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Neal Pionk

Neal Pionk, Jason Spezza To Have Hearings With Department Of Player Safety

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After what Auston Matthews aptly called a “gong show” last night in the third period of the Toronto Maple Leafs-Winnipeg Jets game, several players are receiving supplementary discipline. Jason Spezza has been offered an in-person (via Zoom) hearing for kneeing Neal Pionk, opening him up to a suspension of more than five games. Spezza has accepted and will meet with the DoPS tomorrow. Pionk will also have a hearing (not an in-person one) for his knee on Rasmus Sandin, which started the festivities. Wayne Simmonds, who was involved in several altercations, has been fined $2,250 for his cross-check on Jansen Harkins.

Things kicked off with Pionk’s hit on Sandin, which went unpenalized by the on-ice officials. The Maple Leafs, incensed by the hit that took out their young defender–Sandin left the game immediately and did not return–had several responses, including Spezza’s targeted hit on Pionk while he was in a vulnerable position.

With the in-person hearing offered, Spezza could be facing a suspension of more than five games. That would open him up for an appeal process as well which would be presided over by a neutral arbitrator. Pionk meanwhile can only receive a maximum of five games, though that is unlikely given the precedent for dangerous kneeing incidents.

Simmonds escapes suspension, as his incidents were penalized by the on-ice officials and did not rise to the level of further supplementary discipline. His fine in this case is the maximum allowable under the CBA.

2021 Arbitration Tracker

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Originally published on August 5

The dates for the upcoming arbitration hearings have been set, with the first three scheduled for August 11. Hearings will continue through August 26 in this condensed offseason. It is important to note that the CBA agreement last year changed the rules for arbitration, so that once a hearing begins, teams are no longer allowed to negotiate with the player in question.

The full schedule is:

August 11
Adam Pelech (New York Islanders) – Settled, 8 years, $5.75MM AAV
Michael McNiven (Montreal Canadiens) – Settled, 1 year, $750K/$100K AAV (two-way)
Jakub Vrana (Detroit Red Wings) – Player filing: $5.7MM – Team filing: $3.65MM – Settled, 3 years, $5.25MM AAV

August 12
Victor Mete (Ottawa Senators) – Settled, 1 year, $1.2MM AAV

August 13
Neal Pionk (Winnipeg Jets) – Settled, 4 years, $5.875MM AAV

August 14
Vince Dunn (Seattle Kraken) – Settled, 2 years, $4.0MM AAV
Zach Sanford (St. Louis Blues) – Settled, 1 year, $2.0MM AAV

August 16
Adin Hill (San Jose Sharks) – Settled, 2 years, $2.175MM AAV
Ross Colton (Tampa Bay Lightning) – Settled, 2 years, $1.125MM AAV

August 17
Kevin Fiala (Minnesota Wild) – Player filing: $6.25MM – Team filing: $4.0MM – Settled, 1 year, $5.1MM AAV

August 18
Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) – Settled, 4 years, $5.0MM AAV

August 20
Dante Fabbro (Nashville Predators) – Settled, 2 years, $2.4MM AAV
Jason Dickinson (Vancouver Canucks) – Settled, 3 years, $2.65MM AAV

August 21
Adam Erne (Detroit Red Wings) – Settled, 2 years, $2.1MM AAV
Dennis Gilbert (Colorado Avalanche) – Settled, 1 year, $750K/$160K AAV (two-way)

August 23
Zach Aston-Reese (Pittsburgh Penguins) – Settled, 1 year, $1.725MM AAV

August 26
Andrew Copp (Winnipeg Jets) – Settled, 1 year, $3.64MM AAV
Nikita Zadorov (Calgary Flames) – Settled, 1 year, $3.75MM AAV
Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers) – Settled, 2 years, $4.675MM AAV

Winnipeg Jets, Neal Pionk Avoid Arbitration

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The Winnipeg Jets and Neal Pionk won’t need their upcoming arbitration hearing after all, as they’ve agreed on a long-term contract instead. The RFA defenseman has signed a four-year deal that will carry an average annual value of $5.875MM. Pionk’s hearing had been scheduled for Friday. PuckPedia reports the full breakdown:

  • 2021-22: $3.5MM
  • 2022-23: $6.5MM
  • 2023-24: $7.5MM + 6-team no-trade
  • 2024-25: $6.0MM + 6-team no-trade

It’s easy to underestimate just how strong a player Pionk has become because of the market he plays in and the high-profile player he was traded for. Acquired as part of the package for Jacob Trouba, the 26-year-old defenseman has become one of the most reliable offensive defensemen in the league. In fact, since joining the Jets in 2019, Pionk ranks 13th among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 77 points in 125 games. That’s more than twice as many as Trouba, who signed a seven-year, $56MM deal with the Rangers upon arrival.

