There are pretty much two things you won’t ever see on P.O Joseph.
A frown or weight.
Listed at 185 pounds, the effervescent Joseph knows mass always will be a strike against him as he tries to carve out a place in the NHL.
But he won’t let being a cruiserweight define him.
“I feel like it’s more than pounds,” Joseph said with a beaming smile, as is customary. “It’s how strong you are, too. You can be 200 pounds and not be as strong as a guy that’s 170. I really don’t care about my weight. I just go out there and be a better version of myself. It doesn’t matter what weight I am. I’m just trying to be strong as possible on the ice.”
Acquired during the 2019 offseason in a trade that sent the popular Phil Kessel — another player whose weight was a regular point of discussion, albeit on the opposite end of the spectrum — to the Arizona Coyotes, Joseph, Arizona’s first-round pick in 2017, initially in the Penguins’ fold at a twiggy 161 pounds. A bout of mononucleosis in the fall of 2019 as a member of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins did not help matters.
Two years later, Joseph carries a stouter presence as he tries to find a way to claim a spot on the Penguins’ NHL roster.
“P.O’s knocking on the door,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s been there for a while now. He’s a real good player. I love his attitude, his enthusiasm for the game. He loves hockey, and I just think his enthusiasm is contagious. And I love those types of guys. His overall game has just evolved, his foot speed has improved, his strength on the puck has improved, the use of his stick and how he’s defending with his stick and his size and playing to his strengths, I think that has improved. … He’s not just a guy that’s a defender. He can make an outlet pass, he can join the rush, he’s got some offensive instincts.
“We’re excited about his development.”
Joseph may have enjoyed sufficient progression, but there’s still not a clear avenue for him to claim a spot on the Penguins’ roster.
The left side of the blue line is stocked with NHL veterans on long-term contracts in Brian Dumoulin, Mike Matheson and Marcus Pettersson.
Joseph professes he isn’t paying attention to the organization’s depth chart.
“I’m not trying to think too far ahead,” said Joseph, 22. “It’s a really competitive training camp. My goal is to take a spot on the strong side. But I think if we have a chance to play on our off side and play in the NHL, I feel like everybody would try and consider it.”
Joseph, who has not played the right side in any substantial fashion during his hockey existence, has been skating with right-handed Kris Letang throughout training camp.
While training camp pairings don’t typically stick by the time the regular season opens, Joseph did play a substantial amount with Letang during the 2020-21 campaign when he made his NHL debut by appearing in 23 games.
Furthermore, the duo skated together during the summer in their native Quebec.
“We live kind close to each other,” Joseph said. “We play some three-on-three games sometimes in the summer. We try not to be on the same team and kind of compete against each other. He’s a great friend. I’m really happy that he’s by my side.”
Letang has taken on a mentorship role to Joseph and is certainly one of his biggest advocates.
“I told (assistant coach Todd Reirden, who oversees the defense), he took a step in the summer,” Letang said. “I feel like he’s faster on his feet and quicker in making decisions and plays. He showed us last year that he was able to play at that level and playing against top players in big minutes. I just think he’s going to keep growing. He’s done a tremendous job this summer to work out and train really well. I’m not surprised at the step that he took.”
It remains to be seen what direction Joseph’s next step will take him. Starting the season in the NHL with the roster as it’s presently constructed will be a big challenge.
But Joseph isn’t letting that reality weigh him down.
“The main talk was to just come here with a great mentality,” Joseph said. “Don’t change my mojo of just having fun out there. Just going day by day, and whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I’m not trying to see the future. I’m just trying to go as hard as I can whenever I’m on the ice.”
Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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