Young Defender Might Not Be Safe on Penguins
It's possible the next move the Pittsburgh Penguins make involves young defenseman P.O. Joseph.
When the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired P.O. Joseph from the Arizona Coyotes organization, they knew the kind of potential he had in the NHL.
Just before turning 20-years-old, Joseph joined the Penguins organization and was immediately their highest ranked defensive prospect.
After playing his first full season in the NHL in 2022-23, the good vibes may have already drifted away for Joseph.
The Penguins have played 10 games of the 2023-24 season, and Joseph has been a healthy scratch for a good chunk of them.
New president and general manager Kyle Dubas hasn’t been with the Penguins long, but he hasn’t stopped working to build the team in his image.
Over the summer, Dubas nabbed Reilly Smith and Erik Karlsson via trade; in the early stages of the season, Mark Friedman was dealt for Jack Rathbone.
Dubas isn’t afraid to make quick decisions to improve the team, and Joseph might be the next casualty.
It isn’t likely that Jospeh could fetch a huge return, but it would rattle the locker room a bit and give a little wake up call.
The Penguins are 4-6-0 to start the season and in dead last in the Metropolitan Division; there’s a lot of season ahead, but the team wants success now.
Joseph just might be the most likely option to be the next trade piece, and there are a couple of reasons.
Primary among them is that slow start; only recently finding his way back to the lineup, Joseph hasn’t yet shown to be the same steady player he was last year.
Joseph is only 24-years-old and still has outstanding potential in the NHL, but it just might not be working in Pittsburgh.
Sometimes a change of scenery is enough for a player to find a rhythm and teams could be willing to give him that shot.
The Penguins also have options to send Joseph out for little return; there is an honest surplus of left-shot defenders in the system that could be at about the same level.
Rathbone flies in and can be labeled as a ‘Dubas guy;’ Ty Smith might not be in great graces, but can easily earn his respect back; John Ludvig or Will Butcher are possible options if they return to health.
The Penguins are hungry for wins and head coach Mike Sullivan and Dubas aren’t going to be patient for too much longer.
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