Cerebral Pickering touted as first-rounder

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/01/2022 (1559 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At Owen Pickering’s house in St. Adolphe, there’s a well-worn copy of Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide of Everyone Who Has Ever Played in the NHL.

Pickering has read and re-read the book and soon he may have his own entry in a revised edition. The 17-year-old defenceman, barely on radar of pro scouts two years ago, has risen to the status of a potential first-round selection.

Last week, NHL Central Scouting rated the 6-4, 179-pounder 21st among North American skaters for the 2022 NHL Draft.

The development of Pickering’s game has coincided with a growth spurt — a mere 5-7 when the Broncos picked him in the ninth round of the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft, he grew four inches between his 15- and 16-year-old seasons.

“That was a year where my back and knees were not agreeing with me,” says Pickering, recalling the growing pains. “I kind of felt like a giraffe out there a little bit. You’re kind of trying to get your co-ordination back and grow into your body. I’ve played a lot of sports growing up playing every single sport basically, so I think that helped me a lot.”

A diverse sports background helped, but Pickering has also shown he has a mind for the game. In an era where WHL players will have a shift-by-shift video and analytical breakdown of their game from the night before in their morning email, Pickering has shown an uncanny eye for detail.

“He thinks the game extremely well,” says Broncos interim head coach Devan Praught. “He remembers things, whether it’s a game ago or two games ago. He can remember details of play so he just has that sensibility.”

Although Pickering has not played a full season in the WHL — he had 23 games as a rookie in the Regina hub last spring — the transition to major-junior has come quickly.

“There are very limited conversations where you feel like you have to correct him,” says Praught. “I’m not saying he doesn’t get coached — he’s open to coaching — but it’s pretty impressive with his preparation and then the way he’s able to execute.”

For his size, Pickering is also an elite skater and that agility translates well in the defensive zone and with the puck on his stick.

“He has good hands navigating traffic and advancing the puck under pressure,” says Dan Marr, director of Central Scouting. “He doesn’t throw the puck away — he makes sure with the puck and he can move it with authority. And this is the type of player that a coach likes and the GM likes.”

With six goals and 21 points in 34 games, Pickering has hinted at some offensive ability but NHL evaluators want to see more.

“This is where hopefully he will grow to be a little more selfish because he makes good decisions on when to pinch during the rush,” adds Marr. “He moves the puck efficiently in his end, he manages risk-reward well and he doesn’t take chances. But going forward here, he has the tools that if you want to try and do a little bit more offensively. Whether it’s like joining the rush hard to the net or leading a rush and shooting more… Our projection is that there would be a little bit more offensive upside to him in the rest of his WHL career.”

Pickering understands the critique.

“It does make sense,” says Pickering. “I think I’m a little bit of a pass-first guy. I’ve been scoring more lately but I do think just kind of trusting my abilities and in gaining more confidence is something that I’m definitely working on.”

Hockey is a passion for Pickering but not his only one. He was a elite baseball — pitching and playing second base with provincial teammates such as fellow first-rounder NHL candidates Conor Geekie and Denton Mateychuk. Owen’s 15-year-old sister Avery is pioneering baseball ace and an elite hockey player at Balmoral Hall. Thirteen-year-old brother, Graeme, is also a budding star on the ice and diamond.

“I guess we’ve bought into the multi-sport idea,” says Tom Pickering, Owen’s dad. “It’s a huge part of our family and we’ve tried to make it about letting the kids have fun — trying different things and for whatever reason, our kids have sort of had a pretty good work ethic.”

Owen is trying not to overthink the pressures of his draft year and he seems to be succeeding.

“I think with our group here it’s been really easy to just kind of focus on our team and focus on our goal of making a playoffs,” he says. “I know that sounds cliche, but that is the truth. Every day when I come to the rink, say if I’ve been thinking about (the draft) maybe a little too much, I come to the rink and I’m just having fun. If I was getting this attention or not, I’d still love playing hockey.”

mike.sawatzky@winnipegfreepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14