Penguins recall Owen Pickering from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

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

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

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

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 to allow Pickering to develop in the minors this season before inserting him into the NHL. However, with how things have started in Pittsburgh, the team is desperate for any sort of jolt 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 finished 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 2023-24 campaign with an injury but recovered in time to make a considerable contribution, setting a career-high in points (46) despite only playing 59 games.

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

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