Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Can Penguins’ prospect Owen Pickering FINALLY break through?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Owen Pickering is entering yet another pivotal year for his development, and Pat and I are going to discuss that coming up right after this. You're Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello and welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am one of your host, Hunter Hodes. You can follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, joined by my host, Patrick Amp. You can follow him on all social media platforms at Send him for Wet.

Starting point is 00:00:39 You can also follow the show's Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. And you can find this on Instagram at Lockdown, underscore Penguins. And of course, thank you all so much for making this your first listen slash watch of the day. We are free and available on all platforms a bit later on in the show. We're going to talk about the Penguins Power Play for the upcoming season. Pat and are going to give some early predictions for what we think the first unit is going to look like as it stands right now. and then to end the show, Gabriel Deg has officially been traded

Starting point is 00:01:07 from the Wheeling Nealers to the Florida Everblades, the Penguin's new ECHL affiliate, and Pat and I will give our reaction to that very small move. But Pat, kicking things off today, my co-editor and my very good friend, Kelsey Sermak, said a great piece on the hockey news about Owen Pickering and how big of a year it is for him, and I concur with all for points.

Starting point is 00:01:26 I wanted to talk about it a little bit more in depth today on the show. This is a really, and I mean a really big year. we said it last year. He had an opportunity to make the team. He did not do it. He barely spent any time in the NHL this past season. Only four games, no points during that time. He's played 68 games from Wilkesbury this year,

Starting point is 00:01:47 seven goals, 28 points during that time. Play better down the stretch into the playoffs. But now, Pat, Parker Watherspoon's gone. Ryan Shea is gone. Everyone knows the left side of the defense is a lot weaker right now than where it was at the end of the season. I still think Trevor Van Reevesdike is probably going to get the first crack at the top pair minutes on the left side. Declan Carlisle is probably going to get some minutes.

Starting point is 00:02:12 You still have Sam Gerard there right now, but there's still at least an opportunity for Owen Pickering to potentially have a great camp and a great preseason and really make the Penguins coaches in the front office put him onto this roster. I know defensemen take more time than forwards do, but it really does feel like that. Pat, that this is put up or shut up time for him? It does. And the difference I will say to this year is that Pickering has some forward momentum and he actually has an opening going into this year. Last year, even though we weren't that hyped at the time on Parker Watherspoon, there was a bit of, okay, you got to pencil him in.

Starting point is 00:02:57 Ryan Shea, you also had to pencil in. Even for a little bit of a time, there was some Jack St. Iveny penciling in, and he was just kind of crunched out. You look at the rest of the defense this year. Van Rimsdike, you figure is getting a spot for $1 million. You're not burying that unless it's Ryan Graves level bad. Declan Carlisle, you want him to be your Watherspoon replacement, but he's making $1.5 million for only two years.

Starting point is 00:03:30 and he's a project. And if he isn't working out, there's an opening there for Owen Pickering. Put on top of that, he was really good with Wilkes-Barre last year. He started to look a lot more like what we wanted him to look like after he was drafted in 2022. So there's an opening for him this year. And again, the positive momentum is there

Starting point is 00:03:58 where he actually could step up and take a spot because I look at a player like Pickering, and I always, I say this on the show a lot. He's only 22. And not only is he only 22, he's a defenseman and he's not a top pair guy. Maybe one day he breaks into the top four here or elsewhere. But we know with defensemen, it takes a bit. bit. It takes a little while. It's not always Matthew Schaefer level where they come into the NHL and immediately make a difference. So the fact that he has continued to develop, he finally

Starting point is 00:04:40 had a step forward year with the baby penguins. This is a year for him where it's not make or break just yet, but it's a lot closer to break than it is make, but he has an opportunity this year going into camp. Yeah, I still think we're basically there. I'm not trying to sound like a hater or anything like that. It's just been several years now where I'm waiting for him to make that jump full-time. I thought, Pat, we were potentially going to get it during the 24-25 season. Remember, scored his first NHL goal, had three points in 25 games, and there were times where he was looking like,

Starting point is 00:05:19 okay, he's ready. You can keep up for the rest of the season. That obviously did not happen. since 47 games also in the AHAL that year with two goals and 13 points. Again, this past season doesn't make the team only plays in four games anyway during the NHL season, but you could tell he still had a lot more to work on. Goes down there in Wilkesbury. I do think Kirk McDonald does a really good job with developing him even more.

