Limited NHL time for a towering prospect
Owen Pickering, the 6-foot-5 defenceman selected 21st overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, saw his NHL opportunity contract in the 2025-26 season. After a promising extended stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2024-25 season — when he appeared in 25 NHL games and notched his first career goal along with two assists — Pickering spent the majority of last season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League.
Despite expectations that he would battle for a regular NHL spot, Pickering was not on Pittsburgh’s opening-night roster in 2025-26. He did receive an early-season recall and made his season debut on Oct. 28, 2025, in Philadelphia, but that recall lasted only four games before he was returned to the AHL. The brief call-up was his first and only NHL appearance of the season, and it has left observers parsing where his development stands as the next season approaches.
Where the numbers sit
| Season | NHL games | NHL goals | NHL assists | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 25 | 1 | 2 | Extended NHL stint; made debut |
| 2025-26 | 4 | N/A | N/A | Single recall late October; majority of season in AHL |
Pickering is listed at 6-foot-5 and 201 pounds and is currently 22 years old (born Jan. 27, 2004). Drafted as a projectable top-pairing type with physical tools, he has yet to translate size and prospect status into a sustained NHL role.
Development questions and roster reality
Given the Penguins’ defensive depth entering the 2025-26 camp, Pickering faced a tough path to secure an opening-night spot. The organization’s decision to send him back to Wilkes-Barre to start the season suggested officials felt he still needed seasoning. When injuries and roster movement typically trigger recalls, Pickering did get a chance, but the brief nature of that stint — four games — did not settle questions about where his game needs to improve.
- Ice time and role: intermittent NHL minutes make it hard to assess readiness for a full-time role.
- AHL development: spending most of 2025-26 in Wilkes-Barre indicates the club prioritised more consistent minutes and growth at the minor-league level.
- Organisational depth: a crowded blue line reduced immediate NHL opportunities despite earlier promise.
"[His 2025-26 season] added more questions than answers to where exactly his development is at this point in his career."
That assessment encapsulates the central dilemma for a player with Pickering’s pedigree: the physical attributes and the draft status are present, but consistency and a clear path to the NHL roster remain uncertain. For a franchise that had given him a substantial look in 2024-25, the rollback to AHL duty and only a brief recall the following season suggests the organisation is not yet ready to rely on him as a dependable NHL option.
Implications for next season
As training camps open and the next season approaches, Pickering will enter a pivotal off-season. For fans watching from Ontario — many of whom follow prospects across junior, college and the AHL — the coming months should reveal whether Pickering can close the gap between potential and NHL readiness.
His case is not uncommon in the modern NHL: tall, mobile defencemen are prized, but the jump to consistent pro minutes requires more than physical tools. Playing substantial minutes in Wilkes-Barre could help him refine decision-making, timing and the defensive reads that NHL coaches demand. Conversely, another season with only spotty NHL time would likely increase pressure on both the player and the club to clarify his long-term role.
Pickering’s trajectory will be monitored closely in prospect circles this off-season. His path underscores the difficult balance teams face between giving young players exposure at the highest level and ensuring they receive the structured development time needed in the minors to make that exposure sustainable.
