Prospect Info: Owen Pickering, 21st Overall, 2022 NHL Draft

[Pens x]

Nothing wrong with taking a player that can develop into a top 4 D man. He is growing and will mature so he can add 15 pounds to 195 and 6-5 by the time he has played in WB for a couple years. Hextall bet on his upside and that is what you have to do here at pick 21. Just wish Hextall would be more aggressive in getting players moved who take up cap or just don't fit what Hextall clearly wants. More physicality and bang with size.

But Sully hates physicality and doesn’t care about size.

 

[Peat]

Honestly, reading up on the profiles, I'm not sure he is a safe pick. People see 6'4" and low points totals and think defensive behemoth.

But you look at the profiles and what you see is an offensive dman with a strong transition game and shot who's very raw due to lack of experience, playing on a crap team, and learning to deal with his new body... who just so happens to be 6'4".

Which is kind of exciting. The more I look at this pick, the more I like it. A diligent 6'4" dman who can skate and is not devoid of skill should have a safe-ish floor, yeah, assuming he can add weight and polish out the errors in his game. But you're looking for upside. His reasonable upside of 2nd pairing 2 way dman with some unicorn qualities is perfectly happy for the draft position. Bar a couple of really boom/bust wingers nothing higher is there.

And if we want to talk giant boom, guys finding unexpected upside, then it's very easy to see how that could happen with a guy his size on his development curve.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It's easy too to forget that playing physical is as much about technique as it is size or weight. Hitting is much more about technique and being able to get in the right spot than it is about being big or necessarily strong. So, kid's got a lot of excellent tools for a defenseman, could be a Dumolin, could be a 3rd pairing guy, could bust, who knows?

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Dude in the modern game how many d-men can consistently rag doll grown men and do so without putting themselves out of position?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Dude in the modern game how many d-men can consistently rag doll grown men and do so without putting themselves out of position?

Right. And on a similar note, also how many big hits are executed by a big dude barreling straight at you? Big hits happen because the guy with a puck is in the wrong place at the wrong time with speed, not because you weigh 245.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

It's a lottery ticket at this point so I can't get too excited or bummed

 

[Night Shift]

Honestly, reading up on the profiles, I'm not sure he is a safe pick. People see 6'4" and low points totals and think defensive behemoth.

But you look at the profiles and what you see is an offensive dman with a strong transition game and shot who's very raw due to lack of experience, playing on a crap team, and learning to deal with his new body... who just so happens to be 6'4".

Which is kind of exciting. The more I look at this pick, the more I like it. A diligent 6'4" dman who can skate and is not devoid of skill should have a safe-ish floor, yeah, assuming he can add weight and polish out the errors in his game. But you're looking for upside. His reasonable upside of 2nd pairing 2 way dman with some unicorn qualities is perfectly happy for the draft position. Bar a couple of really boom/bust wingers nothing higher is there.

And if we want to talk giant boom, guys finding unexpected upside, then it's very easy to see how that could happen with a guy his size on his development curve.

If you noticed in his interview they asked what Dman does he want to model his game after and he said Scott Niedermayer, so it says a lot in that there is an offensive mind.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It's a lottery ticket at this point so I can't get too excited or bummed

No way man think of how much better everything is going to be once I win this Powerball!

If you noticed in his interview they asked what Dman does he want to model his game after and he said Scott Niedermayer, so it says a lot in that there is an offensive mind.

Thank god he didn't say Jusso Riikola.

 

[Night Shift]

But Sully hates physicality and doesn’t care about size.

Sully likely won't be there by the time Pickering is pro.

 

[Pens x]

Sully likely won't be there by the time Pickering is pro.

Fingers crossed. Although, he’s lasted this long being ineffective - what’s another 4 years?

 

[Night Shift]

No way man think of how much better everything is going to be once I win this Powerball!


Thank god he didn't say Jusso Riikola.

If he was a real comedian he'd go with Ross the Boss Rae.

 

[Pens1566]

Don't HATE it ... but not a huge fan either.

A long term project that might end up as a Dumo clone ... when there probably still a few better/more obvious kids still available?

I guess 21 is kind of a crap shoot anyway, but would it kill us to actually take a creative/flashy offensive guy once in a while? Wait, Sullivan was at the table. Never mind.

 

[Jacob]

It does seem like Sanheim is an apt comparison in a lot of ways.

 

[rmartin65]

I'm no scout, and I'll readily admit that I haven't seen more than youtube clips of Pickering, but I can't help but be optimistic about this pick. Just about everything I read about him suggests that he is a smart player with strong skating ability. Add in the 6'4" frame (even if he isn't a particularly physical guy), and I definitely see the potential/hope for him moving forward.

Plus, there is the fact that the Penguins could use some more defensive prospects (after POJ the next best defensive prospect is... Beliveau? Swoyer?), so I don't see anything to complain about here.

 

[Lust for Life]

Wild card, yes. But also not a concensus first rounder either.