Starting point is 00:05:42 But I still feel like we're basically at that point where I need to see it. Again, I know defensemen take longer than four prospects do. But this is a time where I'm. want to see him not really break out, but kind of show the organization, hey, I'm ready for this because the left side, it's even weaker right now. And look, I know there are still other options there with TBR who can play both sides. Sam Jard, who has a year left, Declan Carlisle, who we hope has a big breakout year. We also should have mentioned Pat Cating Corsack.

Starting point is 00:06:18 He could potentially have a big breakout year on the right side for the Penguins. Next year, you still have Ilyosilov on the left side, but he's probably more of a seven or eight option for the payments. He's going to get some games, but I still don't think he's a permanent fixture in the top six. But Pickering will have an opportunity to make life, maybe a little uncomfortable for the front office and the coaching staff where they may have to make some harder decisions than they anticipated at this camp.

Starting point is 00:06:43 That's all. I agree with that point. I will also say, we know that it is not in this front office's DNA to burn guys. They don't do that. unless it's a Ryan Graves level thing or even, and this will sound silly to say, the same happened in a way with Eric Carlson two years ago when Kyle Dubus basically came out and said his actions need to meet his words when he was quote unquote disappointing with the penguins.

Starting point is 00:07:13 And obviously they've talked at length about how Ryan Graves has underperformed. But at the same time, Spetsa had a lot of good things to say about Owen Pickering, said he took a step forward in Wilkes-Bair said that we do have to be patient with young defensemen, especially big young defensemen, because again, he's 22 and he's already, what, 6-5? Like that guy in a way, we do kind of forget this because it's pro sports and this is the way it has to be. He's still growing into his body.

Starting point is 00:07:45 He's still learning how to be 6 foot 5 in a way. So he's learning how to become a pro. But to my original point, he played well in the HL. Now, that'll get you a cup of coffee and a pat on the back at the end of the day. You do have to end up proving it in the NHL. But this is the first time in a couple of years. We have seen tangible progress from Owen Pickering. Now the ball is in his court to push that even further forward.

Starting point is 00:08:19 And as you said, Hunter, make life a little bit of. uncomfortable on some of these other defensemen, the coaching staff, and the management. Exactly. And I still think he projects more as a defense first player. He can give you a little bit of offense. But when he was coming out, my comp was definitely like a mini version of Brian Dumlin where he can be steady in his own end, a good first pass, good along the boards. Again, not going to give you a lot of offense, but he can potentially be a second pair player. I don't think he's going to be a first pair player either, but maybe Pat, if he fully hits second pair, but at least a start, if he's able to make the team potentially, would be

Starting point is 00:09:01 on the third pair, I would assume. And then we'll see if that role grows. But again, he's got to go out there like everyone else and earn his spot. And we'll see if he can do that when training can comes in about a month and a half at this point. But that's going to do it for this first segment. Coming up in the second segment, Pat and I are going to do our best to predict power play one for this upcoming season as the roster stands right now. That's coming up right after this. But before we get to that, we have to tell you all about our first sponsor, which is Fandall.

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Starting point is 00:10:43 play ball and swing for the fences on Fandle, an official partner of Major League Baseball. All right, we're back here on the Wednesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunters Hodes, joined by my co-s, Patrick Damp and Teddy, my German Shepherd must have saw a deer or some other dog out there because she was going nuts for a few minutes there. Apologies on that, she just loves

Starting point is 00:11:08 letting everyone in the neighborhood know that she is the boss. But Pat, getting back to the hockey talk here with the power play, in terms of what I think will be for PP1 this year, obviously, Sidney Crosby, no questions asked. Evgeny Malkin, he's going to be on there too. Eric Carlson is definitely going to be there. And this is where some people might have a few questions, just because, you know, Ricardo Raquel, he's been a mainstay.

