salary
2027-28: $7.5MM salary
2028-29: $7.5MM salary
2029-30: $6MM salary
2030-31: $5MM salary

Pionk was ticketed to be the top UFA defenseman this summer after Jakob Chychrun opted to extend with the Capitals last month. He lands a raise and the richest total contract of his career as expected, but instead of doing so on the open market, he’ll take the deal to stay with this year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners.

Long viewed as somewhat of an underwhelming top-four piece in Winnipeg, the 29-year-old Pionk has flipped the script in 2024-25. While a late-season lower-body injury nixed his chance at setting a career-high in points, he still managed the second-most productive season of his career on a per-game basis, eclipsing his first year with Winnipeg in 2019-20. He finished the season seventh on the team in scoring with 10-29–39 in 69 games and posted a +21 rating, third on the Jets behind Dylan Samberg and Dylan DeMelo.

Advanced statistics paint a less rosy but still promising picture of Pionk’s improved two-way results. He logged a 50.5 CF% and 52.1 xGF% at even strength, the latter standing as a career-high and the first time he’s been above water in expected goals in his eight-year career. They weren’t close to being the best numbers on the Jets, who controlled possession quite well this season in front of Jennings Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, but are still a welcome step forward in Pionk’s defensive game and went a long way toward earning him a long-term commitment from Winnipeg.

In keeping Pionk off the open market, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s attention must turn toward a long-term deal to keep the pending RFA Samberg in Winnipeg. His defensive acumen alongside Pionk on the Jets’ second pairing was a major factor in the latter’s success in 2024-25. The fourth-year NHLer has a career-high 20 points while averaging 21:08 per game, up nearly six minutes from last year’s deployment. The Jets still have $25.7MM in cap space for next season after registering Pionk’s deal with five roster spots to burn, per PuckPedia. Another $4.8MM will likely go to Samberg on a mid-term deal, AFP Analytics projects.

As for Pionk, he gets a 15-team no-trade clause from 2025-26 through 2027-28 as part of the deal, PuckPedia reports. It drops to a 10-team no-trade clause for the final three seasons. He’ll have a chance to be one of the longest-tenured defensemen in Jets history when all is said and done. He’s spent the last six years in Manitoba after Winnipeg acquired him from the Rangers, along with a first-round draft pick that turned into Ville Heinola, in exchange for Jacob Trouba in the 2019 offseason. Since the trade, Pionk has 37-179–216 in 435 games with a +39 rating and ranks fourth in scoring all-time among Jets/Thrashers defensemen, trailing Dustin Byfuglien (416), Josh Morrissey (373), and Toby Enström (308).

For teams looking for a two-way presence on the open market this summer, they won’t find a comparable right-shot option to Pionk but could look at a left-shot like Ivan Provorov who’s comfortable playing on his off-side. As for the title of top pending UFA defender overall, that likely falls to Kings shutdown extraordinaire Vladislav Gavrikov.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Jets Notes: Ehlers, Vilardi, Pionk, Miller, Kupari

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Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be a game-time decision against the Blues tonight, head coach Scott Arniel told Mitchell Clinton of the team’s official site. The 29-year-old is day-to-day with a foot injury and sat out Saturday’s 4-1 loss as a result. He left their previous game, a win over the Golden Knights on Thursday, after taking a shot to the foot in the first period – returning only to leave for a second time in the third period after a shot from teammate Cole Perfetti inadvertently hit him in the knee. Such a short-term absence is welcome news for a Winnipeg forward group already down Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari (more on them later) as they try to stave off the Capitals for the President’s Trophy and the Stars for the Western Conference and Central Division titles.

Ehlers’ health will be a crucial factor in winning those races and, ideally, multiple playoff series. The Danish forward is having one of the better seasons of his 10-year career, placing third on the team in scoring with 24-39–63 through 67 games. That’s despite continued inexplicably limited deployment by Arniel – among players with 60 or more points this season, Ehlers’ 15:56 ATOI ranks last. He’s one of just four players to hit the mark while averaging under 17 minutes per game. This spring is also an important one for Ehlers to rebuild his damaged postseason reputation. While he’s produced 0.77 points per game over his regular-season career, he’s clicked at just a 0.38 points per game rate in the playoffs (4-10–14 in 37 GP).

