This season could be a big one for this Pittsburgh Penguins prospect.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are nearing in on training camp and there is a small list of spots up for grabs on the NHL roster.
One positon that many Penguins fans will have their eyes on is depth defense and who will fill in the final slot on the blue line.
The top five defensemen are just about set with Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, Jeff Petry, Marcus Pettersson, and Jan Rutta but that last spot is up for grabs.
Top defensive prospect PO Joseph not only has his eyes on that position, but he has the most to prove once camp opens.
Joseph was brought to the Penguins organization in 2019 and has been battling for a starting role on the team ever since.
With three seasons of American Hockey League experience under his belt, the time is now for Joseph to prove he can truly live up to the expectations.
Fans and pundits both believe Joseph deserves his chance as an NHL regular and that all starts with a good training camp.
Joseph will be battling for that spot with other candidates like Mark Friedman, Chad Ruhwedel, and the young Ty Smith.
The competition between those four players should be one of the highlights of Penguins training camp.
All four of them have the chance, and for sure the possibility to be NHL regulars, but only one can come out on top.
Joseph needs to prove he is the guy; Penguins historian Bob Grove said before that if Joseph doesn’t get a fair shake this year, it could be a 'short career'.
The presence of Joseph should motivate guys like Smith and Ruhwedel to find a new level at camp because of how slim the opportunity has gotten.
A lot of names but not a lot of open spots; the pressure will be on Joseph and it is up to him to rise to the occasion.
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