Being drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round is a surreal experience in itself. But to have team's franchise defenseman announce your name is just the icing on the cake.
Hours after Kris Letang signed a six-year contract extension, he traveled to the Bell Centre in his hometown of Montreal, took the stage and said the Penguins were proud to select Owen Pickering with the 21st overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft.
First Round Pickering
"Can't really describe it," Pickering said with a huge smile. "Best feeling in the world. It's pretty cool. Especially to have Kris Letang announce it, I was just kind of in awe. He's a great defenseman. Fun to watch. He just got extended, so you obviously kind of look up to guys like that. And to have him announce the pick was really special."
Pittsburgh Penguins select D Pickering No. 21
The Penguins did not think that the defenseman would be available when they were on the clock, so they were thrilled for the opportunity to select Pickering, who just finished his second season with Swift Current of the WHL.
The 18-year-old blueliner set career highs in goals (9), assists (24) and points (33) in 62 games and was named to the WHL (Central) Second All-Star Team.
"We're excited to have him. 6-4 defensemen, they don't fall off trees," general manager Ron Hextall said. "He's a nice add to our group, for sure. His size-skating ratio is very good, and we do believe there's quite a bit of upside."
Especially because it's been quite a swift rise for Pickering, both literally and figuratively. He was just 5-foot-7 when the Broncos took him in the ninth round of the 2020 WHL Draft. Pickering has since shot up eight inches, and his stock went accordingly.
The blueliner was the 15th-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting heading into the 2022 NHL Draft before getting selected by the Penguins.
"If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be in this position, I probably would have told you that you're a little crazy. But that's not to say I don't have confidence in myself, it's just that it happened pretty fast," said Pickering, who tries to emulate Dallas' Miro Heiskanen.
"Obviously I kind of grew, got stronger, got put in some good situations in the lineup, and I feel like I took advantage. So I definitely think I earned it, and I'm proud of that. But it's not something that's been expected for a super long time, I guess."
Pickering joked that his junior teammates made sure to keep him in check as he really started to get onto the radar of NHL teams and was listed near the top of various prospect rankings.
"There were screenshots sent to group chats, for sure," he laughed. "Either supportive or asking me if it was a typo. They were tasked with keeping my head small."
But with the kind of person Pickering is, that would never have been a real issue anyway. For as much as the Penguins like him as a player - praising his competitiveness, hockey sense and puck skills along with his size - they really admire him as a person.
Amateur scout Dan McLean, who is assigned to Pickering's area, gave incredibly positive feedback to the staff after meeting with the 18-year-old blueliner. That was confirmed by the group after they spoke with him at the Combine, and again here at the Draft. His maturity and well-spoken, articulate manner also immediately came through in all of his media obligations on Thursday.
"When you really like the player on the ice and the interview is extremely positive, it makes you feel really good. He's a really quality person with a good head on his shoulders," director of amateur scouting Nick Pryor said. "He's got a good idea of his game and what he needs to improve on."
The foundation is there, so moving forward, it's about filling out his frame and learning how to leverage it to the best of his ability. As Pryor said, when you grow that fast and that quick, your body needs time to catch up from a strength perspective.
"He's grown a lot over the past couple years," Pryor said. "You see where he is right now just with his height, so he's come a long way with his growth physically. His game keeps making big strides."
They're not putting any timeframe on when Pickering could potentially be ready for the NHL, with Pryor saying that it wouldn't be fair to a young prospect, particularly a defenseman.
However, Pickering is certainly hoping to get to Pittsburgh in time to play alongside Letang, who signed a six-year extension hours before announcing the newest member of the Penguins organization.
"Hope so, yep," Pickering said with a smile. "I wouldn't put a timeframe on it. My mentality is that I'm trying to make that team in the fall. And then if I don't make it, I go back to Swift and I try and make it the next year. So that's kind of the mentality that I have, and I'm gonna carry that forward."
