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Neal Pionk

#4 · Defence · Winnipeg Jets

Born Jul 29, 1995 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA (age 31) · 6'0", 190 lb · Shoots right

Compare with a similar player

The defencemen closest to him in points in 2022-23. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Adam Larsson SEA · 33 P in 82 GP Damon Severson NJD · 33 P in 81 GP John Klingberg MIN · 33 P in 67 GP Jakob Chychrun OTT · 33 P in 48 GP Jared Spurgeon MIN · 34 P in 79 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0102030402017-18: 14 points1417-182018-19: 26 points2618-192019-20: 45 points4519-202020-21: 32 points3220-212021-22: 34 points3421-222022-23: 33 points3322-232023-24: 33 points3323-242024-25: 39 points3924-252025-26: 12 points1225-262026-27: 1 points126-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2017-18 NYR 28 1 13 14 -1 12 54 49 0.50 $925K
2018-19 NYR 73 6 20 26 -16 35 132 138 0.36 $925K
2019-20 WPG 71 6 39 45 10 32 177 165 0.63 $3M
2020-21 WPG 54 3 29 32 6 20 100 137 0.59 $3M
2021-22 WPG 77 3 31 34 5 46 140 185 0.44 $5.875M
2022-23 WPG 82 10 23 33 -12 44 142 169 0.40 $5.875M
2023-24 WPG 82 5 28 33 9 63 146 221 0.40 $5.875M
2024-25 WPG 69 10 29 39 21 44 123 114 0.57 $5.875M
2025-26 WPG 51 3 9 12 1 37 97 111 0.24 $7M
2026-27 WPG 5 0 1 1 -4 0 8 9 0.20 $7M
10 seasons Career 592 47 222 269 19 333 1119 1298 0.45

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2019-20 WPG 4 0 2 2 -6 0 10 11 0.50
2020-21 WPG 8 0 4 4 -2 2 17 29 0.50
2022-23 WPG 5 0 7 7 -6 0 9 24 1.40
2023-24 WPG 5 0 1 1 -2 4 5 19 0.20
2024-25 WPG 13 1 6 7 1 14 23 45 0.54
5 seasons Playoffs 35 1 20 21 -15 20 64 128 0.60

2022-23 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
82 10 23 33 -12 44 142 169 0.40 7.0 21:56

Contract

$5.875MCap hitends in 2025, then UFA
$178KCap dollars per point33 points in 82 games
-$2.5MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$8.4MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. He rated at or below a spare-part player, so there is no cost per goal to show. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 695 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Winnipeg Jets on Aug 11, 2021, as a new contract: 4 years and $23.5M, beginning in 2021-22. It runs through 2024-25, with 2 seasons left after this one, and he is then an unrestricted free agent.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2021-22 $5.875M $3.5M $0 $3.5M
2022-23 $5.875M $6.5M $0 $6.5M
2023-24 $5.875M $7.5M $0 $7.5M M-NTC
2024-25 $5.875M $6M $0 $6M M-NTC

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Apr 17, 2025 Winnipeg Jets Extension 2025-26 to 2030-31 6 $42M $7M
Aug 11, 2021 Winnipeg Jets New contract 2021-22 to 2024-25 4 $23.5M $5.875M
Jul 21, 2019 Winnipeg Jets New contract 2019-20 to 2020-21 2 $6M $3M
May 1, 2017 New York Rangers Entry-level 2017-18 to 2018-19 2 $3.55M $925K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2022-23 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2022-23 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+1.5Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.2Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+1.0Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence-0.1Even-strength defence+0.4Power play+0.7Penalty kill+0.0Penalties+0.0

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-10-505102017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

52.5Corsi for %105 attempts for, 95 against
+2.8CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
51.3Expected goals for %4.0 expected for, 3.8 against
+9.2xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
51.9Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
10.0Goals for %1 for, 9 against
84.3PDO2.3% shooting + 82.0% saves
18Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

These are left plain: he has not been on the ice enough to be ranked. That takes at least 200 shot attempts with him out there, about six or seven games, and a quarter of what the busiest skater has. Over a game or two these numbers are mostly chance.

Who he played with

Defence pairGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Brenden Dillon · Neal Pionk562:0657.954.20-5
Nate Schmidt · Neal Pionk517:0560.065.81-0
Dylan Samberg · Neal Pionk410:2725.034.00-2
Dylan DeMelo · Neal Pionk57:3236.436.30-1

The pairs he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's pairs that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

0Goalsnot counting empty-netters
0.6Expected goalsfrom 16 unblocked attempts
-0.6Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.26 expected goals per 60 minutes75th
Shot quality 3.7% chance per attempt68th
Finishing -0.6 goals above expected23rdOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of defencemen he is ahead of, among the 65 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

