Let's get one thing out of the way: Neal Pionk is no Jacob Trouba. He doesn't have the same pedigree. He doesn't have the same skill set. He doesn't have the same track record. And he'll likely never be a player like the one the Winnipeg Jets just traded away.
The obvious question, of course, is why general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff would possibly do the deal. Isn't he trying to build a Stanley Cup winner here?
There's no doubt swapping Trouba for Pionk means the Jets are weaker today on paper. But in a salary-cap world, you always have to keep one eye on the present and another on the future.