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Penguins A to Z: P.O Joseph's return did not go as hoped | TribLIVE.com
Penguins/NHL

Penguins A to Z: P.O Joseph's return did not go as hoped

Seth Rorabaugh
Seth Rorabaugh
8518201_web1_AP24359136189855
AP
In 24 games with the Penguins this past regular season, defenseman P.O Joseph had one assist.

With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 56 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 24, four days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

P.O Joseph

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 25

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 185 pounds

2024-25 NHL statistics: 47 games, three points (zero goals, three assists), 15:16 average ice time per contest

Contract: Signed to a one-year contract with a salary cap hit of $950,000. Pending restricted free agent this upcoming offseason.

(Joseph is eligible for salary arbitration.)

Acquired: Trade, Dec. 18, 2024

This season: As a restricted free agent during the 2024 offseason, P.O Joseph’s departure from the Penguins was something of a surprise given that he finished the 2023-24 campaign in strong fashion, teaming with Kris Letang on the top pairing.

But that decision was primarily rooted in procedural concerns. Penguins management opted not to extend a qualifying offer to Joseph and allowed him to attain unrestricted free agent status because there was a risk of Joseph being awarded a high salary figure in arbitration that would have created complications for the Penguins’ salary cap figures.

That led to him signing with the St. Louis Blues on July 2, 2024 and opening the season in the Mound City with his brother, forward Mathieu Joseph.

Things didn’t get off to a great start for Joseph as he was a healthy scratch for three of the Blues’ first four games.

Once he established a regular place in the lineup, Joseph was mainly relegated to third-pairing duties. In 23 games with the Blues, Joseph had two assists while averaging 13:06 of ice time per contest.

Perhaps the most notable moment of Joseph’s tenure with the Blues — and maybe his entire season — came during a 4-2 home loss to the Utah Hockey Club when he fought forward Maveric Lamoureux.

The Blues acquired All-Star left-handed defenseman Cam Fowler on Dec. 14, a surplus was created on St. Louis’ back end and four days later, Joseph was sent back to the Penguins for future considerations (i.e. nothing).

Reunited with the Penguins, Joseph was almost immediately paired with Letang. But any hopes the two friends would re-establish their on-ice chemistry never seemed to materialize.

Joseph’s lone offensive contribution to the Penguins came in the form of a primary assist on a goal by forward Kevin Hayes during a 3-2 home shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 4.

Beyond that, Joseph’s play was mostly unimpressive following his return and he was even a healthy scratch a handful of times before suffering an undisclosed injury during a 3-2 home loss to the Boston Bruins on March 1. Joseph was hobbled after Bruins forward Mark Kastelic struck Joseph with a shoulder-on-shoulder check.

That ailment ultimately brought Joseph’s season to an end as he missed the final 20 games while landing on injured reserve.

The future: Procedurally speaking, Joseph is in almost the same exact place as he was a year ago as a pending restricted free agent.

Metaphorically, he’s in a very different place as he is coming off a down season that was filled by injuries.

In other words, he is not in a strong position to command a lucrative contract, unlike last season.

If that means he’ll be re-signed or be cut loose again, that’s a heck of a question.

Clearly, Joseph wasn’t at his best in 2024-25 (with two teams) and moving on (for good) might benefit both parties. At the same time, Joseph is still young (he turns 26 on July 1) and the Penguins have contract control once again. Additionally, the Penguins aren’t exactly deep in NHL-ready defensive prospects.

For a team that isn’t an immediate threat to contend for the playoffs, re-signing Joseph — even if only for a single season to serve as a placeholder until more prospects are ready to reach the NHL — might be congruent with management’s overall plans for rebuilding the Penguins.

Regardless of what’s next, Joseph’s return did not go as hoped.

Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.

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Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports
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