Starting point is 00:11:36 Brian Rust has also been a mainstay. I think they're going to go with Raquel as another right shot there. And I think they will move Brian Russ down to PowerPlay 2 and put Igor Chinakov on PowerPlay 1. I just think it makes the most sense. With Carlson, he can run things at the point. Great Playmaker also has a great release. Gino, he can move around. obviously has that great one-timer,

Starting point is 00:11:58 but his playmaking ability, if you give him time in space, is nasty. Sid, in his office behind the net, he can set anyone up if you give him time in space. Raquel, also a good one-timer. He's also really good in the slot. And then Chinikov, Pat, you can kind of use him as a rover, if you will.

Starting point is 00:12:14 He can also move around well. Great one-timer, just a great disgusting release in general. That's kind of what I would do for the power play. At least as it stands right now, no other moves have been made with the roster. I think it is time, though, for Chinakov to get the full-time reps on PP-1, just with the release that he has. Again, no disrespect to Brian Russ. I think he's a hell of a player still.

Starting point is 00:12:37 I just think it's time to give Chinokov some more responsibility. You can flip a coin for me, whether it's Russ or Raquel, taking one or the other off, because I do think at the end of the day, both have their value either in the slot or in front of the net. an incredibly underrated part of Ricard Raquel's game, dude's not afraid to go to the front of the net. Dude is not afraid to take a beating in front of the net, whether it's at five on five or on the power play. He is totally good with being in front of that net.

Starting point is 00:13:11 And we know Brian Rust is that guy. Brian Rust, heart of a lion, he just, he will go wherever he needs to go and do whatever he needs to do to win. So you can flip a coin for me, that one, which one you want to take off, which one you want to keep on. But the biggest thing, I want Igor Chinikov's release on the top power play. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:13:35 The power play was genuinely great for most of the year last year. It trailed off near the end of the season and into the playoffs. Yeah, until the playoffs, Pat, where they just could not get anything going. It went away at the worst possible time. Right. But imagine if, and this is one of the only. real critiques I have of Dan Mews from last year because I thought Dan Mews did a masterful job last season, which I think goes without saying. And even in the times when you remember those

Starting point is 00:14:08 those December, January blown leads when we were like, he needs to blow up on the team. He needs to shake everything up. And he went, how about you two shut the hell up and let me cook here? And he turned out to be right. But imagine if down the stretch of the season, You take off one of Rusty Raquel, you put Chinikov's release on there. Might have been a nice little shot of adrenaline for that power play when they needed it. And I think next year, going into camp, you do a little bit of a faux battle. You kind of make it seem like, oh, you know, you're going to have to earn these spots. But wink, wink, nudge, nudge, Chinikov, you are on the wall for power play one.

Starting point is 00:14:50 and your job is get the puck, shoot the puck, and that's it. Right. And obviously you don't need him around the net front or anything like that. You want him utilizing his release from 20, 25 feet out. And then it's on maybe someone like Raquel, for example, packed to crash in the net a little bit. I have him in the slot. If you move Malkin down there a little bit,

Starting point is 00:15:09 he still likes going to the net at times. He can crash it a little bit. All that matters is that Chinakov is firing pucks to the net. That is what I want because even though there was even more of a shoot versus mentality last year, give me even more of it this year. I just felt like in the playoffs, especially, and I know small sample sizes can be fickle. I don't want to overreact or anything like that. It just felt like they were kind of reverting at times to the power play we've seen before where they were just looking for that perfect play, trying to do a little too much when

Starting point is 00:15:39 sometimes less is more. And I think you're going to see that change for this upcoming season. And again, I would have Chinokov there. I think Ben Kindle is probably going to get some reps on PP1 at times as well, though I kind of have him more as someone that's going to be on PP2. Him, Brian Rust, Chris Latang, Tommy Novak, Helpat, maybe Andre Kuzmanko, I think could potentially get time on PowerPlay 2 as well. That's kind of like the thinking I have right now for PP2 with Kuzminko. He's been a goal score at times during his initial career. Novak, he's kind of more of a playmaker, and I would just assume that Latang is going to quarterback it unless they want Cating Corsack to do it.

