Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph remains positive as a regular healthy scratch

P.O Joseph was smiling Wednesday.

But he always smiles.

In good times and in bad.

And as of late, there have been plenty of good times for the Pittsburgh Penguins, even if they don’t largely involve the left-handed defenseman.

While the team was in the midst of a five-game winning streak entering Thursday’s home contest against the New Jersey Devils, Joseph was a healthy scratch for nine of the previous 10 games, largely replaced on the left side of the third pairing by first-year NHLer Ryan Shea.

Hardly an ideal circumstance for a player who enjoyed a solid rookie campaign last season and was a first-round draft pick (No. 23 overall) of the Arizona Coyotes in 2017. But the effervescent Joseph sees the positive.

He always does.

“It’s been a lot of learning experiences,” Joseph said following practice in Cranberry on Wednesday. “Just being around here, I’m really just grateful and being able to work on a couple of things. Of course, I want to be (in the lineup), but I’m just happy that the guys are doing well right now. I’m just here to stay positive and enjoy the process.”

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That process has seen him play in five games this season while recording a single assist and an average of 13 minutes, 5 seconds of ice time.

What parts of his game require refinement for a potentially regular return to the lineup?

“I can be a little bit stiffer on (all) areas of my game,” Joseph said. “And how I can be a little bit stronger on pucks and a little bit more physical. It’s an overall game I want to improve. Looking at (teammates), I’ve really got to improve everything in my game.”

Joseph’s outlook is appreciated by those who have filled out the lineup card without his name.

“P.O is a great pro,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He understands it, and he controls what he can. We communicate with him regularly, myself and (associate coach Todd Reirden who oversees the defensemen). He handles it with the utmost professionalism. He works on his game every day. These decisions aren’t easy. We’ve got a number of defensemen here that are worthy of being in the lineup.

“As far as P.O is concerned, he’s handled it with incredible professionalism. … He’s a terrific person, and he’s a good teammate. He understands the importance of having a good attitude and just controlling what he can. And that’s his effort and his attitude and his preparation. He’s getting certain reps in practice. He’s getting a certain amount of puck touches all the time. We try to monitor that as a coaching staff so that we put guys in positions to succeed when they do get a call to get in the lineup. We feel a responsibility to help a guy like P.O in those circumstances, and we’re doing everything we can to help.”

What keeps Joseph upbeat without the reward of steady playing time?

“You’re here, you’re in the NHL,” said Joseph, 24. “You’re playing with the best players in the world. I could be anywhere else really doing something else. But I’m doing what I like. Every day, I have a chance to come here and practice and be around these guys and learn from them, even though I’m not playing with them right now. I’m still young, and I’m still learning a lot. Just looking at these guys right now, it’s a learning experience.”

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