Winnipeg needs Pionk and Gustafsson and don't need either Sabre. The Jets just can't afford to give up a top 4 RHD without an upgrade RHD coming back.

I like Mitts as a 2c option, but the Jets don't have the RD depth to part with Pionk. I think adding a top4 rightie on the Blueline is actually a higher priority than adding a 2c in the Jets front office.

Who is just going to give up a top 4 rhd better for pionk and actually fair deal. We have to draft a top rhd and develop if we want one lil guy

I was thinking more along the lines of acquiring another top4 RHD (likely as a rental) with picks, prospects, a forward, or one of our many LHD. Pionk wouldn't be involved.

As for D&D, Jets are dangerously short on the right side of the blueline. Landmark and Salomonsson are our best RHD prospects, but they're years away. Bauer is looking like an outside shot at a bottom pairing guy later this decade. Any player drafted this year would also be a couple years away if the Jets make a deep run. I think the current plan is to swap Heinola's sticks for right-handed ones and hope the kid doesn't notice.

In the meantime, DeMelo and Pionk are doing an admirable job. Schmidt has been good this year but has to be bought out this summer (if only to pay for DeMelo's raise and part of Confetti's). I think that if the Jets have to choose between top4 RHD rental or 2c rental, they'll pick the Dman. I would personally rather get a 2c rental, but I think Chevy is happy with his forward group.

@Shibbal18
I don’t get the trade w Winnipeg ???
Seems to me like you’re giving up Mitts & Jokiharju for:
Pionk- who isn’t the style defenseman we should be looking for AND a defenseman prospect

Am i missing something here?
Bc it just doesn’t make sense to me at all

What's wrong with Pionk?

He’s a fine defenseman
But why do we want an offensive oriented guy to pair with Power (or Dahlin)?
He just doesn’t seem like the right type of player we are looking for

Just seems like you’re trading a purple guys who are playing pretty well for us, for a guy who isn’t a good fit & a prospect who is a ways away

I don't see the Jets doing this, would be nice to get Mitts but Winnipeg doesn't have anyone to replace Pionk.

It's an interesting idea, I don't think pionk is just an offensive d, but I think if our top 3 are going to be- dahlin, power, and Samuelsson- I think I want to round that out with defensive d. The idea of players like Clifton and Lyubushkin is fine on paper, but they need to be better hockey players, which is why I'm good with moving players like mittelstadt and jokiharju, you have to give to get. Also, maxim strbak had a goal and an assist yesterday against czechia, that's the guy I was really hoping the Sabres drafted with one of their second round picks. He's a right shot defensive d that will play physical, didn't know much about him except he was the only player like that rated anywhere near where the Sabres picked.

I think Strbak is a few years away though

No doubt, I was just excited that adams went that way with the pick.

Pionk might actually be a decent partner for Power
It’s not like we need to find the PERFECT partner for him right away

BUT
If we are giving up assets like Mitts & Jokiharju- who have both been playing really well for us (for the most part)- then i do want someone who better fits what we are looking for
Bc i don’t wanna have to turn around & spend more assets in a few years to find that “better fit”

So my problem is that it’s partly Pionk, and partly what we’d give up to get him in this proposal

I could get on board with Pionk if we were giving up (for example) something like Clifton + Rosen….
But it would have to be a deal like that for me to “like” it

If we wanna upgrade 1 of our defensemen spots,
right now I’d rather keep Joker & do a Clifton + deal
(And send out E.Johnson for whatever)
That would be my preference anyways

Pionk is top 10 in hits in the league, tied with Dahlin and Samuelsson. He has a little offense and is a good skater. I think he fits better than you're thinking

Maybe?
But hits don’t equate to being good defensively
I frankly don’t care about hits at all- and this idea that we need to “get tough” is pretty much nonsense. I’m not gonna devolve my point into that debate though.

Pionk is an offensive oriented defenseman, and while he’s good enough to be a partner for Power for the rest of his contract (this year & next).
He’ll be 30 years old to start his next contract & we shouldn’t be giving out a long term deal to a guy his age (& he’ll want big $$ with long term)

Which brings me back to my main point
Pionk is a decent fit, not a “great” one AND you have us giving up Jokiharju AND Mitts for him (which is a lot imo)

ABSOLUTELY NOT a good idea imo,
bc after next year we are gonna have to spend more assets finding a replacement since he (hopefully) won’t be given a big, long contract by us.

If it can get done for something like: Clifton + then ok
But if it takes Mitts + Joker it’s a pass from me & we keep looking for what Clifton + can get us
And if that can’t get us what we need- THEN- and ONLY then,
do we look to move better assets like Jokiharju &/or Mittelstadt


In a nutshell….
I don’t hate Pionk, just don’t like the price for him
So I’d say we should either find a better fit or a cheaper cost

Again though, that’s just how i see it