Pittsburgh Penguins Need an Answer on Owen Pickering This Season – The Hockey Writers – Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have spent four years developing Owen Pickering, but the 2026-27 season should finally determine where the 2022 first-round pick fits in their future.

Pickering played only four NHL games last season (after appearing in 25 during 2024-25), spending almost the entire year with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He responded with seven goals and 28 points in 68 AHL games before a broken foot ended his Calder Cup Playoff run after 11 appearances.

His development has not followed the path Pittsburgh might have envisioned when they selected him 21st overall, but PensBurgh’s latest evaluation showed why this season is more important than simply labeling his progress as disappointing.

Pickering is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, and management still lacks a clear long-term solution on the left side behind Samuel Girard. Training camp should present a legitimate opportunity for him to fight for that spot. The Penguins do not need him to become the top-pairing defenseman they may have envisioned on draft night, but they do need to determine whether he can become a dependable NHL player before another contract decision arrives.

Pickering’s NHL Momentum Disappeared Last Season

Pickering appeared to be moving toward a larger NHL role during his first professional season. He made his NHL debut in November 2024 and eventually played 25 games, recording one goal and two assists. His first goal came less than three weeks after his debut, and the Penguins kept him around long enough to provide a meaningful look at how his size, skating and defensive game translated against tougher competition.

The next season produced the opposite trajectory. Pickering received one brief recall, played four games and returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the remainder of the regular season. President of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas acknowledged that development for young defensemen is rarely linear, but the drop from 25 games to four represented a step back from establishing a permanent role.

That does not mean the season was wasted. Pickering played more games than any previous professional season and received increased responsibility in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, including work on both special teams. Dubas said Pittsburgh was pleased with his second half and described his game as “steady, solid, reliable hockey,” which may provide a better indication of what the organization now expects him to become.

The Penguins no longer need Pickering to justify his draft position by becoming a major offensive defenseman. They need him to prove that the reliable game he developed in the AHL is good enough to survive every night in the NHL.

Pickering Made Important Progress in Wilkes-Barre

Twenty-eight points in 68 games do not make Pickering an elite offensive prospect, but they represented meaningful progress – he produced just 13 points in 47 AHL games during 2024-25. Increasing that total to 28 while handling more difficult assignments showed he was more comfortable at the professional level. His seven goals were also a career high as a pro, giving Pittsburgh some evidence that his offensive game did not completely disappear as his defensive responsibilities increased.

That progression matters more than his raw point total. At 6-foot-5 and 201 pounds, Pickering would always require time to become comfortable using his frame against professionals. Dubas specifically discussed how Pickering’s coordination and balance needed time to develop as he grew into his body, which helps explain why management has remained patient despite his inconsistent NHL trajectory.

A broken foot was an unfortunate ending because Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s extended playoff run could have offered another valuable developmental test. Pickering still appeared in 11 postseason games before the injury and scored once, giving him additional experience in higher-pressure situations. The Penguins now have enough AHL evidence. The more important evaluation is whether those improvements can make him useful in the NHL.

Penguins’ Left Side Gives Pickering a Real Opportunity

Pickering cannot argue that Pittsburgh has blocked his path with established left-handed defensemen. Samuel Girard is the clearest long-term NHL option on the left side, but the depth behind him remains unsettled. Ryan Graves is still trying to recoup his standing within the lineup, while Declan Carlile and Ilya Solovyov give head coach Dan Muse alternatives without making Pickering’s path impossible.

Pittsburgh signed Declan Carlile for two seasons with a $1.5 million average annual value after he appeared in 42 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. The team also brought Ilya Solovyov back on a one-year, $850,000 contract after acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche in January. Neither move should prevent Pickering from winning a job, but together they ensure Pittsburgh does not have to hand him one.

That competition could be exactly what he needs. I included him among the Penguins’ five breakout candidates entering 2026-27 because the left side creates an opportunity that does not exist at every position. The opening is there, but another season in which Pickering cannot separate himself from depth options would make it harder to project him as an important NHL piece. The team does not need a spectacular camp from him. It needs him to look more trustworthy than the alternatives.

Final Entry Level Season Raises the Stakes

His contract gives the Penguins a natural deadline to evaluate his game. Pickering carries an $886,667 cap hit, and he is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the season. His inexpensive deal would make him particularly valuable if he wins an NHL job, since Pittsburgh would be adding a young left-shot defenseman without spending meaningful cap space.

The more difficult issue will be determining what type of second contract he has earned and whether the organization still sees enough upside to continue investing development time. A strong season could make that decision easy. If Pickering establishes himself as a regular third-pairing defenseman who kills penalties and occasionally moves higher up the lineup when injuries occur, Pittsburgh would have every reason to retain a 23-year-old blueliner who fills a positional need.

Another season spent primarily in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would create a different conversation. At that point, he would be approaching his fourth professional season without proving he can hold an NHL job, and the Penguins would have to decide whether patience still makes sense.

Pickering Must Separate From Pittsburgh’s Other Young Defensemen

The context has also changed since Pickering was drafted. Pittsburgh’s prospect pool is deeper, and he no longer carries the same status simply because he was a first-round selection. Harrison Brunicke has already received NHL experience, Tomas Galvas gives the organization another intriguing young defenseman, and college free agent Jake Livanavage joins a growing group of players trying to establish themselves in the system.

That is why I recently argued the Penguins should be careful about trading Pickering. They do not have enough certainty on the left side to discard a 22-year-old with his physical tools before they know what he can become. The same logic also means Pickering needs to begin rewarding that patience.

Draft position can buy development time, but it cannot preserve organizational standing. He has reached the point where his NHL readiness matters more than what the organization thought he might become in 2022.

Penguins Should Know What Pickering Is by Next Spring

The 2026-27 season does not need to become a dramatic make-or-break ultimatum for Pickering. Defensemen develop at different rates, and Pittsburgh has already acknowledged that his progression may take longer than expected. It should still provide an answer.

He had a productive second AHL season, earned larger responsibilities and appears to have found a more defined defensive identity. Pittsburgh also has an opening on the left side that should allow him to compete for NHL minutes without requiring the organization to manufacture an opportunity. Now he has to take it.

If he becomes a steady NHL defenseman this season, the Penguins will have developed a former first-round pick into an inexpensive solution at one of their weakest positions. If he spends another year unable to move beyond the NHL fringe, they will have considerably less reason to keep projecting future growth. The Penguins have been patient. Pickering’s final entry-level season should tell them whether that patience is finally about to pay off.