MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Interesting analysis, don't really disagree with much but I will say that at the time of the draft, OwenChadwickPickering was considered a guy who would develop slowly but has a lot of upside. Maybe it's fair to say the production isn't there yet so he should be taken down a notch, but it should be noted that a guy that big will likely take longer to develop, and that skating ability suggests he still has a chance at that upside. He's also a year younger, so it's not offside to have him right there with Niemela on your list.
A long time since the draft though. His D+2 year is actually a step back from his D+1 season, which is a glowing red flag that rarely ends well. He also got a AHL cup of coffee at the end of last year where he got slaughtered. Now, a 19 yr old defender getting mollywhopped in a AHL cup of coffee isn't necessarily a terrible thing, but I vividly remember us all being assured that Lilly only being a good #4-5 defender in full AHL seasons at the same age was terrible for him as a prospect. At the end of the day, Pickering is 20 yrs old now and not dominating junior hockey. Development paths can differ, but they rarely include taking a step back at a relatively easy level of play.
Fwiw, at the same age Niemela was putting up historic production for a 19 yr old in a top european league.