The Penguins announced they’ve placed defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph on injured reserve. There’s no corresponding transaction for now, so they’re left with an open roster spot.
Joseph, 25, quietly departed Saturday’s loss to the Bruins with an upper-body injury in the first period, not before laying a huge hit on Boston captain Brad Marchand. He was held out of yesterday’s loss to the Maple Leafs as a result, allowing Ryan Graves to re-enter the lineup after he sat as a healthy scratch against the Bs.
It’s Joseph’s first IR placement of what’s been an expressly disappointing season for the 2017 first-round pick. He was non-tendered by Pittsburgh last summer and signed a one-year deal with the Blues on the open market, but found his way back to the Pens when they acquired him in mid-December for future considerations.
Joseph has posted decent possession metrics (51.5 CF%, 47.4 xGF% at even strength) since the move, but they haven’t translated to the scoresheet. He has just one assist in 24 appearances with a -15 rating, averaging 17:20 per game. It’s a far cry from the 21 points he posted in 75 games with Pittsburgh in 2022-23 that earned him some very fringe Calder Trophy consideration.
The ex-Coyotes prospect, initially acquired by Pittsburgh in the 2021 Phil Kessel trade, has fallen out of the regular lineup as a result. He’s been a healthy scratch on a few occasions recently as the Pens look to work in new additions Vincent Desharnais and Vladislav Kolyachonok into depth roles.
Joseph is slated for restricted free agency this summer, but with how things are trending, the Penguins will likely release him for the second season in a row. He’ll be hard-pressed to find a raise on his $950K cap hit for 2024-25.