Penguins acquire Pierre-Olivier Joseph from Blues for future considerations

The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a move prior to Thursday’s holiday roster freeze, adding defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations.

Through 23 appearances with the Blues this season, Joseph has registered two assists and a minus-seven rating alongside 23 penalty minutes. A 25-year-old native of Laval, Que., Joseph signed with the Blues in July as an unrestricted free agent, inking a one-year pact that carries a $950,000 annual average value, per PuckPedia.

In joining the Blues, Joseph was afforded the opportunity to play alongside his brother Mathieu Joseph. The elder sibling is also in his first season in St. Louis after splitting the past six campaigns between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators.

Prior to joining St. Louis, Joseph spent part of the past four seasons with the Penguins. In all, the puck-moving rearguard made 147 appearances with the Penguins in which he collected eight goals and 29 assists for 37 points. He played a career-high 75 games in 2022-23, wrapping up that campaign with 21 points, a plus-eight rating, and 44 minutes in penalties.

Joseph’s resume also counts 138 games at the AHL level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pittsburgh’s top minor-league affiliate. Through four seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Joseph registered 64 points counting 14 goals and 50 assists.

Joseph was originally chosen 17th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by the former Arizona Coyotes. A graduate from the QMJHL, Joseph was a decorated defenseman in the junior ranks, seeing 235 contests split between the Charlottetown Islanders and Drummondville Voltigeurs in which he tallied 29 goals and 111 assists for 140 points.

Internationally, Joseph has represented Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Championship where he put up one goal across 10 appearances to help the Great White North to a gold-medal finish.