Penguins A to Z: Pierre-Olivier Joseph will continue to wait

As the NHL prepares for a new season expected to start in mid-January, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 21

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 161 pounds

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

Contract: Second 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

Last season: Pierre-Olivier Joseph was ahead of everyone when it came to not playing because of a virus.

Months before the coronavirus pandemic halted just about every walk of life on earth, including professional hockey, Joseph’s professional existence was interrupted due to a bout of mononucleosis that caused him to miss 11 games throughout October and November during his first professional season.

When he did recover, Joseph displayed steady development throughout the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ season as he was used in virtually every situation on the ice, including both special teams units.

By the time the American Hockey League (AHL) season was halted in mid-March, Joseph was believed to be averaging well over 20 minutes a game (the AHL does not keep official time on ice statistics) while manning the left side of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s top defensive pairing with Jon Lizotte.

Having morphed into one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s most valuable players, Joseph was included in the NHL Penguins postseason roster in August but did not dress for any playoff games.

The future: After general manager Jim Rutherford called for his team to get younger this offseason, there was some belief Joseph could be part of that youth movement. As a former first-round pick (No. 23 overall in 2017 by the Arizona Coyotes), he has a world of talent and by all accounts, impressed management with his progress despite having his first professional season disrupted by his own illness as well as the pandemic.

But with the addition of Mike Matheson and the re-signing of Juuso Riikola, each left-handed defensemen, Joseph is still stuck fairly low on the Penguins’ organizational depth chart. And considering all the Penguins’ left-side defensemen — Brian Dumoulin, Marcus Pettersson, Matheson and Riikola — have multiple years remaining on their contracts, Joseph’s path to the NHL lineup — even from a long-term perspective — isn’t exactly clear.

Regardless, he might be the organization’s top prospect. And as a result, he’ll likely get invited to the team’s upcoming training camp and could be included in the team’s taxi squad of reserves for the 2020-21 season.

If the AHL’s season opens Feb. 5 as hoped, Joseph could be sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to get some playing time and further his development.

While he could stand to add some muscle, Joseph has a quick set of skates, a long frame and has shown the ability to produce ample offense at the junior level. He possesses all the base components to be a “Penguins defenseman,” even if he’ll have to continue waiting to actually become one.

Follow the Penguins all season long.