PHILADELPHIA — The Pittsburgh Penguins added to their rookie contingent Tuesday when they recalled left-handed defenseman Owen Pickering from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Pickering, 21, has 25 games of NHL experience, all last season, but did not make the club after training camp. The 6-foot-5, 206-pound blue liner was the Penguins’ first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (21st overall).
Since being drafted, Pickering has grown, literally and figuratively. He began his Penguins journey at about 6-foot-3 and less than 180 pounds. Last season, he had three points in his maiden NHL stint, scoring one goal.
Pickering will be just the third lefty defenseman on the Penguins roster, as Caleb Jones was placed on injured reserve Saturday after suffering a lower-body injury Thursday against the Florida Panthers.
Over the last two games, right-handed Matt Dumba has played on the third-pairing left side with Connor Clifton or rookie Harrison Brunicke on the right. However, the Penguins’ third-pair has had problems, and Brunicke’s game has slipped.
The WBS Penguins are off to a hot start, 7-0-0-0, and Pickering has four points in seven games (1-3-4). Given the proximity to WBS, Pickering should have no issue getting to Philadelphia for the game Tuesday.
Coach Dan Muse will address the media at 4 p.m., which is two hours prior to faceoff at the Xfinity Mobile Center. Pickering played beside Brunicke throughout most of training camp and the preseason before being sent down to WBS.
With Pickering, the Penguins could have six rookies in the lineup: Pickering, Brunicke, goalie Arturs Silovs, and forwards Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen, and Ben Kindel.
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