That’s not to say the two are directly comparable, but is just evidence to show how valuable Pionk has become in Winnipeg. He has averaged nearly 23 minutes a night since arriving, contributing to both the powerplay and penalty kill. When the Jets’ need for a defenseman was discussed at length this season it was to find Pionk some help, but his place on this team will continue to be a leading one.

By buying out two years of unrestricted free agency, the Jets have locked up Pionk through his prime, but it didn’t come at much of a bargain. After acquiring Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon this offseason, the team now has five defensemen making at least $3MM for the next three seasons. Winnipeg now sits just barely under the salary cap ceiling but still has a lot of work to do, with an arbitration case for Andrew Copp on the horizon. The team does have some wiggle room as Bryan Little will be placed on long-term injured reserve again, but it isn’t a lot considering they have just nine forwards signed to one-way deals at the moment.

Committing so much to the defense is not usually a bad plan, but it’s unclear exactly how the Jets expect to give their young options playing time now. Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola, Sami Niku, and Dylan Samberg are all ready to contribute, but the route to the roster is pretty much blocked through 2023-24. There will be one regular spot to fight over when the season begins (injuries notwithstanding), with Stanley obviously having the inside track after his performance this year.

For Pionk, this contract is basically perfect, giving him a huge raise through the next several years while still letting him test free agency at a young enough age to land another multi-year deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

17 Players File For Salary Arbitration

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At 4pm CT today, the deadline for players to file for salary arbitration passed. Once it did, the NHLPA released the full list of 17 players who have filed. That list:

Nikita Zadorov (CGY)
Dennis Gilbert (COL)
Adam Erne (DET)
Jakub Vrana (DET)
Michael McNiven (MTL)
Juuse Saros (NSH)
Dante Fabbro (NSH)
Adam Pelech (NYI)
Victor Mete (OTT)
Zach Aston-Reese (PIT)
Adin Hill (SJS)
Vince Dunn (SEA)
Zach Sanford (STL)
Ross Colton (TBL)
Jason Dickinson (VAN)
Andrew Copp (WPG)
Neal Pionk (WPG)

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes that the Boston Bruins also filed for team-elected arbitration with Brandon Carlo in the first window, but the two sides reached a six-year extension on last month. Other restricted free agents that are arbitration-eligible but did not file can still be taken to arbitration by their clubs. The second deadline for club-elected arbitration filing is August 2 at 4pm CT. Salary arbitration hearings will be held between August 11-26, but the two sides can continue to negotiate a contract up until the time of their hearing.

It is important to note that these players who have elected salary arbitration are no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet.

League Notes: Rescheduling, Julien, Kane

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After the game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday was postponed following Jay Bouwmeester’s cardiac event on the bench, it was clear that the Blues’ schedule would be in for a shake-up in order to make up the game. With limited time left in the season – adding a 23rd game to the Blues’ schedule over the remaining 48 games of the regular season –  was not going to be easy, especially when the team needed to return to Southern California despite not having any more road games scheduled against the Pacific Division. The NHL did their best to find the best time to play the game and the Blues have announced the re-worked schedule. The team will now resume their game with the Ducks on Wednesday, March 11th. Their home game against the Florida Panther that had been scheduled for March 10th has now been moved up a day to March 9th as well. St. Louis will now wrap up a road trip through New York, New Jersey, and Chicago on March 8th, return home on the 9th, fly to Anaheim for the 11th, and then head back home to face the Sharks on the 13th. It will be a busy week for sure, but likely preferable to making the game up with an extra day after the end of the regular season, as the Panthers and Bruins did two years ago. As for the postponed game itself, the league has decided to keep the points on the board but re-start with a fresh 60 minutes rather than account for the first nine minutes of play from the previous game. As such, the Blues and Ducks will begin the game at 1-1, but there will be no other changes from a typical regular season game.

  • Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien has been fined $10,000 for remarks he made about the officiating in the team’s game on Saturday, the league announced. The game in question, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars, featured a number of missed penalties suffered by the Canadiens. In fact, the team did not have a single power play in the game. A frustrated Julien listed many of the missed calls in his postgame availability and called the officiating “embarrassing”. Perhaps the most incriminating line was Julien’s implication that the calls were skewed in Dallas’ favor, as he stated that Montreal “had to beat two teams.” While it fair to criticize officiating and to wish that there was more accountability for a poor job by the referees, the league is never going to tolerate such public comments, especially by a head coach. Julien had to have known that a fine was coming, so this should not come as much of a shock, fair or not.
  • San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane is also unhappy with the league’s officials, both on the ice and within the Department of Player Safety. Kane was suspended three games for an elbow to the head of Winnipeg defenseman Neal Pionk on Friday. Kane spoke out on the suspension and his gripe was not with his individual penalty, but with the inconsistency of the call. “There have been countless incidents of the same nature through this season and past seasons that have gone unsuspended or (un)fined,” Kane said. “No one person can tell you what is and isn’t a suspension in today’s game, it’s a complete guess. There is a major lack of consistency with NHL Department of Player Safety… You can’t continue to give some players a pass and throw the book at others.” The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell concurs with Kane’s statement, pointing out a very recent example. Just last week, Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse hit Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the head with an elbow and received only a roughing minor. Not only was the hit nearly identical to that of Kane on Pionk, but it was also very similar to another hit in the same game, a check by the Bruins’ Jeremy Lauzon on the Coyotes’ Derek Stepan that earned Lauzon a two-game suspension. The inconsistency of the Department of Player Safety, as well as on-ice officials, is well-documented, but this is the first time that any player has spoken out so publicly about it. Perhaps Kane’s call to action will do more than just earn him an additional fine. He is advocating for a third party to review all questionable hits and penalties rather than the NHL, which could become a bargaining plea for the players in the next CBA if the league does not improve in this area.

Sharks’ Evander Kane Suspended Three Games For Elbowing

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Earlier this morning, the Department of Player Safety announced that San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane would receive a hearing that for elbowing Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Neal Pionk Friday. However, it didn’t take long for the DoPS to come to a decision, as they suspended Kane for three games for the incident.

The incident happened during the third period of Friday’s game between San Jose and Winnipeg. Pionk was in the corner and had just released the puck when Kane came up from behind him and slammed his elbow into Pionk’s head, knocking him to the ground (video here).

The suspension will put Kane into double digits for his career, which likely was a significant factor in why the league hit him with three games. The 28-year-old was actually dealing with the Department of Player Safety several times earlier this year. He was involved in another elbowing incident as he received a $5,000 fine after elbowing Washington’s Radko Gudas on Dec. 4. He was also suspended three games on Oct. 1 during a preseason game for making physical contact with an official. In previous years, he also received two games for boarding in 2014, one game for personal conduct in 2016, and one game for cross-checking in 2018.

The suspension doesn’t help a team that is trying to get past its problems. The team has already lost forward Tomas Hertl to a season-ending injury and the team then announced this morning that Erik Karlsson would miss the rest of the season due to a broken thumb. Three games without Kane won’t make things any easier. The forward has 21 goals and could reach 30 goals for a second straight season, one of the few bright spots this year in San Jose.

Trade Rumors: Jets, Dillon, Pageau

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As Tessa Bonhomme pointed out on Tuesday night’s “Insider Trading” segment on TSN, the Winnipeg Jets are in the unenviable position of needing help at center and on defense, often hard positions to replace in-season. Injuries down the middle have caused center to become an issue for the Jets, but few will be surprised to hear that Darren Dreger says that addressing the blue line remains Winnipeg’s priority ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. Defense was an obvious weak point for Winnipeg from day one of the 2019-20 season, following the departures of Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot this off-season and the unexpected absence of Dustin Byfuglien as well. While Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk have played well this season, the rest of the D corps remains underwhelming and ill-equipped to handle the pressures of the postseason. Dreger confirms that the Jets are specifically looking for a top-four defenseman, as they need more than just depth additions to fix the blue line. He says that the team will consider both rentals and term players when evaluating trade options but will have to keep in mind the team’s salary cap situation, both this year and moving forward.