As for Vilardi, Arniel said the first-line fixture has returned to the team and will return to practice soon. The 25-year-old hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury on March 23, missing Winnipeg’s last six games. They’ve managed to go 4-2-0 without him in what marked their first games of the campaign without his services. He’s lined up with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele in all 71 of his appearances this season and has shattered his previous career-high in points, logging a 27-34–61 scoring line in his second season in Manitoba. He’s also averaging a career-high 18:08 per game. It remains unclear if he’ll return for any of the Jets’ final five regular-season games, but the statement bodes well for his availability for Game 1 of an increasingly likely first-round date with the Wild.

The Jets aren’t just banged up on offense. They’ve also been without second-pair defenseman Neal Pionk since March 14 with a lower-body injury. He remains week-to-week but skated in practice today with the extras, per Clinton. That indicates his return is ahead of Vilardi’s, and he could very well get a couple of games of action before the playoffs to get back to game pace. The pending unrestricted free agent has 9-28–37 in 66 games from the Winnipeg blue line, the second-highest offensive production of his career. He boasts a career-best +21 rating while averaging over 22 minutes per contest, improving his possession play to reestablish himself as the Jets’ unquestionable No. 2 defenseman behind Josh Morrissey.

He won’t be returning against St. Louis, though, and they may be down an additional rearguard in veteran Colin Miller. He wasn’t at practice this morning and will be a game-time decision due to illness, Arniel said. With Pionk out, the depth piece has skated in 11 straight contests. He has 4-10–14 with a +11 rating in 59 appearances after re-signing with the Jets on a two-year, $3MM deal last offseason, missing time with a fractured larynx back in January.

Arniel also said Kupari skated before practice today as the 25-year-old pivot remains in concussion protocol. He’s played just three times since the beginning of last month, sustaining a concussion against the Isles on March 4. He exited protocols after three games but remained on the sidelines as a healthy scratch until March 25 against the Capitals. He had a setback in his post-concussion symptoms after that contest and will remain unavailable for a sixth straight contest tonight as a result. He’s posted 5-3–8 in 59 contests while winning 52.5% of his draws.

Jets’ Neal Pionk Out Week-To-Week

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Jets defenseman Neal Pionk, who hasn’t practiced since Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, has been ruled out on a week-to-week basis with an undisclosed injury, head coach Scott Arniel told reporters this morning (including Murat Ates of The Athletic).

It’s unclear when Pionk sustained the injury. While his 16:18 of ice time against his former team was a season low, he never left the game and only intermittently missed shifts alongside usual defense partner Dylan Samberg. He’ll now miss a considerable portion of the stretch run while the Jets look to lock down the Western Conference regular-season title and pull ahead of the Capitals in the President’s Trophy race.

Pionk had yet to miss a game this season and hasn’t sat out of a contest since the 2021-22 campaign, when he missed a handful of games due to suspension, a concussion, and COVID-19. The 29-year-old righty has enjoyed a resurgent campaign on the Winnipeg blue line, posting 9-28–37 with a career-high +21 rating in 66 games while averaging north of 22 minutes of ice time per game.

Not only is Pionk’s point production at its highest since his career-best 45 points in his first season with the Jets in 2019-20, his normally underwhelming possession metrics have rebounded too. His expected rating of +1.4 is in the positives for the first time in his eight-year NHL career, and he’s also controlled at least 50% of shot attempts for just the second time. Historically a decent second-pairing puck-mover with power-play versatility, he’s now providing some positive value defensively. His 2.5 GA/60 at even strength remains the worst among a stout Winnipeg defense, though.

His strong campaign should earn him a decent chunk of change this summer. He’s set to test unrestricted free agency for the first time after completing the four-year, $23.50MM deal he signed with the Jets in 2021. AFP Analytics projects a six-year extension with a $6.95MM AAV should Winnipeg manage to keep him from going to market.

