Penguins Former First-Round Pick Suddenly Named Trade Candidate

The Athletic recently named one "under-the-radar" trade candidate for each NHL team.

When it came to the Pittsburgh Penguins, The Athletic's Josh Yohe picked defenseman Owen Pickering as the Metropolitan Division's club top trade candidate.

"Pickering, a 2022 first-round pick, has never made a dent in the NHL and appears to be buried in the AHL. The 6-foot-5 defender had a good training camp and could be available for a certain price," Yohe wrote.

The Penguins trading Pickering would undoubtedly be a significant move. The 22-year-old blueliner was a first-round selection made by the Penguins, after all. Thus, it would be notable if the Penguins ended up parting ways with him in a trade.

However, if the Penguins do not envision him becoming a long-term part of their NHL roster, it would make sense for them to trade him. The young defenseman would have the potential to be a valuable trade chip for the Penguins due to his good upside. It also does not hurt that he is a big defenseman, which NHL teams always value. 

Pickering has played in 29 games over two seasons with the Penguins, where he has posted one goal, three points, 14 hits, 21 blocks, and a minus-8 rating. He has not played a game at the NHL level this season.

In five games this campaign with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pickering has recorded one goal and a plus-4 rating. This is after he had seven goals and 28 points in 68 games with the AHL club during this past season.