  • One player being targeted by the Jets as a possible stopgap to their defensive woes is San Jose Sharks rearguard Brenden Dillon, according to Pierre LeBrun. Dillon has been one of the most talked about trade candidates in recent weeks, as the Sharks are eager to sell, but short on impending free agents, making the big defenseman a near certainty to move. LeBrun believes that at least six NHL teams are firmly in on Dillon, which is a number likely to increase as the trade deadline grows closer. LeBrun speculates that the asking price for Dillon, who is strictly a stay-at-home, shutdown defender, could rise to a second-round pick and prospect. Other than Winnipeg, two other teams that LeBrun named as suitors are the Boston Bruins, who are looking to add physicality and grit to their lineup, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost Dougie Hamilton to injury but have the cap space to replace him regardless of their blue line depth.
  • Another player sure to have a number of suitors is Ottawa Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators will try to re-sign him, but Pageau is enjoying a breakout year and the market for centremen is very thin. LeBrun states that Pageau is the top pivot available and Ottawa could command a first-round pick. Whether they opt to re-sign him or not could depend on how far the bidding war reaches for his services. LeBrun does note that a number of teams with obvious needs down the middle are also not locks for the postseason, which could influence Pageau’s price and possibly convince the Senators to pull him off the market. The teams specifically named by LeBrun include the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Philadelphia Flyers. Of course, the Jets could also be contenders if they decide to load up.

RFA Profile: Anthony DeAngelo

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If asked to rank the remaining unsigned restricted free agent defensemen by offensive efficiency, most would easily be able to tab Zach Werenski and Charlie McAvoy as the top two. However, few would name Anthony DeAngelo third ahead of the likes of Ivan Provorov and Marcus Pettersson. In fact, last season DeAngelo finished just behind Werenski and McAvoy in points per game, with 0.49 compared to their 0.54 and 0.52 respectively. He also did so with three minutes less of ice time on average. DeAngelo has quietly developed into a potent offensive contributor on the blue line and working out an extension will be no small task for the cap-strapped New York Rangers. Here is a closer look at his situation.

DeAngelo, 23, is already on his third NHL team, a fact that may contribute to his perceived lesser value compared to his RFA peers. The 19th overall pick in 2014 by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he never played a game for the Bolts and was surprisingly dealt to the Arizona Coyotes for a 2016 second-round pick following a productive first pro season in the AHL. The ‘Yotes did not hesitate to bring DeAngelo up, and he recorded a respectable 14 points in 39 NHL games in 2016-17. Yet, he was moved again that off-season in the deal that sent Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta from New York to Arizona. DeAngelo’s first season with the Rangers was nothing special; he again split the season between the NHL and AHL and failed to scorer a goal in 32 games with New York. Through three pro seasons, DeAngelo was beginning to look like a bust as a first-round pick.

However, the team handed DeAngelo a regular role last season and he ran with it. The talented puck-mover registered 30 points in 61 games to lead all Blueshirt defensemen in scoring despite missing more than 20 games. DeAngelo also led the entire team with a +6 rating and was second in even strength time on ice. There is no hiding the fact that DeAngelo was one of the best players for New York last season. Despite their considerable additions this off-season, especially on the blue line in Jacob Trouba and prospect Adam Fox, the Rangers will still need to sign DeAngelo to a deal that accurately reflects that value, even if they don’t necessarily have the cap flexibility to do so. After that showing last season, DeAngelo is no longer a mystery or an enigma and if the Rangers won’t pay him, another team will.

Statistics

2018-19: 61 GP, 4-26-30, +6 rating, 77 PIMS, 111 shots, 19:20 ATOI
Career: 132 GP, 9-43-52, -25 rating, 125 PIMS, 239 shots, 18:00 ATOI

Comparables

Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets

Platform Year Stats: 73 GP, 6-20-26, -16 rating, 25 PIMS, 132 shots, 21:10 ATOI
Career Stats: 101 GP, 7-33-40, -17, 47 PIMS, 186 shots, 21:30 ATOI

Contract: Two years, $6MM
Year Signed: 2019

There’s isn’t a much better comparable than a player who played on the same team. Last season, Pionk was given more ice time and played in more games than DeAngelo for the Rangers and still was outscored and outplayed. When it came to trading away a young defender in the Trouba deal, it was Pionk that New York was willing to part with and not DeAngelo. With similar platform and career stats, especially on a per-game scoring basis, DeAngelo can point to Pionk as a comparable but also prove his slight edge as well as argue that his younger age and greater experience help his case. Pionk’s deal is the floor for a DeAngelo extension.

Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers

Platform Year Stats: 82 GP, 9-26-35, -4 rating, 22 PIMS, 121 shots, 19:34 ATOI
Career Stats: 131 GP, 11-34-45, -10 rating, 42 PIMS, 193 shots, 18:04 ATOI

Contract: Two years, $6.5MM
Year Signed: 2019

DeAngelo took a big step forward this season, but Sanheim took a leap. A fellow 2014 first-round pick facing criticism, Sanheim finally showed he was a starting-caliber NHL defenseman with a nine-goal, 35-point campaign. However, those numbers did come in a full 82-game season. Sanheim’s career numbers also trail DeAngelo’s in almost the exact same games played and total ice time. Both young defensemen are part of busy blue lines with a fair amount of talent but have carved out a role for themselves. DeAngelo maintains a slight edge based just on per-game production, but these two players are very similar.

Will Butcher, New Jersey Devils

Platform Year Stats: 78 GP, 4-26-30, -17 rating, 18 PIMS, 108 shots, 19:16 ATOI
Career Stats: 159 GP, 9-65-74, -16, 26 PIMS, 196 shots, 17:38 ATOI

Contract: Three years, $11.2MM
Year Signed: 2019

Like Werenski and McAvoy, few would think to associate DeAngelo with Butcher, the prize college free agent of a few years ago. In reality, DeAngelo and Butcher had the same stat line last season, with the Devils standout playing in 17 more games. In his career, Butcher does have the slightly superior per-game scoring numbers, but it is hard to look at their platform seasons and DeAngelo’s more balanced game at a younger age and not feel they are at least close to equal.

Projected Contract

There are several fair comparisons to DeAngelo, all of whom have signed extensions within the last few months. It paints a pretty clear picture of what a defenseman of DeAngelo’s age, experience, and production should be seeking: a short-term deal worth $3-4MM.

The Rangers are tight against the salary cap and have several long-term contracts on the blue line already, as well as a handful of prospect defenders who could push for a role sooner rather than later. For that reason, the team will likely push for a shorter, more affordable bridge deal, taking the risk that DeAngelo could continue to improve and boost his price tag, but landing a contract that they can accommodate more easily in the short term. If DeAngelo is slightly better than Sanheim, who makes $3.25MM on a two-year deal, and slightly worse than Butcher, who makes $3.73MM on a three-year deal, a two-year deal with a $3.5MM AAV is likely just right for the young Rangers defensemen.

Now, even at a very fair two years and $7MM, a DeAngelo resolution is still too much for the Rangers to carry at current time, with RFA forward Brendan Lemieux still to sign as well. The team has a number of young players they can freely demote as well as multiple veterans that are candidates to be buried in the AHL, but nevertheless the team may still need to make a space-saving trade before the season begins.

2019 Arbitration Figures And Results

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August 6th: All arbitration cases have now been completed. In total, six cases were decided by an arbitrator’s award this year. That number, though seemingly not many, actually presents a 50% increase over last summer and more than the past two off-seasons combined. Of those six decisions, the teams and players received the favorable decision an even three times apiece, and each award landed within $150K of the midpoint. All things considered, there were few surprises in arbitration, even though there were more awards than expected. Now the question is where the relationships between those teams and players go from here.

Originally published on July 19th: Friday marked the start of the arbitration season in the NHL, with Brock McGinn first scheduled for his hearing with the Carolina Hurricanes. The appointments will come fast and furious after that, with 23 cases left on the books. When we asked our readers how many would actually get to the hearing stage more than 36% of voters thought 3-4 was reasonable, the same number that reached last year.

We know now that at least one will, as Andrew Copp’s agent Kurt Overhardt told Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press that their camp will “look forward to” the hearing scheduled for Sunday. Copp and the Jets exchanged figures earlier today. It is important to remember that the two sides can actually work out a deal in the short period after the hearing and before the actual decision is submitted by the arbitrator. For every case except Ville Husso, who the St. Louis Blues took to arbitration, the team involved will be allowed to choose the duration of the contract awarded. They can choose either one or two years, unless the player is only one year away from unrestricted free agency, at which point only a one-year deal is available.

