Before the puck dropped on this season, we highlighted five Penguins players we were most curious to watch. Now that the final buzzer has sounded, it's time to lace up and revisit how each one fared—starting with a young defenseman who's been on quite a journey.

Owen Pickering gave fans a glimpse of his potential, skating in 25 NHL games during his rookie campaign. But his time in the big league hit a rough patch in January, when he received some tough love from none other than Sidney Crosby during a hard practice session. After struggling in his final few games, Pickering was sent back to the AHL—and hasn't been seen on NHL ice since. That was nine months ago, and now the question is: how much has the 21-year-old grown from that experience?

The leap from Year 1 to Year 2 is crucial in hockey development, and it's going to be critical for Pickering to show he's taken a step forward. The Penguins are in desperate need of left-side defensive depth, and a breakout from Pickering would be a huge boost. Unfortunately, his early-season stint was short-lived—just four games from late October to early November—and it didn't go well, especially toward the end. Since then, the team has relied on other options, including picking up Ilya Solovyov in a trade with Colorado.

On the bright side, Pickering has settled into being a quality AHL player. He scored a key power-play goal in Game 1 of the playoffs against Hershey and set career highs in goals, assists, and points. But at 22 years old, he's now four seasons removed from his draft year, and the clock is ticking. History isn't kind to mid-round first-round picks who haven't made an NHL impact by this stage. Pickering is under contract through 2026-27, but unless he takes a major step forward, the curiosity around him may soon fade.

For Penguins fans, the hope is that this offseason brings the development needed to turn potential into performance—because this team could really use a homegrown defenseman to step up.