Pionk’s absence will mean increased minutes for deadline pickup Luke Schenn, who’s set to move into top-four usage alongside Samberg to form a shutdown pairing. Depth options Haydn Fleury and Colin Miller will be relied upon to help replace some of Pionk’s offense from the third pairing.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Morning Notes: Peeke, Pionk, Goncalves, Kastelic, Tufte

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The Boston Bruins will soon receive some relief on the blue-line, with defenseman Andrew Peeke returning to the team’s practices per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. Peeke hasn’t played since leaving Boston’s November 5th match against Toronto following a hit from Max Pacioretty that seemed to bounce Peeke’s shoulder awkwardly off the boards. He was ruled out week-to-week with an upper-body injury soon after, though participating in practice marks a big step in his path back to the lineup. Peeke isn’t expected to play in Boston’s Monday game against Columbus but could suit up when the team hosts Utah on Thursday.

Peeke was joined on the shelf by Hampus Lindholm, who’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The pair of absences quickly drained Boston’s top-four of its impactful, defensive stalwarts. Peeke rotated through the lineup when healthy, serving anywhere from 13 minutes in a sheltered role to 20 minutes on the top pair. He’s recorded two assists, 18 hits, and 21 blocked shots in 13 games. While not a thrilling stat line, Boston has felt every bit of Peeke’s absence – averaging the fifth-highest goals-against per-game (3.60 in five games) since he left the lineup. Upcoming matchups against Columbus, Utah, and Detroit should give Boston a chance to ease Peeke back into the lineup.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been fined $5K, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for “clipping” Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist on Saturday. Pionk went in for a hip-check but caught more of Boqvist’s knee than anything else. No penalty was issued for the hit. Boqvist nursed his left-knee for a while, but didn’t need helped off the ice. Pionk played 20 minutes in the 5-0 loss, going without any major stat changes – but still boasting 17 points in 18 games this season. He’ll continue to be a main fixture of the Jets lineup – and likely continue delivering heavy hip-checks – after avoiding suspension here.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have once again assigned forward Gage Goncalves to the minor leagues, after he stepped into a third-line role in the team’s Saturday night win over New Jersey. Goncalves played a career-high 15:32 worth of ice time in the outing, though he only put up two hits and one shot. Goncalves has yet to record his first NHL point, despite four appearances this year and two last year. He’ll return to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, where he’s already posted six assists in five games – the only Crunch still scoring above a point-per-game pace.
  • The Boston Bruins received a couple more updates at Sunday’s practice, with forwards Mark Kastelic designated as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and Riley Tufte expected to be sent to the minor leagues per Steve Conroy. Tufte played in 7:46 of Boston’s Saturday overtime-loss to St. Louis, with a -2 his only stat change. Tufte has yet to record a point in three games this year, though he’s managed three points in 21 career NHL games while serving as a go-to call-up since 2021. Kastelic has been much more productive – posting seven points in 19 games this season – while still serving a fourth-line role.

Central Notes: Vilardi, Pionk, Krug

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During this week’s iteration of 32 Thoughts with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, the two have reported that the Winnipeg Jets are operating under the belief that forward Gabriel Vilardi will return before the end of the season. Vilardi has been out since the team’s March 2nd game against the Dallas Stars with an upper-body injury.

It has been a difficult season in Manitoba for Vilardi, who is in his first year with the organization since being acquired in the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. In a separate injury at the beginning of the year, Vilardi injured his MCL which led to his absence for a total of six weeks.

When healthy, Vilardi has been a valueable forward for the Jets, scoring 16 goals and 30 points in only 38 games on the year. Now that Winnipeg is squarely in the race for the Central Division crown, Vilardi will be an important piece to get back into the lineup during the home stretch.

Other Central notes:

  • Staying in Winnipeg, although his status was questionable for tonight’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils due to an illness, defenseman Neal Pionk was able to enter the lineup (X Link). Still operating as a solid two-way defenseman in his fifth year with the Jets organization, Pionk has scored five goals and 25 points for Winnipeg this season, averaging just under 21 minutes of ice time per night.
  • In tonight’s tilt against the Ottawa Senators, the St. Louis Blues will be without defenseman Torey Krug, who was suffering from a lower-body injury (Article Link). Nevertheless, it has still been one of the healthiest years to date for Krug, who has not broken the 64 games played mark since the 2017-18 NHL season. Once again putting up quality offensive production, Krug has scored three goals and 34 points over 69 games this season.

