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

[LastWordArmy]

Drafted in the ninth round, 177th overall, in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, defenceman Owen Pickering has seen his game grow by leaps and bounds. He put up nine goals and 24 assists for 33 points in 62 games for a weak Swift Current Broncos team this season. Pickering was forced to play big minutes and was used in all situations for the Broncos, who finished 10th in the Eastern Conference. Pickering joined Team Canada for the IIHF Under-18 World Championships. He continued to play big minutes even for the national under-18 team. Pickering scored two assists in four tournament games. The Canadian coaching staff named him a top-three player on the team. Pickering also played for Team White at the 2022 CHL Top Prospects Game.

Owen Pickering Scouting Report: 2022 NHL Draft #20

Owen Pickering Scouting Report: Drafted 177th overall in the 2019 WHL Draft, Owen Pickering has seen his game grow by leaps and bounds.

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[Your Boy Troy]

I love this pick. I did not expect that Pickering would be available here.

 

[Jacob]

Meh. Pretty much right where he was slated to go.

Swift Current was not very good and very low scoring but he led their D in points. Don’t follow the WHL closely but they should be an improved team so at least the superficial stats should see a bump.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Meh.

 

[Empoleon8771]

 

[ncm7772]

People on IG hate it. Shocking. I know nothing about this kid. Is this a good pick?

 

[dogthateats]

 

[Allie Kitsune]

Would it kill this team to draft a sniping winger for once in their damned lives?

Was one even available?

 

[Knives and Tulips]

So much talent to choose from...I don't like it.

 

[dogthateats]

Seems like a well spoken kid. Good luck to him

 

[OnMyOwn]

Safe, boring, long-term project that’ll be a 2nd pair D, maybe?

Whatever, haha.

Shouldn’t have kept this pick, IMO.

 

[DrDangles]

Would it kill this team to draft a sniping winger for once in their damned lives?

Was one even available?

Can't risk getting Sprong'd again

 

[td_ice]

Seems like a well spoken kid. Good luck to him

He really is. They all do, for that matter. Well polished. Guessing they all have media training to some degree, via their agents company.

 

[chethejet]

I hope he can knock somebody on his butt. AT 180 he can add strength and size which seems to be the case for most selections in the draft. So far trades swapping picks and no players being moved.

 

[66-30-33]

I don't care, drafts are crapshoots so we can't complain at all. No idea how he will develope.

 

[dogthateats]

I remember people bashing the Seider pick in Detroit

 

[Merc29]

Not sexy but needed… I guess it’s the year of Pittsburgh sports teams picking players with the last name with “Pic” in it

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

So he's like Dumoulin's defense, with Matheson's transition game?

I'm tryin' real hard to go big on the optimism here, but when people are throwing out words like composure and poise, I instantly gotta think that means the dude's just another boring turd to the pile.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Would it kill this team to draft a sniping winger for once in their damned lives?

Was one even available?

We did but he was a lazy dumass

 

[StIvany4Norris]

Big Canadian defensemen retain their trade value well, probably what ends up happening to him anyway

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Not a sexy forward, which of course I wanted.. but solid pick imo.

Has a pretty crazy toolkit.

 

[Jacob]

So he's like Dumoulin's defense, with Matheson's transition game?

I'm tryin' real hard to go big on the optimism here, but when people are throwing out words like composure and poise, I instantly gotta think that means the dude's just another boring turd to the pile.

I think he’s hard to judge because he played on a low scoring bad team. Your passes aren’t leading to goals and your forwards aren’t finding you and you’re defending most of the game.



Just watching now but looks pretty good.

 

[Power Surge]

We Pickered him

 

[Dominance]

Thrilled with this pick.

Pickering is not “boring.” He has a massive frame but is also one of the best-skating players - not defensemen - in the draft. His first pass is excellent and he makes the small plays - holding onto the puck for an extra second, finding the soft area for a pass, putting a puck into the goalie’s pads from the blueline - that generate chances at the NHL level. Just because he doesn’t attack the net from the blueline like Makar doesn’t mean he’s poor offensively. The other remarkable thing to be really excited about is he spurted up to 6’5” from like 5’7” in only two years, without losing his agility, and still has room to put on a huge amount of muscle - meaning a better shot, an absolute monster along the boards, and even better skating if he trains correctly. This guy can be Slavin, and not the “lite” version.

Patrick “Who” Bacon’s little chart can f*** right off. Swift Current has been terrible throughout Owen’s time there, and his offensive skills have still shone through.

Edit: I agree with the poster who brought up Seider. I don’t expect Pickering to be at that level as quickly, or even at all, but he absolutely has the potential to dominate games in an identical fashion.

 

[dogthateats]

How do I view the Jake Guentzel draft thread to see whether you guys know your prospects?