Former-First-Round Pick Defenceman Signs In Vancouver

Pierre-Olivier Joseph Signs with Vancouver Canucks

From Laval, Quebec, Pierre-Olivier (PO) Joseph spent his pre-draft seasons with the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL. He got off to a slow start in 2015-16, scoring just eight points through 48 games. As a bigger, rangier two-way defenceman, a lot of Joseph’s game relies on solid two-way production. This was on full display in his draft year, where he scored 39 points through 62 games.

After being drafted 23rd overall in 2017 by the Arizona Coyotes, he would improve on his pre-draft numbers even further in the 2017-18 season. Through 63 games, he scored 46 points. Finally, he split his final QMJHL season between the Islanders and Drummondville Voltigeurs. Between the two teams, he would score 47 points through 62 games, while providing great defensive play.

NHL Career so Far

Although he was drafted by the Coyotes, Joseph would never play a professional game with the organization. Instead, he was moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a deal that centred around Phil Kessel to Arizona. He played well in his rookie AHL season, scoring 17 points with good defensive play through 52 games.

Since 2020-21 however, he’s bounced around consistently between the AHL and NHL. Joseph failed to show growth through his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Due to a lacklustre 2023-24 season, the defenceman would sign with the St. Louis Blues for one year. Unfortunately, a systems change didn’t help much, and Joseph was moved back to Pittsburgh, where he continued to struggle at the NHL level. On a __ year deal, Joseph is likely on his last chance to establish himself on an NHL roster. At 25 years old, Joseph will have to show significant improvements in his two-way game to live up to his first-round pick potential quickly.