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Major $42M contract extension announced and it changes things for the Detroit Red Wings and Steve Yzerman
Photo credit: Sportsnet
Despite being previously linked to the Detroit Red Wings, defenseman Neal Pionk has been re-signed by the Winnipeg Jets, taking a prime Steve Yzerman target off the board.
The Detroit Red Wings are going to have their work cut out for them during this summer, as general manager Steve Yzerman is facing increased scrutiny and heat from even his more ardent defenders.
The Red Wings have now failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs 9 straight years, which is the longest drought in team history - considering that the team is about to enter their centennial year, that's a considerable length.
And one of their reported summer targets to assist on the blue line, which badly needs some serious upgrades, has suddenly become unavailable.
The Winnipeg Jets have announced that they have extended defenseman Neal Pionk, who was set to become a free agent, to a multi-year contract extension.
Pionk, who was in the last year of a 4-year, $23.5 million deal, was set to become one of the more attractive free agent defensemen via TSN's Chris Johnston.
A right shot who makes good decisions with the puck and produces decent offensive numbers, Pionk is in line for a raise. Among his strengths are joining the attack or getting a wrist shot through traffic for teammates to tip or collect rebounds.
While there may be some modest concerns about his defensive impacts, Pionk is logging more than 22 minutes per night on the NHL's best regular-season team. Expect the Jets to try and make something work to keep him in Winnipeg.
While there may be some modest concerns about his defensive impacts, Pionk is logging more than 22 minutes per night on the NHL's best regular-season team. Expect the Jets to try and make something work to keep him in Winnipeg.
While Detroit's Jeff Petry's contract expires this summer, the struggling Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson are still under contract through 2026.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 17 | 317 ANSWERS Major $42M contract extension announced and it changes things for the Detroit Red Wings and Steve Yzerman Do the Red Wings need to buy out the contract of Justin Holl? | ||
| Yes | 285 | 89.9 % |
| No | 32 | 10.1 % |
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