Here we’ll keep track of all the hearings still on the books and the figures submitted. This page will be updated as the numbers come in:

July 20:

Brock McGinn, Carolina Hurricanes – Team: $1.75MM AAV, Player: $2.7MM AAV
Settled: Two years, $2.1MM AAV

July 21:

Andrew Copp, Winnipeg Jets – Team: $1.5MM AAV, Player: $2.9MM AAV
Awarded: Two years, $2.28MM AAV

July 22: 

MacKenzie Weegar, Florida Panthers
Settled: One year, $1.6MM AAV

Zach Aston-Reese, Pittsburgh Penguins
Settled: Two years, $1.0MM AAV

Ville Husso, St. Louis Blues (team-elected)
Settled: One year, two-way, $700K AAV

Christian Djoos, Washington Capitals – Team: $800K, Player: $1.9MM
Awarded: One year, $1.25MM AAV

July 23: 

Evan Rodrigues, Buffalo Sabres – Team: $1.5MM, Player: $2.65MM
Awarded: One year, $2.0MM AAV

July 24: 

Oskar Sundqvist, St. Louis Blues
Settled: Four years, $2.75MM AAV

Neal Pionk, Winnipeg Jets
Settled: Two years, $3.0MM AAV

July 26: 

Colton Sissons, Nashville Predators
Settled: Seven years, $2.86MM AAV

July 27: 

Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames
Settled: Two years, $2.55MM AAV

July 28: 

Mirco Mueller, New Jersey Devils
Settled: One year, $1.4MM AAV

July 29: 

David Rittich, Calgary Flames
Settled: Two years, $2.75MM AAV

Pavel Buchnevich, New York Rangers
Settled: Two years, $3.25MM AAV

August 1: 

Remi Elie, Buffalo Sabres
Settled: One year, two-way $700K AAV

Chandler Stephenson, Washington Capitals
Settled: One year, $1.05MM

August 2: 

Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres – Team: $800K, Player: $2.65MM
Settled: One year, $1.33MM

Will Butcher, New Jersey Devils
Settled: Three years, $3.73MM AAV

August 4: 

Jake McCabe, Buffalo Sabres – Team: 1.95MM, Player: $4.3MM
Settled: Two years, $2.85MM AAV

Anton Forsberg, Carolina Hurricanes – Team: $700K/$70K, Player: $833K
Awarded: One year, $775K AAV

Sheldon Dries, Colorado Avalanche
Settled: One year, two-way $735K AAV

Rocco Grimaldi, Nashville Predators – Team: $700K/$70K, Player $1.275MM
Awarded: One year, $1MM

Joel Edmundson, St. Louis Blues – Team: $2.3MM, Player $4.2MM
Awarded: One year, $3.1MM

Jets Sign Neal Pionk To A Two-Year Contract

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Winnipeg has agreed to terms with one of their remaining restricted free agents, announcing the re-signing of defenseman Neal Pionk to a two-year contract.  The deal will carry an AAV of $3MM.  Pionk was scheduled to go to arbitration on Wednesday but that hearing won’t be needed now.

Pionk was acquired from the Rangers last month (along with a first-round pick that was used on blueline prospect Ville Heinola) in exchange for defenseman Jacob Trouba.

The 23-year-old is coming off of his first full NHL season where he established himself as a capable top-four defender.  He posted six goals and 20 assists in 73 games while logging over 21 minutes of ice time per night.  He also ranked fourth on the Rangers in both blocks (98) and hits (138).

Pionk will likely be asked to play a similar role with Winnipeg although he’ll be playing behind Dustin Byfuglien on the right side of their back end.  The contract should serve as a reasonable bridge deal to see how he’ll fare with his new team and he will still be eligible for restricted free agency at its conclusion in 2021.  At that time, a long-term deal could be on the table if all goes well.

GM Kevin Cheveldayoff still has plenty of work to do this offseason though.  While he’ll find out the verdict on what center Andrew Copp’s new deal will be after going through his arbitration hearing, the Jets still need to re-sign wingers Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine who are among the group of high-quality talent in this year’s RFA class.  (Third-string goalie Eric Comrie is also in need of a new deal.)  Busy days are still ahead in Winnipeg.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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