Penguins A to Z: Pierre-Olivier Joseph may be ready for the NHL

While the NHL is on hold because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 55 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Player: Pierre-Olivier Joseph

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 20

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 161 pounds

2019-20 AHL statistics: 52 games, 17 points (three goals, 14 assists)

Contract: First year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $863,333. Pending restricted free agent in 2022.

Acquired: Trade, June 29, 2019

This season: If you strictly look at the NHL components of the Phil Kessel trade last summer, the Penguins “lost” that transaction.

While Kessel has been underwhelming with the Arizona Coyotes this season, the Penguins’ primary return on that deal was a disappointment, to be diplomatic.

Forward Alex Galchenyuk’s attempts to recapture the form that made him a 30-goal scorer earlier in his career fell flat. By the time his Penguins’ tenure ended in February, he was on the fourth line playing less than five minutes a game.

But the Penguins might still emerge as long-term “winners” of that trade thanks to Pierre-Olivier Joseph, a former first-round draft pick they also received in the deal.

The No. 23 overall selection of the 2017 draft, Joseph made his professional debut this season but stumbled early as he missed 11 games in October and November because of a bout of mononucleosis.

Once he recovered, Joseph was used in virtually every situation, averaging well north of 20 minutes a game this season (the AHL does not keep official time on ice statistics) and turned into one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s most valuable players.

(Video courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack)

By the time the AHL halted play in mid-March, Joseph was entrenched on the top defensive pairing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The future: Joseph, the brother of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph, has the base components to be a top-four defenseman in the modern NHL. He is a slick skater and has sound on-ice vision that allows him to identify shooting and passing lanes. He is also a sharp passer and knows how to defend with his stick (poke checks, stick-on-pucks, gap control, etc.).

But even in the context of a streamlined NHL, he needs to add muscle. At 161 pounds, battles near the net or the corners are not his forte and probably never will be.

Overall, Joseph has taken considerable strides in his development this season.

If the NHL resumes this season with expanded rosters, he is a candidate for a recall, even if he only serves as a black ace during that promotion.

Given the Penguins likely will part ways with pending unrestricted free agent Justin Schultz and possibly pending restricted free agent Juuso Riikola this offseason, Joseph might become a full-time member of the NHL roster as early as next season.

General manager Jim Rutherford has often boasted of young blue liners John Marino and Marcus Pettersson potentially being part of the Penguins roster for a decade. Joseph could become part of that group throughout the 2020s starting next season.

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