Prospect Info: Aaron Pionk D, 149th overall, 2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Lapa]

Aaron Pionk (Eliteprospects)

Another Minnesota kid. Brother of Neal Pionk.

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[Minnewildsota]

Aaron Pionk (Eliteprospects)

Another Minnesota kid. Brother of Neal Pionk.

As a 5th, I'm ok with the pick. Don't love it. Don't hate it.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Add him to the pile.

 

[Soldier13Fox]

If nothing else, it's a fun name to say.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Was hoping the Wild would draft his brother two years in a row...and his brother turned out OK. Hopefully he has similar development.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

"Pionk’s good, like his brother. Throw out his age, don’t worry about it. In his senior year of high school he was playing forward. He was 148 pounds. Probably deserved to be drafted last year. He had an injury late in the year. He’s been really good this year. I think he will go in the third or fourth round. He sees the ice well.”

 

[ThatGuy22]

Pretty nuts to get drafted at D only playing the position for 1.5 years.

Burns did it, but he's a freak.

 

[Al Lagoon]

Pretty nuts to get drafted at D only playing the position for 1.5 years.

Burns did it, but he's a freak.

I think Burns was drafted as a wing.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I think Burns was drafted as a wing.

I think that was just bad info for the telecast. He had started playing D a year before.

 

[Al Lagoon]

I think that was just bad info for the telecast. He had started playing D a year before.

Why did he play his first 100 NHL games as a RW then?

Lemaire moved him back to D his third year.

He flipped and flopped his whole career, but I remember the negative post draft reaction of the Wild reaching on Burns, a big RW who had 15 G and 40 pts in 68 games. Patrick O'Sullivan was the steal of that draft at the time.

The hindsight be 20/20 always.

Anyhoo, back to Mr. Pionk.

 

[BagHead]

He was definitely drafted as a RW. Whether he played defense or not in his draft year, I can't say for certain, but I am absolutely positive he was drafted as a RW, and can find sources saying so if needed.

 

[TaLoN]

Pretty nuts to get drafted at D only playing the position for 1.5 years.

Burns did it, but he's a freak.

It was the opposite with Burns. Played D most of his development, switched to wing 1.5 yrs before being drafted as a wing.

Proved in the NHL to be an elite D, but only an ok to good wing.

 

[57special]

K'andre Miller switched to D pretty late. i definitely remember my son playing against him and he was a forward in summer hockey...when he was 14-15, i think?