Penguins recall Owen Pickering from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that defenseman Owen Pickering is being recalled from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Pickering is still in his first full season of professional hockey. He has played 12 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and scored his first pro goal on Wednesday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He has registered a plus/minus of +5.

St. The Adolphe, Manitoba native also played eight games in the AHL near the end of the 2022-23 season.

Pickering was taken in the first round, 21st overall, by the Penguins in the 2022 NHL Draft. As a 6-foot-4 blueliner, he moves very well and has a clear confidence when carrying the puck. Many expected the Pens to take their time allowing Pickering to develop in the minors this season before deploying him to the NHL. But with the way things have started in Pittsburgh, the team is desperate for any kind of bump in the lineup.

It has not been announced exactly when Pickering will make his NHL debut, but Pittsburgh is scheduled to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

The 20-year-old recently ended a fruitful junior career. As a member of the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, Pickering was named to the Central Division First All-Star Team in each of the last two seasons while serving as team captain. He missed the start of the 2023–2024 campaign with an injury, but recovered in time to make a significant contribution, setting a career high in points (46) despite playing in just 59 games.

In 205 WHL games, Pickering scored 27 goals and 106 assists for 133 points, including seven points in nine playoff games.

The Penguins (6-9-3) are tied for seventh in the Metropolitan Division in points (15) and winning percentage (.417).