Winnipeg Jets’ Neal Pionk Is Stepping Up Without Josh Morrissey

The Winnipeg Jets desperately needed a blueliner to step up and fill Josh Morrissey's shoes. Neal Pionk has taken the mantle.

With Morrissey slated to miss some time, Pionk looks like the next man up. Despite losing 4-3 in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks, Pionk was a big reason Winnipeg stayed in the game.

With the Jets down 2-0 to Chicago, Pionk scored at the 16:57 mark of the first period. Brad Lambert made the play happen when he pulled off a wicked move to keep possession of the puck at the top of the right circle.

Lambert fired the puck, which got deflected and went into the end boards. Morgan Barron collected the puck and found Pionk near the right circle. Pionk blasted the puck through traffic and found twine, cutting Chicago's lead to one goal.

He also had an assist on Kyle Connor's power-play goal at the 4:44 mark of the second period. In the third period, he helped Alex Iafallo score the game-tying goal that ultimately forced overtime.

Pionk Is Turning Into The Jets' Go-To Defenseman

Someone had to step up when Josh Morrissey went down. Pionk now has five points and a goal in his last two games (two assists vs. the Minnesota Wild ). Following Thursday night's loss, Pionk has six points and a goal in seven games.

That puts him on an 84-game pace to snag career numbers if it continues. He would end the year with 12 goals and 72 points. While he probably won't be that productive all season, it's not unrealistic to believe Pionk will snag between 40 and 45 points.

Pionk hit a career-high of 45 points in 71 games in 2019-20. He also had 39 points in 69 games in 2024-25. That said, Pionk is more than capable of being the go-to blueliner in the offensive zone — especially when Winnipeg's top-scoring blueliner is missing time with an injury.

Neal Pionk And Josh Morrissey Could Ultimately Forge A Lethal Combo

While Morrissey is shelved for the foreseeable future, Pionk must keep emulating the heroics that he has achieved over Winnipeg's previous two contests. Once Morrissey is good to go, he and Pionk could make lives miserable for opponents.

It would force opponents to account for two very good two-way defensemen who are always a threat to create scoring chances. For a team that has a so-so 21 goals in seven contests, more productivity on the blue line is needed.

Then, there is the fact that the Jets don't have a star goaltender like Connor Hellebuyck to rely on. Hellebuyck had routinely limited opponents' scoring. While Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson have been serviceable, they won't match Hellebuyck's consistency.

Now, the challenge for Pionk is simple: Keep laying good hockey in the offensive zone. Pionk will get another crack at it on Saturday in a dramatic fashion as the Winnipeg Jets will host the defending Stanley Cup Champion, the Carolina Hurricanes .

Should Pionk string together a few more games like he's had vs. Minnesota and against Chicago, he will force teams to account for him.