Player Discussion Neal Pionk

[Larrybiv]

It's funny we have guys who can barely skate getting 15 minutes a night then this guy comes up shows u can play I wonder what was going through av's mind when he had see these two kids play

Nothing. Blank, absolutely no thoughts.

Okay, maybe he was like......gee, we probably could of used him somewhere along the line. He's not half bad!

 

[Levitate]

I'm sure AV sees the small mistakes that young players make and is irritated by it like most coaches and it clouds his overall perception of how the young players are contributing

 

[nyr2k2]

I'm sure AV sees the small mistakes that young players make and is irritated by it like most coaches and it clouds his overall perception of how the young players are contributing

I hate that so much. As a manager, when I bring in a new employee and they make small mistakes, we discuss them and how to avoid them in the future. You mentor them, show them the proper way, help them be better at their jobs as that makes you better at your job and the organization as a whole better off. You don't put them in the f***ing corner for making little mistakes. I've always defended AV's handling of the younger players (against accusations that he "ruins" them or whatever) but when the little things are made into big things with young players it's just f***ing dumb. In any other business it would cause people to leave and find a place with better management.

 

[silverfish]

I hate that so much. As a manager, when I bring in a new employee and they make small mistakes, we discuss them and how to avoid them in the future. You mentor them, show them the proper way, help them be better at their jobs as that makes you better at your job and the organization as a whole better off. You don't put them in the ****ing corner for making little mistakes. I've always defended AV's handling of the younger players (against accusations that he "ruins" them or whatever) but when the little things are made into big things with young players it's just ****ing dumb. In any other business it would cause people to leave and find a place with better management.

...you hiring?

 

[ponytrekker]

I hate that so much. As a manager, when I bring in a new employee and they make small mistakes, we discuss them and how to avoid them in the future. You mentor them, show them the proper way, help them be better at their jobs as that makes you better at your job and the organization as a whole better off. You don't put them in the ****ing corner for making little mistakes. I've always defended AV's handling of the younger players (against accusations that he "ruins" them or whatever) but when the little things are made into big things with young players it's just ****ing dumb. In any other business it would cause people to leave and find a place with better management.

Ahhh, with us, make a mistake, get nothing to do. Do good work, get the great reward of more work to do well while others relax.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I hate that so much. As a manager, when I bring in a new employee and they make small mistakes, we discuss them and how to avoid them in the future. You mentor them, show them the proper way, help them be better at their jobs as that makes you better at your job and the organization as a whole better off. You don't put them in the ****ing corner for making little mistakes. I've always defended AV's handling of the younger players (against accusations that he "ruins" them or whatever) but when the little things are made into big things with young players it's just ****ing dumb. In any other business it would cause people to leave and find a place with better management.

Same here. I hired two 20-year olds in November and they are straight out of college. A girl from Serbia and a guy from Turkey. Aside from them being quite young, they also have the language barrier and cultural differences to overcome. However, I have a very diverse team. 19 techs, from 14 different countries, and relatively young with just 2 of them being over 30.

If I, as a manager, start yelling at them or show my displeasure with their performance or the mistakes they make, they're not going to improve and fix those mistakes.

In hockey though, the pressure is so immensely high, that the emotions flow over. I don't think AV is mistreating the young players. I see a lot of people complain about AV being a bad coach for young players and that the prospects develop despite AV being the coach. But can we really just use that argument when we saw Kreider, Zuccarello, Miller, Hayes, Fast, Brassard, Skjei and Lindberg develop immensely after AV was hired?

 

[eco's bones]

Pionk probably did need some time in Hartford though---though again maybe not as much as he got. McDonagh spent the first half of his rookie pro year in the AHL and when he came up it was not all that unlike what we're seeing now with Pionk. There are differences. McDonagh is a bigger, stronger guy and he had to grow into the offensive part of his game--he was pretty much all defense at first. Pionk's game is all predicated on puck moving and he defends fairly well for his size. Tortorella also when he came in would not play McD on the power play at all. I know a lot here don't like McD on the power play but our options were more limited then. Torts thought that Staal had unexplored offensive abilities and for a year or so was giving Marc power play time and Ryan hardly any.