Neal Pionk Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine For Cross-Checking

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Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk has been fined $5,000 for cross-checking Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson during a heated game between the two teams last night, the NHL Department of Player Safety said Wednesday morning. This is the maximum allowable fine under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The incident occurred late in the third period of the game, which the Jets won 3-1. Pionk received a major penalty for cross-checking Johansson, but the league felt that the infraction deserved further punishment.

Johansson was in obvious discomfort after the play, which caused him to fall to the ice. His injury status is currently unknown.

The game between the Jets and the Wild was a physical affair, with other incidents drawing the attention of the league. Wild forward Ryan Hartman is facing a potential suspension for a hit on Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers, which occurred earlier in the game. The league is expected to make a ruling on Hartman’s status later today.

The decision to hold a hearing for one incident but not the other is sure to draw ire from some. Both incidents had some perceived level of intent, depending on who you ask, and both resulted in potential injuries to the opposing players.

Logan Stanley Activated; Neal Pionk Unavailable

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The Winnipeg Jets have activated Logan Stanley from injured reserve and will insert him back into the lineup for the first time since January 20. The big defenseman is coming at the perfect time since Neal Pionk is unavailable. Pionk tested positive for coronavirus ten days ago with the team on the road and though he has played in the last two games, can’t travel back with the Jets to Canada until tomorrow.

Stanley, 23, is one of the most physically imposing players in the league, standing 6’7″ and weighing in at 228 lbs. Though it took the 2016 first-round pick some time to grow into his potential, he’s become a regular with the Jets this season, averaging just over 15 minutes a night through 35 games. With the team struggling to keep pace in the Central Division, another step forward in Stanley’s progression would certainly be welcomed.

In fact, the deployment of the Jets’ defense down the stretch will be an interesting thing to watch, especially if they fall completely out of the playoff race. The veteran group of Pionk, Josh Morrissey, Nate Schmidt, Brenden Dillon, and Dylan DeMelo are all signed through at least the 2023-24 season at cap hits of at least $3MM, but the team has young defensemen like Stanley and Ville Heinola pushing for more playing time. If the management group decides to start looking forward to the future, perhaps someone from that veteran group will start appearing in trade talks with contending teams.

For now though, Stanley jumps back into a group that is desperately trying to find a way to put wins on the board. The Jets took Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators and now have a winnable match against the Chicago Blackhawks. A team that was considered a Stanley Cup contender before the season began, Winnipeg sits sixth in the Central with a 20-17-8 record.

Pionk, Dubois, Poganski Enter COVID Protocol

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The Winnipeg Jets need a big second half to climb their way back into playoff contention, but things aren’t off to a great start. As they return from the All-Star break, three players have ended up in the COVID protocol. Neal Pionk, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Austin Poganski are all unavailable to the team as they prepare to take on the Minnesota Wild tomorrow night. The Jets have recalled Declan Chisholm, Ville Heinola, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Kristian Reichel from the Manitoba Moose.

That trio includes two of the team’s most important players in Pionk and Dubois, not a great way to start things up after a week off. The former plays more than 22 minutes a night, just a few seconds shy of Josh Morrissey for the team lead, and the latter is the team’s second-leading scorer with 33 points in 42 games. Given the fact that Nikolaj Ehlers, Logan Stanley, and others are already out with injuries, losing players like these will really test the depth of the Jets for the next few games.

It’s a group of young players that will try to replace them, though that’s quite the task given how inconsistent the rest of the roster has been this season. The Jets are 18-17-7 for the year and have lost eight of their last ten games. For some teams that could even mean raising the white flag and starting to sell off expiring assets, but Winnipeg was expected to not only compete for the playoffs but the Stanley Cup this season. It’s hard to abandon that goal after just 42 games, even though it might have to end up being the eventual decision.

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