As Pierre-Olivier Joseph wandered around the Penguins’ facility for the first time this week, the newly acquired defenseman was met with the same comment over and over again.
“You look bigger than we expected.”
Bigger as in taller, which is good and all. But for Joseph, a lanky 20-year-old with a waist not much wider than a red goal pipe, it’s the other kind of bigger he’s been working on.
Gaining weight has been an uphill battle for Joseph, who was acquired this offseason by Pittsburgh in the Phil Kessel trade. He can eat plates upon plates of food, as much as he wants as often as he wants. Steak. Chicken. Seafood. His favorite is his grandmother’s traditional Haitian food.
“I always come back with a full belly,” Joseph said.
Yet, the weight never seems to stick.
For most of us, that sounds like a great problem to have. But for a slim NHL prospect looking to add some meat to his bones? Not so much.
“I try to eat as often as possible,” Joseph said. “I try to eat every three to four hours. If I can get four big meals every day, I’ll try to get four with a couple snacks in between.”
The battle with the scale began when Joseph was drafted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2015. He weighed just 150 pounds. Over the next four years, he tried his best to bulk up. He’d gain 10 pounds in the summer and then lose it once the season started.
The Penguins listed Joseph at 6-2 and 185 pounds ahead of this weekend’s Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. But the truth is that both numbers are a lie.
Even at 20 years old, Joseph said he’s still growing. He’s closer to 6-3 at this point than he is 6-2. But as the ruler keeps on stretching, the scale is stubborn, currently sticking around 175 pounds.
“I have to stop growing first,” Joseph said. “Then, I think I’ll start filling out.”
This offseason, Joseph lived with his brother, Mathieu, who is two years older and currently a forward on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mathieu, 22, earned his promotion to the NHL last season, playing in 70 games and tallying 26 points.
Joseph idolizes his older brother and credits him for putting the hockey stick in his hands for the first time. Seeing his brother achieve their shared dream gave Joseph a little bit more motivation and a window into the life of a true professional.
“I just saw his preparation change,” Joseph said. “The way mentally he was more focused, a more professional player I would say.”
Through a focused diet and training, Joseph added about 10 pounds over the summer to beef up to 175 pounds. He doesn’t have a specific target weight in mind right now, but hopes to get up to 180 and then 185.
“After that, as much as my body will take,” Joseph said.
This weekend, the prospect who struggles to gain weight will get his first taste of Penguins hockey. He’s part of a group of about two dozen Penguins prospects who will compete in Buffalo in the Prospects Challenge on Sept. 6, 7 and 9.
During a practice session on Thursday, Joseph coasted around the ice wearing a No. 73 jersey. Joseph, who says you can call him P-O instead of Pierre-Olivier if that’s easier, defines himself as a two-way defenseman with a high hockey IQ who can move the puck.
It’s tough to glean too much from an easy, hour-plus workout. But for the most part, first-year Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Mike Vellucci was left with a positive first impression.
“He’s very smooth,” Vellucci said. “He is lanky. But I thought he was a bigger kid [by the way he played on the ice]. He showed me some size today. But his smarts were really good and really smooth on the ice.
“He’s got a good, long stick. We ran through some things with him on the power play. He looked really intelligent on the power play. He already understood a lot of things already. I’m very happy with his practice today for sure.”
Joseph said he’s still striving to make the NHL squad out of camp.
But chances are he’ll either return to his QMJHL team or start the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he can continue to refine his game — and his body.
Mike DeFabo: mdefabo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mikedefabo.
First Published: September 6, 2019, 1:00 p.m.