Winnipeg Jets Defenseman Named One of the Top Pending UFAs This Offseason

For much of this season focus surrounding Winnipeg Jets free agents has mostly been aimed at forward Nikolaj Ehlers whose contract ends after this season.

With so much discussion regarding Ehlers' future Winnipeg Jets top four defenseman Neal Pionk has gone under the radar.

Pionk this season has been bordering on a career year particularly when it comes to the offensive side of the game however in recent days he has been shut down due to injury.

With such an increase in production from Pionk the 29-year-old defenseman has now caught the eye of the rest of the NHL and become a prime candidate to get a major payday this summer.

According to a list put together by Daily Faceoff Pionk ranks 5th overall in the upcoming free agent class and is the top-ranked defenseman.

With this in mind, Daily Faceoff has predicted that Pionk will ink a deal somewhere around 6 years for $7 million per year.

If the Jets were going to make this type of investment in Pionk it would likely signal the biggest move they would be able to make this offseason.

This season Pionk has played 66 games and tallied 37 points as a solid two-way defenseman for the Jets.

With Josh Morrissey already holding down the top pair and first powerplay paying Pionk that much money is likely not wise for the long-term success of the Jets.

This now will lead to a discussion between GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and the rest of the front office to determine whether or not Neal Pionk is a must-have player in the organization or if he can be replaced.

As more news surfaces about potential contract negotiations between the Winnipeg Jets and Neal Pionk, we will pass along the latest news.