Oh, Neal Pionk…we hardly knew ye. In all seriousness, there’s no doubting that this swap was a phenomenal move for the New York Rangers to make. Jacob Trouba could practically change the entire defensive makeup of this team, and he hasn’t even hit the ice at Madison Square Garden yet.
However, the Rangers also lost a defenseman with quite a bit of potential in Neal Pionk. He didn’t appear to be a superstar, but he definitely made his mark on Broadway before he left.
The New York Rangers signed Neal Pionk on May 1, 2017. Though he was undrafted, the Rangers were impressed by his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota Duluth, including 34 points (seven goals and 27 assists) and finishing fifth among NCAA blueliners in scoring.