Penguins Bring Back P.O Joseph in Trade with Blues

Joseph, a first-round pick by Arizona in 2017, is under contract through the 2024-25 season with a cap hit of $950,000. He has played in 23 games for St. Louis this season, contributing two assists. Over his career, Joseph has tallied 39 points (eight goals, 31 assists) in 170 NHL games. He waw signed by the Blues as a free agent on July 3, 2024.

His best season came in 2022-23 with Pittsburgh, where he posted career-highs in goals (five), assists (16), and points (21). Additionally, Joseph bolstered his international resume by helping Team Canada secure a gold medal at the 2023 World Championship.

With Cam Fowler joining the Blues and NHL-experienced prospects Matthew Kessel and Tyler Tucker in the minors, P.O. Joseph was looking at fewer opportunities to make an impact in St. Louis. Joseph is a depth offensive defenceman. @JFreshHockey writes, “A decent skater but poor defensively and not a factor in transition. Struggled a lot on a pair with Letang last year.”

This might not be a blockbuster, but with the trade, Pittsburgh addressed injuries to Marcus Pettersson and Jack St. Ivany.

This was the second trade in under an hour in the NHL Wednesday. Teams are looking at making moves before the NHL roster freeze comes into effect on Friday. It goes into effect at 11:59 pm tomorrow, Thursday, December 19th…it ends at 12:01 am on December 28th.