Penguins Taking Chance on Young Defenseman

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have a new look when they face off against the New York Islanders. Head coach Mike Sullivan threw his lineup into a blender at practice and is looking for a spark to fix the team's trajectory.

His most notable adjustment was moving P.O. Joseph from the press box to the Penguins' top defense pair with Kris Letang. Joseph has struggled to maintain a lineup spot this season, playing in 22 of the team's 52 games. His underlying numbers are slightly above average, but his play has yet to warrant a consistent lineup spot over bottom-pair players like Ryan Shea and John Ludvig.

He'll join fellow countryman Kris Letang atop the Penguins defense. That duo played just over 170 minutes together at 5v5 last season but have only shared the ice for 19 minutes this season.

The switch has more to do with balance than anything. With Joseph on the top pair, Marcus Pettersson rejoins Erik Karlsson on the second pair, giving Karlsson a defensive safety blanket and seemingly more leeway to create offense at the expense of the defensive zone.

Meanwhile, Ryan Graves moves back to the third pair. Graves' struggles have been one of the more publicized issues the Penguins have faced this season. However, the Penguins have outscored opponents 6-2 in the short time that Graves and Chad Ruhwedel have played together this season (82 minutes).

Joseph's once-high ceiling has fallen far due to his performance this year, but the Penguins are entrusting him with an essential role at a pivotal point in the season. They are 3-6-1 in their last ten and must turn the ship around quickly to keep any hope of a playoff berth alive.