The Penguins’ struggling blue line has received a new face.
Defenseman Owen Pickering, the team’s first-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Penguins announced Friday.
Still two months shy of his 21st birthday, Pickering has enjoyed a strong start to the season in the American Hockey League, posting a plus-5 mark in 12 games in Wilkes-Barre.
While not expected to add much in the way of offensive punch at the NHL level, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Pickering was drafted because of his defensive prowess. The Penguins did not say whether will make his NHL debut Friday night against the Blue Jackets in Columbus.
Pickering is left-handed and typically plays on the left side. The Penguins are already fairly well-stocked with left-handed defensemen, including Marcus Pettersson, Matt Grzelcyk, Ryan Graves and Ryan Shea.
Grzelcyk and Graves have largely struggled during their time with the Penguins.
The Penguins last played on Wednesday against Detroit and did not practice on Thursday. So, if a player will miss extended time with an injury, that announcement won’t come until coach Mike Sullivan speaks with the media after the morning skate Friday in Columbus. The Penguins need to make a corresponding roster move to make room for Pickering, as they currently have too many players on their NHL roster.
On Wednesday, center Blake Lizotte was injured against the Red Wings after taking a puck to the face on an errant Drew O’Connor shot.
Pickering started his professional career slowly after being drafted more than two years ago. However, his play was particularly noticeable and more polished during Penguins training camp in September, showing he was fairly close to being ready for the NHL.
(Photo from 2024 preseason: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
