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

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It's not like the Pens passed on an obvious pick like Forsberg who fell into their laps to go way off board and take Pouliot.

 

[Lustaf]

I think people don't realize how insanely hard it is to "put on muscle" as a hockey player. You're doing an insane amount of cardio pretty much every day for 8 or 9 months a year. It's very, very hard to add muscle when you're blasting through that many calories a day.

It's not impossible, but the kid's gonna have to put in a shitload of work. Petts has been a string bean trying to put on muscle for 4+ years now. There's also a line you have to navigate carefully as a trainer/player where a guy wanting to add size/muscle doesn't want to lose his edge in skating and agility.

Well we got Letang for 6 more years to help this kid train.

 

[Jacob]

Should have been used for help now, IMO. You signed Letang and are clearly not rebuilding right now.

It is what it is, but I just didn’t see a need to keep it. The cupboard does nothing for the last few years of Sid’s career.

It’s not like we can’t trade Pickering like, tomorrow or at the deadline.

 

[dogthateats]

It’s not like we can’t trade Pickering like, tomorrow or at the deadline.

You think a 6’5” Canadian kid will be coveted by NHL GM’s?

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Well we got Letang for 6 more years to help this kid train.

Could do worse than Sid and Letang as gym bros, for sure.

Besides, being a brick shithouse doesn't do shit if the player sucks. Case in point; Bjorkqvist.

 

[Pens x]

He looks like a giraffe on skates out there, much like Jordan Staal.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Imo the bet here is that in a perfect world Pickering gets more powerful/explosive and coordinated as he matures and gets stronger (which would be somewhat natural) and is an absolute beast...

and if he doesn't he still gets games as a gangly D that can skate and tangle dudes up (maybe Dumo-lite on the high side to a shitty version of Petts/Scandella on the low).

Hard to see him not getting to the league though.

 

[Factorial]

6'5" and 179lbs.

I was 6'1" and 150 at that age so I can see it.

 

[cygnus47]

Can't pretend to know anything, but sounds like he plays a real NHL-like game. Shifty with the puck, good at deception behind his own net and has agile skating for his size. Creative on break outs. Sounds like a taller Marino.

 

[dogthateats]

Isn’t Craig Button pretty respected as far as draft rankings?

 

[Power Surge]

Should have been used for help now, IMO. You signed Letang and are clearly not rebuilding right now.

It is what it is, but I just didn’t see a need to keep it. The cupboard does nothing for the last few years of Sid’s career.

The reason we hired Hextall was to stop mortgaging picks for win now. Our time with that is over. Now we need to make the transition. We can still fill areas in FA if we move cap out.

 

[Coastal Kev]

6'5" and 179lbs.

I was 6'1" and 150 at that age so I can see it.

and nowadays you need a poopstick to wipe yourself....... it really is all about maturing into your body

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Eliteprospects are the biggest new-age analytics/skill guys as far as draft lists and had Pickering 16th

Hockeyprospect is the exact opposite, as old school, size-queenish as it gets, and had him 19th

Is that good or bad lmao?

 

[CallArnoldSlick]

How big are his hands?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The thing about Pickering is that he does what Pettersson, POJ, and others don't - Which is hit and hit often and kill plays with hits.

I mean, in that sense, great, but lets not pretend like this is a team that gives youth a fair shot either. He should have a fine AHL career before he gives up and sells cars back in Canada.

How big are his hands?

He can hold at least 9 of those weak as shit hot dogs in Montreal in each hand.

I'm glad they added some size to the blueline. I would have personally liked a skilled winger, but it's not like this wasn't a need also.

See you in 5 years, young man.

Our entire prospect pool has a need in every f***ing category. I mean it's a great move in the right direction to add a lad like this, but this is also a team that has given prospects some of the worst opportunities of any NHL team.

 

[MayorofWBS]

I think people don't realize how insanely hard it is to "put on muscle" as a hockey player. You're doing an insane amount of cardio pretty much every day for 8 or 9 months a year. It's very, very hard to add muscle when you're blasting through that many calories a day.

It's not impossible, but the kid's gonna have to put in a shitload of work. Petts has been a string bean trying to put on muscle for 4+ years now. There's also a line you have to navigate carefully as a trainer/player where a guy wanting to add size/muscle doesn't want to lose his edge in skating and agility.

In general, hockey lags behind in terms of having training tables in the development leagues. You have to be under the wing of a good S&C and nutritionist to gain "good" weight. Following a meal plan is a must and lots & lots of protein.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Well we got Letang for 6 more years to help this kid train.

Letang is a simple minded dipshit that trains everything but his f***ing brain.

For a bloke that apparently watches the most game tape of any player on this team, it's actually impressive how little he learns from his own mistakes.

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[dogthateats]

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Forget Mears and Bob, just put Army and Rupp on the broadcast for games so they can talk shit about all the players.

Armstrong's story about being a rookie in WBS and trying to make a name for himself by taking on the opposing team's enforcer--without knowing he was their enforcer--and getting the absolute shit kicked out of him is a top tier story.

 

[Dangles78]

Just not a fan. Yurov fell right into their laps. Hell, I'm sure they could have easily moved up past Washington to select Ivan. How many times has selecting a super raw player that has skyrocketed in size worked out? He's also on a God awful Swift Current team with an inexperienced coach.

 

[Andy99]

Not excited. I don’t think he’ll actually play for the Pens…the rebuild will have started by the time he’s ready and he’ll be traded as fast as Stan Bowman moved out DeBrincat tonight lol…

 

[Pancakes]

Watching highlights of this kid and he seems to love to join the rush and jump into the back door in the offensive zone. Will be interesting to see if he maintains those qualities at the pro level.

 

[Tom Hanks]

 

[cygnus47]

I feel like Pickering might be the first guy we force ourselves to be excited about in the post Crosby tank era when we're completely dry of talent.