Neal Pionk

Going into 2022-23, there was some question between Pionk and Josh Morrissey as the top Jets' defenseman. Morrissey emphatically answered that question, but Pionk's year -- 10 goals, 23 assists, 169 hits, 129 blocked shots and 142 shots on goal -- was more than enough to satisfy fantasy managers looking for a well-rounded blueliner. Still in his prime at 28 years old, Pionk may have to settle for the second power-play unit and second pairing, but he's productive enough to again be worth a late-round pick this fall. He's exceeded 30 points and 130 hits in four straight years, which is the kind of safe stability that can round out a fantasy defense corps.

Pionk feels much less safe from a fantasy perspective now compared to this time a year ago, which is an odd thing to say considering he just completed his third-straight 30-point season (34), while chipping in a dozen points with the man advantage and a career-high 185 hits. Part of that is because of how poorly the Jets played as a team last season and the other is due to the presence of fellow defender Josh Morrissey, which limits Pionk's ability to emerge as Winnipeg's unquestioned No. 1 power-play quarterback. There's enough here to make Pionk a solid fantasy pick, especially in leagues which value hits, but the upside isn't really there.

With 32 points in 54 contests, Pionk had a reasonable scoring output in 2020-21. What sets the 26-year-old apart from some of his fellow blueliners is his prolific hitting output -- he had 137 last year, and he's topped the century mark three years running. Those types of numbers would usually be more associated with a shutdown defenseman, but Pionk is an obvious scoring threat, especially when he receives top-unit power-play time, which he had to compete with Josh Morrissey for last year. Given a full season, Pionk should push for 40-plus points, 150-plus hits and 80 blocked shots while skating in a top-four role for the Jets, a team very much poised to be steady defensively first and foremost. The additions of Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon in the offseason could free up Pionk for more scoring production.

There was a reason the Jets wanted Pionk as part of the Jacob Trouba deal last summer, and the offensively-gifted blueliner paid dividends for the club by setting career highs in assists (39), points (45) and shots on goal (177) last season. Additionally, the dynamic youngster logged 2:56 of power-play ice time per game, which enabled him to rack up 25 of his 45 points with the man advantage. Heading into the 2020-21 campaign, Pionk is unlikely to unseat Josh Morrissey as the preferred defenseman with the No. 1 power-play unit in 2020-21, but he should still see plenty of opportunities with the second group. At just 24 years of age, the Nebraskan is just entering his prime and could set even higher personal bests during the upcoming campaign unless there's another shortened season.

Pionk has shown some promise offensively with 40 points in 101 NHL games, but he's also struggled mightily in his own zone and owns a minus-17 rating. Getting traded from the Rangers to the Jets in the offseason will result in a reduced role for Pionk after he averaged 21:10 of ice time last season, but he'll also benefit from playing sheltered minutes on one of the league's most talented teams. While Pionk's scoring ability is intriguing, his shortcomings in the defensive end will make it tough for him to carve out anything more than a third-pairing role with Winnipeg.

Pionk performed well in his first NHL action last season, posting 14 points in 28 games, including five on the power play. He'll almost certainly wind up spending the full season with the big club this time around, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the 23-year-old defenseman skating on the second defensive pairing and second power-play unit. The University of Minnesota-Duluth product has good offensive instincts on the blue line and held his own with a minus-1 rating as a rookie, so there's a lot to like about Pionk, especially in dynasty formats.