Starting point is 00:16:22 And then you can have Kindle and then Brian Russ there as well. That's just kind of my early thinking for some of the PowerPlay units. I have a bit of a hot take for PowerPlay 2. And I think that there, I think PowerPlay 2 is kind of going to be Dan Musen Company's mad science experiment. I think at the end of the day when you look at PowerPlay 1, Crosby, Mall, Carlson, Rust and or Raquel, and then Shinikov. I think PowerPlay 2, make it your sandbox,

Starting point is 00:16:58 make it your science experiment, move some stuff around, try some stuff. I look at it right now. What if you just did this? And maybe not for good, not for the whole season, but just as a trial run, what if you just throw out that third line? Kindle, Kuzmanko, Robertson.

Starting point is 00:17:17 Yeah, Robertson's an option. and see what they can do. And here's the other thing that I would do that I know a lot of people are going to Winsat, but this is kind of an ideal situation for both. Gerard and Lattang, just have those two in an offensive situation. Because I look at, and obviously this is Puckpedia just filling in, you know, pin marks because that's what the salary cap say. but it has Chinikov Novak Kuzmenko, Kindle-Latang.

Starting point is 00:17:50 Listen, I like Ben Kindle's two-way game as much as the next guy. I don't want him being the guy back as a quote-unquote defenseman on a power play. So I think the way I see it more than anything is you make your power play one all gas, no breaks. You put everybody who's going to put up numbers on your top unit. and then your second unit, you got to play a little safe. And I know Gerard and Latang had a rough year last year together, but I think they would be okay in a five on four, then a five on five.

Starting point is 00:18:26 And I would trust one or both of them to be back. And it's not me saying, I think Kindle's bad defensively. We know he's good defensively. But I don't want to see, say, a team like the Caps or a team like the Hurricanes play that power kill. And then, oh, no, here's Ben Kindle defending a two-on-one, and that just spells trouble for them. But I wouldn't mind seeing them just kind of move chess pieces around for the second power play unit. I understand your thought on the third line, because I do think Robertson is going to be an option at times as well.

Starting point is 00:19:02 I would expect him to get some minutes. But I don't think you can do both Gerard and Letang. I'd rather you just do one of them and add another forward. I just think considering what we saw at five-on-five, it was pure. nightmare fuel for a lot of their minutes, I really wouldn't want to risk that on the powerplay either. So that's kind of my thinking. If you're going to add one of them, that's fine, but I would prefer the extra forward there for PowerPlay 2. But those are my main thoughts on the PowerPill units for next season as it stands right now. We have to see how it'll look when we get

Starting point is 00:19:37 training camp underway in a month and a half and then preseason getting close to starting after that as well. But that's going to do it for the second segment. Coming up to end the show, we saw a small trade on Tuesday. Penguins prospect, Gabriel Degg, was traded from the nailers to the Florida Everblades. And Pat and I are going to give some quick thoughts on that coming up right after this. All right, we're back here on the Wednesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodes, joined by my host, Patrick Damp. And Pat, we were kind of wondering what's going to happen here with Gabriel Degg, just because he was still part of the Wheeling Nailers. And then the Everblades tweeted out on Tuesday evening that they had acquired him from the nailers in return

Starting point is 00:20:27 for a defenseman Hunter Sandsbury. So Gabriel Digg, he will be with the Everblades for this upcoming season. I should say he's ECHL rights, but again, he's going to be with the Everblades this upcoming season. And I'm assuming Pat, he is going to be duing up with Cam Johnson, who Wilkesbury just signed a one-year contract for the 26-27 season. As we discussed, Johnson has been a career ECHL. he has been very good for the Everblades, Gabriel Degg, kind of see it going as a, I don't think Degg's going to be a backup because I think he needs to get playing time there.

Starting point is 00:20:58 I kind of see it as of right now, maybe more of a 1A, 1B. I do think Dague learning from someone like Johnson, who has been in the ECHL for a while and has played really well, could pay big dividends for him as Dague tries to take the next step in his career. I mean, hell, in the Q last year, Deg finished with a 908 save on one of the worst teams in the league. they were horrendous defensively. And Dague was just saving them night in and night out. And even at times, Pat, it still wasn't enough to because his team was so bad.