00.20.40.60.81Expected 0.6Goals 0

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 13, 2023 @ COL L 2-4 0 1 1 -2 2 2 0 22:07
Apr 11, 2023 @ MIN W 3-1 0 0 0 1 5 0 1 22:14
Apr 10, 2023 vs SJS W 6-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 21:48
Apr 8, 2023 vs NSH W 2-0 1 0 1 2 0 3 2 21:45
Apr 5, 2023 vs CGY L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 22:56
Apr 2, 2023 vs NJD W 6-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 23:25
Mar 31, 2023 vs DET W 6-2 0 1 1 2 2 1 0 23:35
Mar 28, 2023 @ SJS L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 21:25
Mar 25, 2023 @ LAK L 1-4 0 1 1 0 2 1 3 20:51
Mar 23, 2023 @ ANA W 3-2 0 1 1 2 2 3 1 21:02
Mar 21, 2023 vs ARI W 2-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 26:13
Mar 19, 2023 @ STL L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 22:42
Mar 18, 2023 @ NSH W 3-2 (OT) 1 0 1 -1 0 1 2 18:01
Mar 16, 2023 vs BOS L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 21:36
Mar 14, 2023 @ CAR L 3-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 4 24:10
Mar 12, 2023 @ TBL W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 23:45
Mar 11, 2023 @ FLA W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 27:32
Mar 8, 2023 vs MIN L 2-4 0 0 0 -3 0 4 1 23:13
Mar 6, 2023 vs SJS L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 23:22
Mar 4, 2023 vs EDM W 7-5 0 1 1 1 0 4 1 25:35
Mar 3, 2023 @ EDM L 3-6 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 19:16
Feb 28, 2023 vs LAK L 5-6 (SO) 0 0 0 -2 2 1 1 19:15
Feb 26, 2023 vs NYI L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 3 22:11
Feb 24, 2023 vs COL L 1-5 0 0 0 -3 0 0 3 20:44
Feb 22, 2023 @ NYI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 18:15
Feb 20, 2023 @ NYR W 4-1 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 21:28
Feb 19, 2023 @ NJD L 2-4 1 1 2 2 0 3 3 22:29
Feb 16, 2023 @ CBJ L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 2 1 1 20:19
Feb 14, 2023 vs SEA W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 22:35
Feb 11, 2023 vs CHI W 4-1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 19:23
Jan 30, 2023 vs STL W 4-2 0 1 1 3 0 2 4 25:12
Jan 28, 2023 vs PHI L 0-4 0 0 0 -3 2 4 2 22:16
Jan 26, 2023 vs BUF L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 20:37
Jan 24, 2023 @ NSH L 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 5 21:17
Jan 22, 2023 @ PHI W 5-3 0 1 1 4 0 0 0 21:33
Jan 21, 2023 @ OTT W 5-1 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 17:58
Jan 19, 2023 @ TOR L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 6 2 21:37
Jan 17, 2023 @ MTL L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 2 23:48
Jan 15, 2023 vs ARI W 2-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 23:03
Jan 13, 2023 @ PIT W 4-1 0 0 0 1 0 6 4 22:11
Jan 12, 2023 @ BUF W 4-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 20:28
Jan 10, 2023 @ DET L 5-7 1 1 2 1 0 2 3 22:23
Jan 8, 2023 vs VAN W 7-4 0 1 1 1 0 3 3 22:34
Jan 6, 2023 vs TBL W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 2 1 3 18:21
Jan 3, 2023 vs CGY W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 23:41
Dec 31, 2022 @ EDM W 2-1 1 1 2 0 2 2 1 23:15
Dec 29, 2022 vs VAN W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 21:32
Dec 27, 2022 vs MIN L 1-4 0 0 0 -2 0 2 2 22:56
Dec 23, 2022 @ WSH L 1-4 0 0 0 -4 0 2 5 23:34
Dec 22, 2022 @ BOS L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 22:50
Dec 20, 2022 vs OTT W 5-1 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 22:40
Dec 18, 2022 @ SEA L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 23:04
Dec 17, 2022 @ VAN W 5-1 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 20:22
Dec 15, 2022 vs NSH W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 24:39
Dec 13, 2022 vs VGK L 5-6 0 0 0 -1 2 4 3 18:48
Dec 11, 2022 vs WSH L 2-5 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 22:40
Dec 9, 2022 @ CHI W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 1 20:50
Dec 8, 2022 @ STL W 5-2 0 2 2 1 0 1 1 21:22
Dec 6, 2022 vs FLA W 5-2 0 0 0 1 5 1 1 17:37
Dec 4, 2022 vs ANA W 5-2 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 18:02
Dec 2, 2022 vs CBJ L 1-4 0 0 0 -3 0 2 1 17:51
Nov 29, 2022 vs COL W 5-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 2 22:18
Nov 27, 2022 @ CHI W 7-2 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 19:57
Nov 25, 2022 @ DAL W 5-4 (OT) 0 0 0 1 2 1 4 20:03
Nov 23, 2022 @ MIN L 1-6 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 22:52
Nov 21, 2022 vs CAR W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 22:09
Nov 19, 2022 vs PIT L 0-3 0 0 0 -2 0 3 3 24:58
Nov 17, 2022 vs ANA W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 25:01
Nov 13, 2022 @ SEA W 3-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 21:51
Nov 12, 2022 @ CGY L 2-3 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 22:26
Nov 8, 2022 vs DAL W 5-1 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 20:59
Nov 5, 2022 vs CHI W 4-0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 20:42
Nov 3, 2022 vs MTL W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 3 20:59
Oct 30, 2022 @ VGK L 1-2 (OT) 0 1 1 0 0 3 5 23:53
Oct 28, 2022 @ ARI W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 20:28
Oct 27, 2022 @ LAK W 6-4 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 24:46
Oct 24, 2022 vs STL W 4-0 0 1 1 1 0 6 5 21:17
Oct 22, 2022 vs TOR L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 23:16
Oct 20, 2022 @ VGK L 2-5 1 1 2 1 0 3 4 21:14
Oct 19, 2022 @ COL W 4-3 (OT) 2 0 2 0 0 3 4 23:05
Oct 17, 2022 @ DAL L 1-4 0 0 0 -3 0 2 1 22:13
Oct 14, 2022 vs NYR W 4-1 0 0 0 1 0 4 2 22:29