With the Penguins now down a top-four defenseman in Marcus Pettersson, there are two defensemen most likely to get the call from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton The Pittsburgh Penguins reacquired Pierre-Olivier Joseph [https://www.nhl.com/blues/player/pierre-olivier-joseph-8480058], who skated with the club from 2020 to 2024, in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. The 25-year-old defenseman is a veteran of 170 NHL games and has scored eight goals and 39 points. Moreover, in the AHL [https://theahl.com/stats/player/7174], which included four seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Joseph has 14 goals and 64 points in 138 games. After leaving Pittsburgh as a free agent to play with his brother Mathieu [https://www.nhl.com/blues/player/mathieu-joseph-8478472] in St. Louis, the Penguins brought him back into the fold with a deal for future considerations. Let's get reacquainted with Joseph. SERVED AS CAPTAIN OF HIS JUNIOR TEAM IN THE QMJHL Joseph made his QMJHL debut in 2015-16 [https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/284911/pierre-olivier-joseph] with the Charlottetown Islanders. During his second season with the club, he was promoted to alternate captain and earned the "C" for his final two seasons, 2017-18 and 2018-19. In 235 games in the QMJHL, he scored 27 goals and 140 points, skating his final 35 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. INITIALLY DRAFTED BY THE ARIZONA COYOTES The Arizona Coyotes used their top pick in the 2017 Draft to select Joseph at 23rd overall, 15 spots after the Nashville Predators drafted Cody Glass. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FSV1C7hIfU[/embed] Joseph is part of a loaded first-round draft class featuring Nico Hischier (1st), Cale Makar (4th), Elias Petterson (5th), Martin Necas (12), Nick Suzuki (13), and Jake Oettinger (26). He joined the Penguins on June 29, 2019, when the Coyotes shipped him to Pittsburgh, along with Alex Galchenyuk, for Phil Kessel, Dane Birks, and a fourth-round pick. GOLD MEDAL WINNER AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP In May 2023, Joseph attended the IIHF World Championship as part of Team Canada. To date, it's his only international hockey experience. In ten games, he scored one goal and had one penalty. One of his Canadian teammates was Glass, who was traded to the Penguins in August 2024. The pair will be reunited in Pittsburgh and share a dressing room with Drew O'Connor, who represented the United States at the tournament. BROTHER MATHIEU PLAYS IN ST. LOUIS Pierre-Olivier's older brother Mathieu currently plays with the Blues, who acquired him from the Ottawa Senators in a July 2024 trade. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6awOWwtr4xw[/embed] Initially drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth round (120th overall) in the 2015 Draft, Mathieu is a veteran of over 380 NHL games and has over 50 goals and 130 points. On top of a QMJHL championship, Mathieu is a silver medalist at the World Championships and a two-time Stanley Cup winner. BORN ON CANADA DAY (JULY 1) Joseph was born on Canada Day, July 1, 1999, in Laval, Quebec. His father, Frantzi Joseph, was a former player and coach who thrived in the sport. Meanwhile, his mom, France Taillon, was an elite athlete growing up. Having two athletically gifted parents has helped Pierre-Olivier and his brother Mathieu reach their goals of playing professional hockey at the highest level. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwNjYwNDIwMDI3OTUwOTI5/thnpitbanner.png]
