Owen Pickering gets 1st taste of NHL preseason action in Penguins' loss to Sabres

In a certain light, much of what coach Mike Sullivan does during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ annual preseason training camp can be boiled down to a form of people-watching.

This year, the Penguins invited 69 players to begin camp, which since has been trimmed to 64.

That number will continue to drop significantly as the club’s Oct. 9 season opener against the New York Rangers approaches.

Between now and then, Sullivan and his staff will mold their NHL roster to begin the season.

When it comes to determining who will and won’t earn a spot out of the gate, there are plenty of elements — some of which Sullivan shares, others he guards closer to vest — that formulate his decision-making process.

Looking at less-experienced players in particular, Sullivan is keen to ascertain their ability to roll with the punches in a tough, unfamiliar environment.

“I always find it interesting, with young players, to be able to watch them compete against their peers,” Sullivan said. “Because I think when they come to the (NHL) training camps, and they’re playing against grown men that have been pros for a long time, as a young player, that sometimes can be overwhelming.

“Everybody handles that differently. It’s really fascinating or interesting for me to watch them against their peers.”

One such player Sullivan has observed is 20-year-old blueliner Owen Pickering, the Penguins’ first-round (21st overall) draft selection in 2022.

Pickering, a 6-foot-3, 179-pound left-handed shot, is among the club’s top prospects and appears to be approaching NHL readiness following three productive junior campaigns with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League.

Last year, Pickering got his feet wet in the American Hockey League, skating in eight games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Penguins hosted the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena, with Pickering suiting up for his first NHL preseason game.

Pickering was deployed on the club’s third defensive pairing with Filip Kral, recording 11 minutes, 18 seconds of ice time with zero shots and two hits in a 3-2 loss.

Bad timing with injuries have prevented Pickering from being a full participant at training camp over the last few years since the Penguins drafted him.

Now, Pickering enters a three-year entry-level contract worth $886,667 annually.

As he continues to dip his toes in new waters, the contrast he’s noticed between WHL and NHL competition has been predictably stark.

“A big thing is just getting used to the strength of guys,” Pickering said. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve noticed from junior to the NHL level. When you’re trying to pin someone in the corner or trying to kill a play, it’s definitely more difficult.

“You have to be a bit more technical with how you go about it. It’s a learning experience, and it’s something that I’m working on and will continue to work on every day to try to get better at.”

Pickering and many of the Penguins’ fellow younger players enjoyed an appetizer to preseason camp in the 2024 Prospects Challenge, where from Sept. 13-16 they went on to beat squads from the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators.

Facing off against other organizations’ up-and-coming talent, Sullivan liked what he saw from Pickering.

“I thought he tried to take a leadership role,” Sullivan said. “He was talking — I could see him talking on the bench, I could see him being vocal on the ice and I thought he was a guy that helped the Penguins on both sides of the puck. He joined the rush a handful of times, he was helping us drive some offense with breakout plays, I thought he defended well with his stick.”

While doubtless a promising prospect, Pickering’s overall lack of experience coupled with the plethora of other blueliners competing for spots at training camp probably makes him a long shot to crack the NHL roster.

Assignment to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where Pickering can continue to develop, seems a more likely result.

Pickering also is exempt from placement on waivers if the Penguins opt to send him to the AHL.

From what Sullivan has observed, Pickering looks to be tracking in the appropriate direction.

“We’ll see where it goes, but I definitely think he’s picked up a step, foot-wise, and has really picked up some strength in his game,” Sullivan said.

Note: Defenseman Erik Karlsson skated Tuesday morning as part of his rehab program. Karlsson has yet to participate in practice this preseason because of an unspecified upper-body ailment.