Rangers Prospect Poll (Summer 2018): #7 Prospect

[bobbop]

Add Ronning

 

[Gardner McKay]

Pionk. He also has top-four upside and yet he's much closer to it. Pionk easily.

Add Virta.

Bingo. I am a huge fan of Miller but this should be Pionk by a wide margin. He should have beat Howden and Hajek IMO.

 

[Edge]

I guess I'm just not as sold on the Pionk upside as some.

To me, he looks like a guy who is good enough to play there, but not necessarily on a better team.

When I start looking at guys like Miller, or Hajek, or even Lundkvist further down the line, they just seem to have more tools to work with.

In that sense, Pionk seems that quintessential kid who represents the first wave of prospects to come along in an era, and is one of the further along players, but who eventually gets passed by others.

 

[coz21]

Pionk add my large adult son Morgan Barron.

Went with Pionk over Miller but it was close. I think K'Andre has the higher upside but Pionk already has a full pro season under his belt including a decent NHL debut even if he was overplayed.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I guess I'm just not as sold on the Pionk upside as some.

To me, he looks like a guy who is good enough to play there, but not necessarily on a better team.

When I start looking at guys like Miller, or Hajek, or even Lundkvist further down the line, they just seem to have more tools to work with.

In that sense, Pionk seems that quintessential kid who represents the first wave of prospects to come along in an era, and is one of the further along players, but who eventually gets passed by others.

Add to the fact it was an incredible short sample size we saw him at the NHL level. I'm not ready to hand him the #5-6 spot on the ranking over 28 games.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Also should be noted that Pionk was rated #8 by us at the start of the year...that was before Kravtsov, Howden, Hajek, Lundkvist, and Miller all got added...so he is going in a very nice and well deserved spot at 8. The 2nd tier of prospects from 5-11 are all VERY good so it's not a knock on him at all to get in at 7 or 8

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

I wouldn't trade either of our recent first round defensemen for someone else's Neal Pionk, but out of our huge pile of promising D it's almost a guarantee that someone has a worse career than Pionk, even if he's only ever a Nick Holden-level player or worse.

Miller, add Meskanen

 

[Edge]

The challenge with any list is that you can make a compelling case for moving guys around.

For example, I personally have Shestyorkin at the top, Andersson ahead of Kravtsov, and Howden ahead of Hajek.

I think you can make a case for Pionk ahead of Miller, and Lindgren could end up being the steadiest of any of the three remaining prospects on defense.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

The advanced stats folks have really soured me towards Pionk.

 

[Fireonk]

Such a joy to vote on these rankings now with how quickly the system has turned. I really think there are legitimate arguements for any of Chytil, Shesty, and Andersson as the #1 (don't think Kravtsov since if you are high on the big dynamic tool set I still think hes below Chytil) and then any of the guys who are going 5-8 (and Georgiev) have a legit argument for the 5 spot. And then we follow that up and have even more legitimate NHL prospects from like 10-15.

Exciting times.

 

[nyr2k2]

Also should be noted that Pionk was rated #8 by us at the start of the year...that was before Kravtsov, Howden, Hajek, Lundkvist, and Miller all got added...so he is going in a very nice and well deserved spot at 8. The 2nd tier of prospects from 5-11 are all VERY good so it's not a knock on him at all to get in at 7 or 8

Yeah, but he was voted #8 before any of us watched him play really well in Hartford and then do his thing in the NHL for 30+ games.

It's funny because a lot of people towards the end of the year were claiming Pionk was criminally overrated. Now we're to the prospect poll and he gonna be behind half a dozen other guys who haven't sniffed NHL ice.

 

[Matt4776]

Yeah, but he was voted #8 before any of us watched him play really well in Hartford and then do his thing in the NHL for 30+ games.

It's funny because a lot of people towards the end of the year were claiming Pionk was criminally overrated. Now we're to the prospect poll and he gonna be behind half a dozen other guys who haven't sniffed NHL ice.

He's also four years older than most people above him on the list.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Miller, add Lettieri.

The add here was a very tough one, and I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up voting for Meskanen over Lettieri once we get to that point.

I really can't see Pionk being ranked any lower than 8 or 9. Questionable room for development or not; he's, at the very least, an NHLer on a weaker team.