Any case--Pionk looks like he's the real deal to me. He had 25 minutes last night. He's picked up the speed of the NHL right away. He thinks and reacts very quickly with the puck and his puck movement has been excellent. I've been quite impressed with Gilmour for similar reasons. I think Pionk should make the team next year and Gilmour has a real shot just off these last 3 games.

 

[Ola]

Pionk probably did need some time in Hartford though---though again maybe not as much as he got. McDonagh spent the first half of his rookie pro year in the AHL and when he came up it was not all that unlike what we're seeing now with Pionk. There are differences. McDonagh is a bigger, stronger guy and he had to grow into the offensive part of his game--he was pretty much all defense at first. Pionk's game is all predicated on puck moving and he defends fairly well for his size. Tortorella also when he came in would not play McD on the power play at all. I know a lot here don't like McD on the power play but our options were more limited then. Torts thought that Staal had unexplored offensive abilities and for a year or so was giving Marc power play time and Ryan hardly any.

Any case--Pionk looks like he's the real deal to me. He had 25 minutes last night. He's picked up the speed of the NHL right away. He thinks and reacts very quickly with the puck and his puck movement has been excellent. I've been quite impressed with Gilmour for similar reasons. I think Pionk should make the team next year and Gilmour has a real shot just off these last 3 games.

I saw Pionk a few times early in the AHL and I think he was ready from day 1:

This is what I wrote in September:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...son-discussion.2387343/page-34#post-136149699

Like the cuts in general, although I am not sold on the notion to play Chytil and demote Graves and Pionk. This is a retooling year -- those two has potential and can play right away. Why are they not playing? We did we sign Smith?? Why is Staal still here???

October

Neal Pionk is definitely one of the better Ds I’ve seen in HFD in a while. I love this kid. He handles everything, with ease. Doesn’t matter if someone is running him in a corner or he gets a puck in an impossible situation. He just gets it done. Moves the puck so well. Active offensively. Good shot. He skates really well defensively and just takes away the ice and space for the attackers. This kid is NHL ready.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...7-18-part-viii.2210993/page-34#post-138085165

Mid November:

My take is that Neal Pionk is playing really good hockey for HFD. He rarely get into any trouble defensively, he moves the puck really well and is just very solid. I definitely think he is the best prospect down there disregarding Chytil who isn’t really compareable as a fresh 18 y/o with tons of potential and TDA who didn’t play (although I am probably leaning towards Pionk there).

A bit typical of Pionk is that he went after a Utica player (Joseph Labata) who dropped a Whitney, and this guy LeBata is 6’5 and Pionk is 5’11 and Pionk first holds his own for a series of punches and then drops him.

Just saying, I’ve been wrong before and will be wrong again, but I think Pionk basically is ready and should be up sooner rather than later. It would really hurt if Pionk didn’t become a player because I wouldn’t only be wrong I would be very very wrong lol because I really like him.

Pts no big issue for me because he is on the second PP unit behind Gilmour-Sproul on the first, and he create a fair amount of offense. My biggest concern is RD logjam. If Pionk got a shot — I think he would take it. Will he get a shot?

Pionk would have been a Calder candidate had we not signed both Shatty and Smith.

 

[Inferno]

I saw Pionk a few times early in the AHL and I think he was ready from day 1:

This is what I wrote in September:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...son-discussion.2387343/page-34#post-136149699


October


http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...7-18-part-viii.2210993/page-34#post-138085165



Pionk would have been a Calder candidate had we not signed both Shatty and Smith.

Haha....Calder....you're funny.

 

[Ola]

Haha....Calder....you're funny.

Hehe, ok, rookie team candidate...

Love the kid though. My point is just, I thought he was ready from camp as I wrote at the time. But we went out and destroyed the UFA market last summer which I think was odd at the time and I still think was a bad idea.

