Owen Pickering is back in the No. 3 spot for the Penguins in our Top 25 under 25 ranking.
Owen Pickering, the Penguins’ first-round pick from the 2022 NHL Draft, has been a mainstay at the top of the Penguins’ prospect list from the moment he entered the organization. It is a combination of him being a strong prospect with NHL upside, and also him being one of the few recent first-round picks the organization has actually made and kept. He checks in at No. 3 for the third year in a row.
Graduates and departed players from last year’s list
The best of the rest
#25: Raivis Ansons
#24: Kirill Tankov
#23: Isaac Belliveau
#22: Taylor Gauthier
#21: Chase Pietila
#20: Emil Jarventie
#19: Kalle Kangas
#18: Joona Vaisanen
#17: Filip Kral
#16: Mac Swanson
#15: Jonathan Gruden
#14: Cruz Lucius
#13: Emil Pieniniemi
#12: John Ludvig
#11: Mikhail Ilyin
#10: Harrison Brunicke
#9: Tristan Broz
#8: Sam Poulin
#7: Tanner Howe
#6: Vasily Ponomarev
#5: Ville Koivunen
#4 Sergei Musharov
After being one of the top all-around defenders in the Western Hockey League the past few seasons, it is time for Pickering to start inching his way toward a spot in the NHL.
And with Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson getting another year into their late 30s, Marcus Pettersson rolling along toward free agency and Ryan Graves just being .... Ryan Graves .... the Penguins are going to need him to get there sooner rather than later. It is just a matter of when that actually happens.
He was able to take an important first step in July when he was actually able to take part in the Penguins’ prospect camp.
Pickering has not actually been able to participate in training camps the past two years due to injuries. Getting an opportunity to get on the ice in a professional setting — even if it is just a prospect camp — is still a big deal and a welcome sight for the Penguins.
Another welcome sight for the Penguins is the fact he has put on 20 pounds to his frame this offseason and really started to bulk up for the grind of an NHL season. He has always had some offensive flare and scoring touch to his game with 45 and 46 points the past two seasons respectively, while also having a long reach due to his 6-3 frame.
Expecting him to come into camp this season and make an immediate jump into the NHL is probably expecting a lot. Not only because he has so little pro experience (just eight games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the end of the 2022-23 season), but because that is a massive jump in competition to go from the WHL to the NHL. Especially for a defenseman, a position that typically takes longer to develop.
Even with that, he seems prepared to come into camp with the intentions of making the team.
Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza is eager to see what Pickering can offer.
“It’s been a couple of tough training camps for (Pickering) not being able to participate. We’re excited to have him. We’re excited to see he’s healthy,” Spezza said. “This is a big summer for him turning pro. It’s a big jump from junior hockey. I love that he has the enthusiasm and wants to come in and bang the door down and make the Penguins.”
The message seems clear from Spezza and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas about the direction of the team: Prospects are being given a lot more opportunities to contend and compete for NHL roster spots.
It’s been clear the last few seasons the Penguins’ aren’t getting any younger. This camp provides the Penguins’ young talent — like Pickering — a chance to be better prepared for a place in the lineup.
The more likely outcome at the end of camp is that Pickering, who was always a little raw and in need of plenty of development time when he was picked, is that he opens the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and gets plenty of development time there to get adjusted to the pro game.
Maybe he is a call-up after an injury, or if he forces his way up to the NHL roster at some point after taking a major leap forward.
Realistically, though, it will probably be later in the season — perhaps even after a trade at the deadline involving somebody like Pettersson — that he gets his first major call-up and starts to see full-time NHL action during the 2025-26 season.
