Penguins Pick Pickering

WARNING: This is not going to be your standard fare draft review.

I confess. When I saw the Penguins had selected defenseman Owen Pickering of Swift Current with their first-round pick my initial thought was, ”Oh no (Eddie Spaghetti)…just what we need…another beanpole defenseman.” After all, the 18-year-old goes 6’4” and tips the scales at 178 pounds. Marcus Pettersson dimensions.

Toss in willowy prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph? We seem to be cornering the market on rearguards boasting Ichabod Crane physiques.

When I watched Edmonton select Reid Schaefer, a physically mature 6’3” 213-pound power forward with the 32^nd pick, the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” popped into my head. Specifically Dorothy’s refrain of “Why, oh why, can’t I?” transmuted into “Why, oh why, can’t we” (ever draft one of those guys).

Truth be told, I thought for sure we’d take Isaac Howard, a fast, gritty, opportunistic left wing out of the U.S. National Development Team who’d been likened to Jake Guentzel. At 5’10” and 182 pounds, Howard definitely sounded like a Mike Sullivan-type player.

However, it would appear Hextall is trying to put his stamp on the team. And Pickering might be the first significant step in that direction. Corey Pronman of The Athletic touted Pickering as fitting the mold of “a Ron Hextall first-round pick,” comparing him favorably to the Flyers’ Travis Sanheim.

For the record Sanheim is big, not especially physical, and a reasonably accomplished all-around second-pairing defenseman. Which, judging by scouting reports, is what Pickering one day projects to be.

From what I can glean, the kid uses his long stick and reach to defend effectively a la Pettersson. He’s mobile and a good skater if a bit coltish, the result of having sprouted several inches in height in a relatively brief span of time. Similar to present Pen Drew O’Connor.

The offensive side of his game is emerging, as witnessed by his nine goals and 33 points in 62 games for a weak Broncos team. He’s shown a penchant for jumping into the play and has a decent shot and release.

Here’s what Steven Ellis of The Hockey News had to say about Pickering:

At the CHL Top Prospects Game, he was one of the better moving defensemen overall, and he used his speed and mobility to blast by opponents at the U-18 World Hockey Championship as one of Canada’s biggest bright spots in an otherwise tough tournament for Canada. Pickering finished the WHL season with 33 points in 62 games — a very respectable number for a team that missed the playoffs altogether. Playing on a poor team as a draft prospect can have its benefits, though, and Pickering played 25 minutes a night as an 18-year-old. He rarely had off nights as a whole, and when his team needed him to step up at both ends of the ice, he did.

Pickering was more of a shutdown defender in his pre-WHL draft days, but he has started to get more comfortable with his offensive game and should take a nice step forward next season. While it’s still fair to label Pickering a project player — his overall game needs some ironing out still — he’s strong defensively, continues to get better on the rush, has good footwork and his decision-making in the offensive zone has gotten much better.

Just wish the kid had more meat on his bones.

Sounds like he does, too.

“The thing I would like to work on is physical strength,” Pickering said. “I feel like that’s … the natural path for me, just kind of filling out.”

Guess I’ll mollify myself with the thought that baseball great Ted Williams was 6’3” and 148 pounds when he first arrived in the major leagues. So skinny he was nicknamed the “Splendid Splinter.” Williams matured into a powerful man and arguably the greatest hitter of all-time.

From a hockey standpoint, Chris Pronger (who Pickering resembles on ice) was none too burly when he came up. He, too, filled out and became a Hall-of-Fame defenseman, noted equally for his ability and nastiness.

Perhaps it’s asking too much for Pickering to follow in his skates. But a guy can dream…