Penguins select Swift Current defenseman Owen Pickering in 1st round of NHL Draft

MONTREAL – Owen Pickering has grown a lot.

Not necessarily just in terms of his development or maturity.

But in terms of having to duck his way through cramped doorways.

In 2019, he registered at a compact 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds.

Today, he towers at a robust 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds.

That growth — in all its forms — led to the left-handed defenseman being the Penguins’ first-round pick at the 2022 NHL draft Thursday.

“I was (5-foot-7) in my bantam draft year,” Pickering said after his selection at the Bell Centre. “It kind of came gradual. There’s some tall, tall genes on my dad’s side. Kind of (6-foot-7, 6-foot-9). I don’t think I’ll be that tall.”

The Penguins didn’t think Pickering would slide to them at the 21st overall pick. When he was available, their choice was pretty easy.

“Owen is a really good two-way defenseman,” said Nick Pryor, the Penguins director of amateur scouting. “We saw a lot of growth in his game this year. He took major strides defensively and offensively. We’re really excited about his two-way game moving forward.”

In 62 games last season with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Pickering scored 32 points (nine goals, 24 assists).

“Getting put in all situations and playing a lot of minutes along with just kind of being trusted by the coaching staff and kind of everyone in the organization was big for me,” said Pickering, who is expected to return to Swift Current in 2022-23. “I’m looking forward to next year.”

In 2019, Pickering was a ninth-round pick (No. 177 overall) by the Broncos after his bantam season. Suffice it to say, he has come a long way in terms of his overall development, to say nothing of his considerable growth spurt.

“If you would have told me a year ago that I would be in this position, I probably would have told you that you were a little crazy,” Pickering said. “But that’s not to say I don’t have confidence in myself. It’s just that it happened pretty fast. I kind of grew, got stronger, got put in some good situations in the lineup and I feel like I took advantage. I definitely think I earned it and I’m proud of that.”

Despite being a larger player, Pickering, the first Swift Current Bronco ever drafted by the Penguins, is hardly sluggish on his skates.

“It’s certainly rare,” Pryor said. “He skates very well for his size. He’s grown a lot over the past couple of years. His bantam draft year in the (WHL), he was about 5-foot-7 and you see where he is right now, just with his height. He’s come a long way with his height physically but his game keeps taking big strides.”

Beyond his obvious physical attributes, another thing that stood out with Pickering as his articulate nature when speaking with media after his selection.

“We spent a lot of time with him,” Pryor said of the pre-draft process with prospects. “He made a very good impression on us as a person and obviously the player too is very impressive.”

Several mock drafts had Pickering going anywhere from the mid-teens to the late 20s in the first round.

Pickering, whose cousin, defenseman Denton Mateychuk, was selected No. 12 overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, admitted he peeked at the various rankings online.

“My teammates are more invested,” said Pickering, a native of St. Adolphe, Manitoba, a southern suburb of Winnipeg. “There are screenshots sent to group (text) chats for sure, either supportive or asking me if there was a typo. They were tasked with keeping my head small. I say you kind of look at the (draft rankings) that are maybe a little bit more credible. I’d be lying to you if I told you never looked at them. But you do.”

It’s premature to speculate when Pickering will get a look at the NHL level. Pryor was hesitant to offer a timeframe but it’s clear the Penguins feel they added a big asset in more ways than one.

“With all (players), it just takes time,” Pryor said. “He’s going to have to fill out and add to that frame. He’s a big kid. That will happen with time. Gain strength. But he’s a big kid and he’s got really good feet for his size. His puck skills are good. He’s good in his own end. He can contribute offensively as well. Just for him, it’s going to be about maturing physically and adding to that frame.

“We’ve seen him do a really good job of making plays and being hard to play against in corners and in front of the net. He can bring that as he fills out.”

Notes:

The remainder of the draft will conclude on Friday. Barring any transactions, the Penguins are scheduled to have the following picks:

Round 4 - No. 118 overall

Round 5 - No. 150 overall

Round 6 - No. 182 overall

Round 7 - No. 214 overall

The Penguins’ second-round pick (No. 53 overall) went to the Anaheim Ducks as part of a trade that brought forward Rickard Rakell to Pittsburgh in March.

Meanwhile, the Penguins’ third-round pick (No. 86 overall) went to the Los Angeles Kings as part of a trade that brought forward Jeff Carter to Pittsburgh in April of 2021.

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