The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering next season with the hope of building off successful 2025-26 campaign. One of the reasons for their success last season was due to multiple players hitting new levels for them.
Could prospect Owen Pickering be the next player to break out for the Penguins? The possibility should not be ruled out.
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While Pickering has not become a full-time NHL player at this stage in his career, he has the ability to change that. The 22-year-old defenseman has a lot of potential, and it would not be surprising if he breaks out next season. This is especially so when noting that he has a real shot of making the Penguins’ roster.
The left side of the Penguins’ defense notably got weaker this off-season. This is because defenseman Ryan Shea signed with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency, while Parker Wotherspoon was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. With this, there are spots to fight for on Pittsburgh’s blueline, and it would not be surprising if Pickering gets more looks next season because of it.
Pickering also is coming off a strong season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In 68 games, he posted seven goals, 21 assists, 28 points, and a plus-16 rating. This was after he had two goals and 13 points in 47 games with the AHL club in 2024-25.
Overall, Pickering has the tools to blossom into a very solid NHL defenseman. It will be interesting to see if the 2022 first-round pick has that big breakout year for Pittsburgh in 2026-27 from here.
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