Confirmed with Link: Rangers Sign Free Agent D Neal Pionk

[Tawnos]

Tawnos, keeping HF on its toes since 2004.

The poster HFNYR deserves.

 

[Revel]

A little late to the celebration here, but WOW...FINALLY... a good RHD prospect! Thanks Gorts & Drury!

 

[Machinehead]

Staal-Pionk

Can't wait

 

[surf]

We all got excited when we signed Matt Gilroy 50 pages of hype can someone in the know tell me this guy will pan out to be better than Gilroy?

 

[nyr2k2]

We all got excited when we signed Matt Gilroy 50 pages of hype can someone in the know tell me this guy will pan out to be better than Gilroy?

As much as Gilroy sucked, he still played 4 NHL seasons and has become a good KHL player. Pionk is a nice prospect but the odds are still against him, as they are against 95% of these college UDFA players.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

We all got excited when we signed Matt Gilroy 50 pages of hype can someone in the know tell me this guy will pan out to be better than Gilroy?

The big one that jumps out to me is that he's like 4-5 years younger than Gilroy was when he signed

 

[Zil]

Gilroy busted so we shouldn't have added a guy drawing Torey Krug comps?

 

[DanielBrassard]

If Gilroy played in the NHL now he's be considered an analytics darling.

 

[nyr2k2]

Gilroy busted so we shouldn't have added a guy drawing Torey Krug comps?

is right. No one suggested that.

 

[Leetch3]

If Gilroy played in the NHL now he's be considered an analytics darling.

 

[Leetch3]

Gilroy busted so we shouldn't have added a guy drawing Torey Krug comps?

definitely not a reason to not go after him, but possible a valid reason to temper the excitement until he steps on the ice against pros. literally no downside to adding an asset for free, but as an undrafted player the odds are against him

 

[Zil]

definitely not a reason to not go after him, but possible a valid reason to temper the excitement until he steps on the ice against pros. literally no downside to adding an asset for free, but as an undrafted player the odds are against him

Pionk posted 34 points in 42 games this year. At the same age, Gilroy posted 8 points in 36 games. We're talking a different caliber of prospect. It's no guarantee, but Pionk's way ahead on the development curve.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I was serious. He had good possession stats

 

[SnowblindNYR]

definitely not a reason to not go after him, but possible a valid reason to temper the excitement until he steps on the ice against pros. literally no downside to adding an asset for free, but as an undrafted player the odds are against him

Why temper our excitement? Will it somehow affect how his career plays out. Excitement about signings like this are all we have right now.

 

[Leetch3]

Why temper our excitement? Will it somehow affect how his career plays out. Excitement about signings like this are all we have right now.

there is a time and place of positivity and this isn't that place pal lol

 

[nyr2k2]

Pionk posted 34 points in 42 games this year. At the same age, Gilroy posted 8 points in 36 games. We're talking a different caliber of prospect. It's no guarantee, but Pionk's way ahead on the development curve.

At the same age Gilroy was playing his first season as a defenseman.

Pionk is a good prospect but is still undersized and not exactly a shutdown defender. The reality is that if he ends up playing 250 NHL games or whatever like Gilroy then that's a success. He has the talent to be a lot more, but as has been acknowledged there's no guarantee he pans out.

There's a reason small offensively-oriented defensemen always draw comparisons to Torey Krug, and it's because there aren't many guys like that playing in the NHL.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

there is a time and place of positivity and this isn't that place pal lol

You mean HFNYR or a thread about a promising prospect that we just signed?

 

[SnowblindNYR]

At the same age Gilroy was playing his first season as a defenseman.

Pionk is a good prospect but is still undersized and not exactly a shutdown defender. The reality is that if he ends up playing 250 NHL games or whatever like Gilroy then that's a success. He has the talent to be a lot more, but as has been acknowledged there's no guarantee he pans out.

There's a reason small offensively-oriented defensemen always draw comparisons to Torey Krug, and it's because there aren't many guys like that playing in the NHL.

Rafalski?

 

[Thirty One]

I was serious. He had good possession stats

Not surprising. He was a good neutral zone defenseman. The other two zones, tho...

 

[nyr2k2]

Rafalski?

Sure. Ty Barrie jumps to mind. There are others. Just not a lot.

 

[Zil]

At the same age Gilroy was playing his first season as a defenseman.

Pionk is a good prospect but is still undersized and not exactly a shutdown defender. The reality is that if he ends up playing 250 NHL games or whatever like Gilroy then that's a success. He has the talent to be a lot more, but as has been acknowledged there's no guarantee he pans out.

There's a reason small offensively-oriented defensemen always draw comparisons to Torey Krug, and it's because there aren't many guys like that playing in the NHL.

Size isn't as big a deal as it once was. Karlsson, Leddy, Krug, Giordano, Gostisbehere, Ellis, Barrie, etc. These guys are all 6'0" or less. I think the main reason for the Krug comps are that both are speedy, offensive defensemen who went undrafted. Erik Brännström, the guy I want the Rangers to use their first round pick on, is 5'10".

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

At the same age Gilroy was playing his first season as a defenseman.

Good point (and thanks to Zil for the stat comparison as well) but i'd say this would be perhaps more of a reason to be more excited for Pionk than Gilroy.

 

[nyr2k2]

Size isn't as big a deal as it once was. Karlsson, Leddy, Krug, Giordano, Gostisbehere, Ellis, Barrie, etc. These guys are all 6'0" or less. I think the main reason for the Krug comps are that both are speedy, offensive defensemen who went undrafted. Erik Brännström, the guy I want the Rangers to use their first round pick on, is 5'10".

I get it, I'm not saying he can't make it. I'm thrilled we acquired him.

To me, surf's question boils down to, "What makes him more of a sure thing than Gilroy?" Which I think is a fair question, particularly if you're not familiar with Pionk. And IMO the honest answer is "nothing," as Pionk is far from a sure thing.

Not crapping on Pionk, BTW. Just tempering my enthusiasm as I generally do.

 

[LeetchisGod]

there is a time and place of positivity and this isn't that place pal lol

Positivity usually leads to disappointment. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Zil]

Being ahead on the development curve always gives a guy a better shot imo.