Penguins sign No. 21 overall pick Owen Pickering to entry-level contract

The Penguins have signed their top selection from the draft earlier this month, announcing that they’ve signed blueliner Owen Pickering to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 18-year-old was the 21st pick by Pittsburgh earlier this month following a strong season with Swift Current of the WHL where he had 33 points in 62 games in his first full major junior season. Now standing 6-foot-4, Pickering had a late growth spurt and will need some time to fill out his frame before he’s ready to even consider playing in the pros. He’s the first first-round pick from the Broncos since Boston took Jake DeBrusk 14th overall back in 2015.

Pickering’s contract is eligible to slide a year if he doesn’t play in 10 NHL games next season, and it’s doubtful he will see any NHL action. As a result, he’ll still have three years left on his deal after this one, likely at a slightly lower cap hit — assuming his contract has signing bonuses, which is quite normal for first-round selections.