Boston Bruins: Three comparable contracts for Brandon Carlo to ponder
By Luke Ryan
Neal Pionk (Winnipeg Jets)
He may not be the fanciest name out there, but it’s fair to look at the season Neal Pionk put up with a lowly New York Rangers side last year and compare him very directly to Brandon Carlo.
In fact, Neal Pionk was a far more active point producer for New York, despite of course being on a team that was in competing more for the number one draft pick than the Stanley Cup.
Pionk managed to score six goals and add twenty assists compared to Brandon Carlo and his two goals and eight assists; however, what is telling is their difference in plus/minus scores. Pionk rocked a miserable minus-16 whereas Brandon Carlo was a plus-22.
Safe to say that even given the fact Pionk was playing for a basement dweller, Brandon Carlo out-produced him in the defensive zone, more than making up for the sixteen additional points the Rangers’ defensman tallied.
This past season, the pair were near-equal despite their team’s differing plights in most categories outside of scoring; Pionk had 98 hits and 138 blocks, Carlo had 88 hits and 134 blocks. Likewise, they tallied very similar numbers of takeaways; 38 and 43 respectively, though Brandon Carlo had an upper-hand with giveaways, only coughing up 42 to Pionk’s 60.
In the summer, Neal Pionk signed with the Winnipeg Jets after being traded for fellow restricted free agent Jacob Trouba.
His deal is a two-year one worth $3 million per season; if the Boston Bruins could re-ink Bradon Carlo at the same price point and for the same term, they’d be laughing; especially as hefty deals such as the Kevan Miller and David Backes contracts won’t be a problem in two years’ time
The core difference between Pionk and Carlo though is one that works in the Bruins’ defenseman’s favor – the former New York Rangers player barely has 100 NHL games to his name and no play-off experience; the Boston Bruins defenseman is nearing 250 regular-season games with a solid chunk of play-off experience to his name, namely this past year’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The key value that Carlo brings over Pionk is a bit more experience, with three NHL season’s under his belt to one and a bit. However, the $3 million deal signed by the Winnipeg Jets is certainly a strong starting point for the Boston Bruins’ negotiations.