New York Rangers: Predicting when Neil Pionk will be called up
When the New York Rangers signed defenseman Neil Pionk from the University of Minnesota Duluth, the 22 year-old came to New York with a great chance to make the team.
After being sent down following an impressive pre-season, it’s a matter of time before Pionk gets called up to the NHL. Pionk showcased why the Rangers were impressed with his talents when he scored the winning goal in an overtime pre-season game vs. the Flyers.
Pionk’s skating ability and offensive instincts are vital to a Rangers defense that is in a transition period. Kevin Shattenkirk and Anthony DeAngelo are two known puck movers that were added to this years team, while long-time veteran Dan Girardi was bought out.
In 82 collegiate games, Pionk registered 11 goals and 40 assists for 51 points and had a plus 35 on ice rating.
It was expected that Pionk would come in and compete with the other young defenseman the Rangers brought in. Prospect Ryan Graves and free agent Alexei Bereglazov were also expected to compete for spots.
The only problem is, while Girardi is gone, defenseman like Marc Staal and Nick Holden are still on the roster. When Pionk was signed, he said that head coach Alain Vigneault told him he would have a great chance to make the roster, and that he believed he was a great fit for Vigneault’s up-tempo style of play.
Vigneault also said that Marc Staal would be competing to stay on the team, acknowledging his drastic drop in play. However, Staal carries a cap hit of approximately $5.7 million. While Pionk seemingly outplayed Staal in camp, it was unlikely the Rangers would bench a salary as big as Staal’s.
There’s no doubt Pionk deserved a spot on the opening night roster, but it doesn’t mean he won’t ever be called up. So why not just keep him now? After all, Pionk last played in college, so he will certainly benefit by starting in the AHL.
The logjam at defense.
Even with Pionk sent down, the Rangers still have eight defenseman on the roster. The Rangers last pairs in practice were…
Ryan McDonagh – Kevin Shattenkirk
Brady Skjei – Brendan Smith
Marc Staal – Anthony DeAngelo
Extras: Steven Kampfer, Nick Holden
Yes, the Rangers decided to keep eight defenseman. Keeping Kampfer isn’t a big deal consider he’s cheap and a solid seventh defenseman. Nick Holden played 80 games for the Rangers last year.
If the Rangers sent down Holden or Staal, they would lose Holden to waivers and have Staal’s $5.7 million dollar contract in the minors.
The Rangers can trade either Staal or Holden, and get at least something in return. If Staal starts the season and plays better than expected, perhaps a desperate team takes a chance on him. Nick Holden has a mere $1.65 million dollar cap hit, and would be a cheap, decent third pairing defenseman for any team.
Prediction
The chances of the Rangers holding eight defenseman is virtually zero. The question is, when will Pionk join the fray? Holden in the press box for very long is unlikely. I can see Holden being traded sooner rather than later. I also don’t expect Staal to play the full season if he plays like we expect.
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The Rangers will try to convince themselves Staal is still an NHL defenseman, but by mid-November and early December, they will realize Staal is too slow for the rest of the defense corps.
Staal is currently paired with Anthony DeAngelo. If the Rangers paired Pionk with DeAngelo, their third pair would be lightning quick. It’s exciting, but will take a few months until we get our wish.