 

[kovazub94]

Would Pionk get a chance to reach 65 games (37 more games) in the NHL by he time we do the mid season ranking so we don’t talk about him?

 

[pblawr]

The advanced stats folks have really soured me towards Pionk.

Those stats must be really advanced if they carry a lot of meaning over small sample sizes.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Add Meskanen

Barron, Ronning, Virta, Lindqvist (this is going to get so damn confusing) also worthy of consideration....Day/Gettinger also on the cusp...

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Yeah, but he was voted #8 before any of us watched him play really well in Hartford and then do his thing in the NHL for 30+ games.

It's funny because a lot of people towards the end of the year were claiming Pionk was criminally overrated. Now we're to the prospect poll and he gonna be behind half a dozen other guys who haven't sniffed NHL ice.

True, but if we are going by that criteria then Boo should be in the top 10 and we all know he doesn't belong anywhere near there.

Like I said, I dont think 8 is bad, not even close. We have an amazing pipeline of prospects right now. I think a lot posters are factoring in potential more than likelihood to reach the NHL/that potential.

 

[nyr2k2]

He's also four years older than most people above him on the list.

And in four years there's a good chance that a bunch of the guys above him will have fizzled out while Pionk continues to be an NHL regular, so his age doesn't matter to me. It's not like he's 25. Shesterkin is 22 and no one dings him for that; he's evaluated on his merits and accomplishments. Not that they're the same caliber of player, but still. There's more to this than perceived upside.

 

[nyr2k2]

True, but if we are going by that criteria then Boo should be in the top 10 and we all know he doesn't belong anywhere near there.

Like I said, I dont think 8 is bad, not even close. We have an amazing pipeline of prospects right now. I think a lot posters are factoring in potential more than likelihood to reach the NHL/that potential.

Why would Boo be in the top 10? I've consistently been his biggest fan but I wouldn't put him there. Nieves looks like maybe a guy who carves out a career as a 4C. Pionk looks like a guy who logs second pair minutes for the next decade. There's a huge chasm there. I'm not saying NHL experience is the only thing that matters, I just feel like people are overlooking what Pionk did in the NHL while fixating on "what could be" with shiny new guys.

 

[nyr2k2]

Anyway, I'm done. Everyone is entitled to vote however they like. I just think some people are out to lunch here.

 

[JayMan82]

Ronning plz! Pionk has already proven he can be a regular NHL player, so he's my pick.

 

[Matt4776]

And in four years there's a good chance that a bunch of the guys above him will have fizzled out while Pionk continues to be an NHL regular, so his age doesn't matter to me. It's not like he's 25. Shesterkin is 22 and no one dings him for that; he's evaluated on his merits and accomplishments. Not that they're the same caliber of player, but still. There's more to this than perceived upside.

I agree with you. But I don't see Pionk as a player has a ceiling better than a 3rd pairing D. Frankly, I don't see his ceiling as someone who should be on a contending team at all. I guess that is where we disagree.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Anyway, I'm done. Everyone is entitled to vote however they like. I just think some people are out to lunch here.

What Pionk has done in his first pro-year is remarkable. After his sophomore year in college, he turned pro, started in the AHL and then ended up in the NHL where he had one of the best rookie seasons I've seen by a D-man for the Rangers together with McDonagh and Skjei. There aren't a lot of players who can do what Pionk did, in that short timeframe. If he ends up as a 4th/5th D-man, it's a great signing.

 

[Lays]

Miller. Add Barron. Also, why is Hajek 4th? When Pionk hasn’t even been voted in yet

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Why would Boo be in the top 10? I've consistently been his biggest fan but I wouldn't put him there. Nieves looks like maybe a guy who carves out a career as a 4C. Pionk looks like a guy who logs second pair minutes for the next decade. There's a huge chasm there. I'm not saying NHL experience is the only thing that matters, I just feel like people are overlooking what Pionk did in the NHL while fixating on "what could be" with shiny new guys.

I see what pionk did, but again, it's just 28 games. It's a very small sample size at the end of the season when the team was a complete cluster. I'm not ready to shoot him up the rankings as one of our top prospects over some 1st round talent players who have a higher upside than him.