Starting point is 00:21:28 But he was still putting up at least respectable numbers. Now he'll be on an Everblades team that plays well defensively. They're coming off another Kelly Cup. So no problems with this move at all. Honestly, Pat, it felt like the natural move here because I just don't think Wheeling was going to keep his rights. It felt like it was only a matter of time before they were going to send them to the Everblades. Yes and no.

Starting point is 00:21:48 I mean, the Wheeling management deserves some props because they could have been cordial about it and just said, hey, we'll send Dague to Florida for future considerations or whatever. But they got an asset out of it. And with Wheeling still looking for an affiliate, you should try to get something. Because if they go on affiliated this year, that's going to be a team that doesn't really give a damn about development for at least a year. They're just going to try to win. and getting an asset out of Florida for that is smart. And you know that the penguins want to keep Digg in the system

Starting point is 00:22:25 because we have talked at length about how strong the penguins goaltending pipeline is and Deg is part of that. And you beat me to the punch with the baby penguins and Florida keeping Cam Johnson around. That will be a great learning opportunity for Gabriel Degg because Johnson has been in the ECHL for a really long time. He's one of the most accomplished goalies in the ECHL. Surelyly when his career comes to an end,

Starting point is 00:22:56 he will be in the ECHL Hall of Fame. Yes, that is a thing. And the other thing that I think will help this is, regardless of what division Florida is in, regardless of where they play, who they play, you pull up the ECHL teams map and they're the most southern team in the league. They have to do a lot of traveling. They have to, whether it's go up to play Orlando, whether it's play Jacksonville,

Starting point is 00:23:25 South Carolina, or Atlanta, excuse me, they're going to have to travel a lot. And it's not going to be like the, as I say a lot, it's not like the NHL where you're jumping on a plane. You're on a bus. So there's going to be a lot of platooning. for goal tending. So it's not going to be, hey, Deg, sit behind Johnson for a year, learn everything you need to learn. He's going to get every other or every second other start. Yeah, he's going to get some good playing time this year. It'll be nice because, you know, Deg got a taste of the ECHL at the end of this past season. Pat, remember came over from the

Starting point is 00:24:01 queue, played in a few games, played pretty well in those games. Now he's going to get way more than a taste. And this will be an opportunity to see, okay, how far is your development coming? Where are we going here in the future? How do you do in this league before, okay, maybe you'll be ready for the A in a year, year and a half, something like that. But he's going to play this year, right? Fully so. And it's a, and the other thing I will add to that is I still understand. I respect. I get why people are emotional about losing weeks. That's totally fair. And this isn't a shot at wheeling because, again, they have done a great job in their entire existence. Florida also has done a very good job in developing players and being a first class ECHL organization. So having him there, having him behind one of the, or not even behind, having him in tandem with one of the best goalies in the ECHL of the modern era is only going to help his development. So, this is all good news for the Penguins organization and for the individual in Gabriel Day. Right. I'm with you on all accounts there. It just made the most sense to send him to the Everblades, at least for his ECHL rights, and he's going to play there this year, and he's going to

Starting point is 00:25:24 get some good starts. And I'm excited. I'm going to be really curious to track him throughout this season when he does start. How does he play? How does his numbers look? All that good stuff. But I think that's going to do it for the Wednesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Thank you all so much to take the time to listen to slash watch this one. Pat and I will be back with a fresh episode for you all on Friday, aka Afghani Malkins' 40th birthday. Pretty big birthday for one of the best players, not just in Penguins history, but in NHL history.

Starting point is 00:25:57 And oh, yeah, Pat and I got to talk about some of our favorite Gino moments just because it's a pretty big birthday for him. and oh yeah we'll have fan take friday as well so that's what you have to look forward to for the friday edition fan take friday and then some more favorite gino moments because it is his 40th birthday but again that's going to do it for this one thank you all so much for tuning in we appreciate it we'll be back on friday

Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Can Penguins’ prospect Owen Pickering FINALLY break through?

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