Penguins Defenseman Named Sneaky Trade Target

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PITTSBURGH – Winning or losing, the Pittsburgh Penguins are likely to be one of the most talked about teams surrounding the trade deadline. Struggling to maintain a spot in the playoff race and an expiring Jake Guentzel, the Penguins have some big decisions to make.

While Guentzel is a key name that will catch a ton of focus, and Reilly Smith is even a name that could hit the market, the Penguins have another name that might garner a lot of attention.

According to Chris Johnston and Harman Dayal of The Athletic, Penguins defenseman P.O. Joseph is a possible trade candidate who could fly under the radar. Joseph’s name appeared on their list of players who are falling out of favor with their current club and could be useful pieces in a deal.

“Joseph could be an intriguing change of scenery candidate for a rebuilding team with a better role for his skill set,” The Athletic writes. “The acquisition cost should be really cheap and he can be a handy player if he gets back to the form he showed last year. He’s a pending RFA so a potential buyer wouldn’t have to worry about paying him a one-way salary if a fresh start doesn’t work out.”

Joseph has struggled quite a bit this season with the Penguins, being a healthy scratch on numerous occasions as well as dealing with injuries. When he is on the ice, however, the results haven’t been outstanding.

In 17 total games played this season at the NHL level, Joseph has yet to score a goal and has recorded three assists. Head coach Mike Sullivan has continued to speak highly of Joseph’s game, usually talking about his foot speed, but things have not gone his way this season.

With the emergence of John Ludvig as a legitimate option for the Penguins’ third defensive pairing, Jospeh’s role on the Penguins has become expendable.

Joseph entered the NHL as one of the Penguins top prospects and was a first round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2017. It’s very possible he still has a bright future ahead of him in the NHL, it just might not happen with the Penguins.

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