Hurricanes Sign Pierre-Olivier Joseph

The defending Stanley Cup champions are adding some defensive depth ahead of the 2026-27 season. According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to a one-year, $850K contract.

Joseph, 27, has been somewhat of a journeyman the past few years. Originally, the Arizona Coyotes selected Joseph with the 27th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. Before playing a game with the Coyotes, Arizona traded him and Alex Galchenyuk to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019.

It understandably took Joseph a few years in the Penguins organization to find his footing. A depth defender in the early 2020s, Joseph became a full-time defenseman in Pittsburgh for the 2022-23 campaign. He put together a respectable year, scoring five goals and 21 points in 75 games with a +8 rating, averaging 15:15 of ice time per game.

Unfortunately, and largely due to injuries, it’s been all downhill for Joseph. He spent a few more years with the Penguins; he went non-tendered after the 2023-24 campaign. Joseph quickly signed with the St. Louis Blues, but was traded back to Pittsburgh a few months later for future considerations.

Again going non-tendered, Joseph signed with the Vancouver Canucks for the 2025-26 season. He appeared in 31 games for the Canucks, scoring one goal and six points with a -16 rating, averaging 13:18 of ice time per game.

Given his track record, it’s clear that Carolina signed Joseph as a depth defenseman. Still, it’s a little surprising for a few reasons. One, the Hurricanes already have six defensemen signed through next season, and that’s before signing Alexander Nikishin to a new contract.

Carolina may be expecting negotiations with Nikishin to last through training camp, and has brought Joseph in as insurance. The Hurricanes didn’t disclose whether it’s a one- or two-way deal with Joseph, but it would at least explain why he signed a guaranteed contract instead of a professional tryout agreement.