 

[Inferno]

He's not even the best right handed rookie defenseman on our roster.

I really get the love for pionk...I think he's played very well
..but I think deangelo has blown him outta the water...ainec

 

[Thirty One]

Hehe, ok, rookie team candidate...

Love the kid though. My point is just, I thought he was ready from camp as I wrote at the time. But we went out and destroyed the UFA market last summer which I think was odd at the time and I still think was a bad idea.

Is he an AHL rookie team candidate? Serious question for those who know the AHL more intimately than I do.

 

[Inferno]

Is he an AHL rookie team candidate? Serious question for those who know the AHL more intimately than I do.

I'd be shocked if he was.

 

[Inferno]

9Th in rookie defenseman scoring...I haven't seen a ton of him...but that doesn't scream Calder or all rookie team or anythibg...leave alone that those stats are in the minors.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I'd be shocked if he was.

I don't think he will. He hasn't had a bad season but he had a rough start. Pionk took a huge gamble to leave college after 2 years

 

[Inferno]

I don't think he will

Stats wise there are 8.

 

[Inferno]

I also think pionk comes off as a very likeable guy and deangelo comes off as a schmuck...but in terms of just hockey...deangelo has been ridiculously good the past few games...I can't take my eyes off of him when he's on the ice..phenomenal skater excellent decision making tremendous vision..incredibly deceptive and super creative... I wasn't a fan of his because of the off ice stuff...but just watching him...he's been really...really good...and defensively I feel like hes consistently been carrying his partner...not the other way around..which is nuts.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

He's not even the best right handed rookie defenseman on our roster.

I really get the love for pionk...I think he's played very well
..but I think deangelo has blown him outta the water...ainec

I think the fact DeAngelo was involved in a big trade is clouding your judgment. I thought Pionk outplayed him in the preseason, and Im glad hes getting a shot now. DeAngelo remains a guy whose ceiling seems to outpace his actual on ice performance.

 

[Beacon]

What are the small Pionk mistakes are we discussing? Got AV the wrong gum? He's been pretty solid on the ice.

 

[haveandare]

I think he and DeAngelo have both been good, could make an argument for either being better but it'd be splitting hairs at this point. One will likely pull ahead of the other soon enough. Even Gilmour Imo has been very poised - was at the point last night with Hank pulled and had half a dozen touches, didn't look rushed or freaked out in the slightest.

 

[Inferno]

What are the small Pionk mistakes are we discussing? Got AV the wrong gum? He's been pretty solid on the ice.

I thought his first period last night was putrid. Its like a perfect storm of what not to do...with that said his 2nd and 3rd were terrific...
He's a kid..it's unsurprising he's too g to have ebbs and flows.

Its also worth stating that Skjei was a disaster last night...so that didn't do pionk any favors.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I thought his first period last night was putrid. Its like a perfect storm of what not to do...with that said his 2nd and 3rd were terrific...
He's a kid..it's unsurprising he's too g to have ebbs and flows.

Its also worth stating that Skjei was a disaster last night...so that didn't do pionk any favors.

Pionk also played a bigger role than the earlier game. It's a big step

 

[Inferno]

Pionk also played a bigger role than the earlier game. It's a big step

For sure...I'm putting most of Pionks struggles early in the game on his partner...Skjei kept effing up and putting pionk in bad spots. Pionk didn't handle it well..but he's a kid...thats really not at all surprising.

 

[Beacon]

I thought his first period last night was putrid. Its like a perfect storm of what not to do...with that said his 2nd and 3rd were terrific...
He's a kid..it's unsurprising he's too g to have ebbs and flows.

Its also worth stating that Skjei was a disaster last night...so that didn't do pionk any favors.

I didn't watch the first period, started on the 4th minute of the second. But rookies have bad periods sometimes, that's what coaches are for. The answer to "how many times do I have to tell you?" should be "at least once."

 

[Inferno]

Also worth mentioning pionk from Minnesota...first game in front of your family..not easy