Pretty much everyone had him in the first round, a lot of them higher than #21

Ranked #23 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING

Ranked #16 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM

Ranked #19 by FCHOCKEY

Ranked #23 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE

Ranked #37 by MCKEEN'S HOCKEY

Ranked #13 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON

Ranked #15 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)

Ranked #21 by SPORTSNET

Ranked #19 by ISS HOCKEY

Ranked #15 by RECRUIT SCOUTING

Ranked #19 by DOBBERPROSPECTS

Ranked #51 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Ranked #33 by SMAHT SCOUTING

Ranked #28 by THE PUCK AUTHORITY

 

[Peat]

Don't HATE it ... but not a huge fan either.

A long term project that might end up as a Dumo clone ... when there probably still a few better/more obvious kids still available?

I guess 21 is kind of a crap shoot anyway, but would it kill us to actually take a creative/flashy offensive guy once in a while? Wait, Sullivan was at the table. Never mind.

He's not projected as a Dumo clone. He's projected as a great transition dman with a notable shot. If anything, at this point, he comes a lot closer to being a Matheson clone.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I’ve seen reputable stuff that calls him offensive, I’ve seen stuff that calls him a transition guy, and I’ve seen stuff that calls him more of a stopper.

Maybe he’ll be all three

 

[Pens1566]

He's not projected as a Dumo clone. He's projected as a great transition dman with a notable shot. If anything, at this point, he comes a lot closer to being a Matheson clone.

I've seen multiple Dumo references, none of MM. But MM does make it all better ...

 

[Peat]

Some scouting profiles

Scouting Report: Owen Pickering - Smaht Scouting - "one of the biggest “what if” players in this draft class... defining trait in Pickering’s game is his skating... can be great one moment and not as great the next: puck skills/passing and defensive awareness... knows what he needs to do in each situation... defensemen I’ve watched this season, Pickering’s shot stands out as the best"

2022 NHL Draft #20: Owen Pickering Scouting Report - "very good skate... very thin right now... outstanding shot... signs of being an effective playmaker but needs to work on his consistency... defensive game could use a little refinement"

Owen Pickering — 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - "acting as a one-man breakout at times... one shift, he’ll throw a saucer pass across two zones tape-to-tape before messing up a 10-foot breakout pass on the next shift... possesses a big shot from the point... lot to like in Pickering’s defensive game, and some things to dislike"

Analysis: Owen Pickering is a unicorn among draft-eligible defensemen - good one for highlights

 

[Victor Z]

"The Penguins need to get bigger on defense".

That is correct, but what it really means is "the Penguins need to get MORE PHYSICAL on defense". You don't need to be Zdeno Chara's size to be able to throw your weight around, clear the crease effectively (as opposed to being just another screen for the goalie) and intimidate opposing forwards or at least make them pay a price for crashing the net.

Ideally the Pens need someone with size who actually USES that size, i.e. not another Brian Dumoulin (big enough, but way too soft) or Marcus Pettersson (tall enough, but way too weak).

 

[Peat]

I've seen multiple Dumo references, none of MM. But MM does make it all better ...

I don't think I've seen anyone refer to Matheson yet, but it's what a lot of his profiles scream out to me. I don't think I've seen anyone describe him in a way that particularly makes me think of Dumo yet, even if I've seen some people go there.

I’ve seen reputable stuff that calls him offensive, I’ve seen stuff that calls him a transition guy, and I’ve seen stuff that calls him more of a stopper.

Maybe he’ll be all three

I mean that's the dream innit? His skillset and athleticism can really support all three if supported right. It's just a matter of well he's taught and how much he can learn. He's probably going to fall short, but if he really booms...


edit: At this point, in a weird way, I think his comparable if Slafkovsky. The toolkit is really exciting. The results achieved with it do not justify the draft position, but you can look at how the results came and think the toolkit is going to deliver and that the breakout is coming. The chance of being wrong is good, but the potential if you're right is pretty darn fun.

edit edit: Just seen Jesse's posts in the draft thread. Feels like a major difference in outlooks on the kid.

 

[dogthateats]

 

[Randy Butternubs]

On Sunday, I guessed that the Pens would like him the most out of the Consolidated Rankings near their draft range:

Pre-Game Talk: - 2022 NHL Entry Draft

I was soooo pissed. Still am. I remember that feeling to this day 10 years later. So much excitement and hope...gone in a flash. Then absolute dispair set in. There was a glimmer of hope when McKenzie was gushing over Maatta falling to us at 22ov. That pick could have single handily...

hfboards.mandatory.com

I'll take a look at my draft guide and will try to summarize what they say about him.

Anyway, I was hoping Ohgren or Miro would make it to spot 21 and it was dang close.

 

[KareemTrustfund]

Owens dad , Les , says this was a good but not great selection. I trust his expertise as a Dad and as a man who watched lots of Pickering.

 

[rmartin65]

Doing some more research into the pick, it seems like Pickering had the best score on the VO2 test. That's pretty cool.