Owen Pickering made his long awaited NHL debut for the Penguins in 2024-25, but now the former first round selection is looking to earn a more permanent role with the big club this season.

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Age: 21 (January 27, 2004)

Acquired Via: 2022 NHL Draft, 1st Round, 21st Overall

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 200 pounds

Two years after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, defenseman Owen Pickering made his NHL debut on November 16, 2024 in a game against the San Jose Sharks. In his debut, Pickering recorded an assist for his first NHL point, then scored his first career goal two weeks later against the Florida Panthers.

In total, Pickering appeared in 25 games for the Penguins after his November call up before being reassigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL in January where he stayed for the remained of the season. Although his time in the NHL was brief, Pickering played a big role in the Baby Pens success last season where he appeared in 47 games, totaled 13 points, and was named an AHL All-Star.

For the first three years he was a part of our annual prospect countdown, Pickering held a firm grasp on the #3 spot. Now with an influx of new talent to the system and a greater understanding on where his development lies, Pickering slides in our rankings for 2025, but he still figures to be an important player for the next generation of Penguins hockey.

Now with that next era of Penguins hockey on the horizon, all eyes will be on Pickering to continue his development and take that next step into not only becoming a full time NHL regular, but a player that can help anchor the blue line for years to come. That of course was always the thought process when the Penguins drafted Pickering in the first round in 2022, albeit under a different front office regime, but now it’s time to put that plan into action for Pickering and the Penguins and all signs point to Dubas and Co. counting on Pickering to take that next step.

During his season-ending media availability April 21, Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas cited a need to boost the left side of the blue line and also called on Pickering to “have a great summer” while suggesting the rookie needs to develop into a player capable of logging 20 minutes a game.

Basically, management is challenging Pickering to meet the heavy expectations that come with being a first-round pick. And not coincidentally, he plays a position where the franchise is lacking.

During his cup of coffee at the NHL level, Pickering looked mostly adequate, albeit while he primarily played a third-pairing role. There were some mistakes but nothing out of the ordinary for a rookie playing his first games at the highest level.

Entering 2025-26, Pickering has to take a big step forward. Especially because the Penguins need him to.

At just 21 years old, Pickering is still young and has time left to develop, but with a full professional season now under his belt, including an extended stint in the NHL, the Penguins will be hoping Pickering shows continued improvement in 2025-26, whether that be at the NHL level or with another year of seasoning in the minors. One thing is for certain, with the Penguins shifting their focus to youth, this season will present a prime opportunity for Pickering to make a serious run at an NHL roster spot out of camp, especially with the left-side of the defense being extremely unsettled.

Whether or not Pickering will be ready to take that next step by training camp remains to be seen, and if that decision was going to be made back in April, it does not sound like Kyle Dubas was ready to commit to Pickering being the guy to shore up that left-side.

“He’s got to have a great summer,” Dubas said in his press conference with the media following the conclusion of the Penguins’ 2024-25 season. “We can’t have him same as we had him go down, settling into a 12-13 minute a night role. He needs to come in and push his way into 17-18-19-20 minutes and earn that.”

And in terms of Pickering potentially playing in a top-four role?

“He played for the team [last] year, but is he ready to step into one of those roles?” Dubas said. “I don’t think so.”

That’s a pretty big gauntlet to lay down for a 21-year old, but it shows what expectations the Penguins have for Pickering in the long run. They don’t see him as simply being third pairing player, the same role he mostly filled during his callup last season. The expectation for him is to be a first pairing player that can log those big minutes on a nightly basis. As a player with first round pedigree, it’s hard to argue against Dubas setting the bar so high for Pickering coming into the new season.

When the Penguins convene for training camp in just a few short weeks, Pickering will be there, along with a handful of other defensemen looking to lock down a spot on the opening night roster come October. This training camp will also serve as the first training camp where the Penguins are fully leaning into their youth movement, the next step of this rebuild process.

At 21, Pickering is a prime candidate to play a major role in this next chapter of Penguins hockey, beginning this season. Whether or not he is able to meet the expectations the Penguins laid out for him remains to be seen, but his path to a permanent NHL job will be there for the taking.