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Pittsburgh Penguins' P.O. Joseph skates during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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What a difference a year makes for Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who is 'light years ahead' for the Penguins

AP

What a difference a year makes for Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who is 'light years ahead' for the Penguins

DETROIT – A frown from Pierre-Olivier Joseph happens about as frequently as a Chad Ruhwedel breakaway or a Phil Kessel one-timer. But inside this arena almost one year ago, the young defenseman couldn’t even force a smile.

As trade rumors swirled and final cuts loomed, Joseph was scratched when the Penguins played the Detroit Red Wings in their annual preseason game at Little Caesars Arena. He watched from the press box as they skated to a win that night, not sure of whether he would be with the team 48 hours later.

“It was definitely a time when I heard a lot of noise outside, and a team can change [its plans] as fast as it can,” Joseph, 24, said Tuesday. “I just wanted to be part of this team. Hearing some noise from the outside is sometimes hard.”

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Joseph was in a far happier place Tuesday night and on much more solid ground as the Penguins continued preseason play with a 4-3 loss at Detroit.

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Against a lineup heavy on NHLers, he was one of the Penguins’ most composed players. His confidence was evident, especially compared to last fall.

Joseph nearly scored when he sashayed in from the point but he couldn’t quite sneak his shot past James Reimer. He was a stabilizer on the breakout, using patience and subtle leans to find open passing lanes. He was on the ice for only three Red Wings scoring chances at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick.

“You can see it in his body language when he’s out there,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan noted. “He’s in a very different place than he was a year ago.”

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Joseph is quick to say he still has work to do over the next two weeks to secure a roster spot. But at this point, it will be an upset if he isn’t in the lineup when the Penguins host the Chicago Blackhawks in their Oct. 10 regular season opener.

His competition in Pittsburgh is the same as a year ago. Joseph, Ruhwedel, Mark Friedman and Ty Smith look to be battling for three spots on the blue line. None of them are exempt from waivers anymore, so may the best D-men win.

Smith, another young lefty, is actually in the same position in which Joseph found himself last fall. If Smith doesn’t seize an NHL job in training camp and preseason play, he could be placed on waivers or possibly even traded away.

That pressure got to Joseph last preseason. He pressed trying to impress Sullivan and management in camp and the exhibitions, straying from the understated game that brought him NHL success. Hours before that preseason game in Detroit came a report that the Penguins had put Joseph on the trade block.

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Joseph was dressed to the nines but was uncharacteristically somber as he walked through the press box at Little Caesars Arena before the game began.

Looking back now, he acknowledges it was a trying time in his young career.

“It just took me a day to realize there’s no control over it. The only thing I can control is myself,” he said. “So I came back to focus on enjoying the game and competing for a spot in the league, something that you dreamed of as a kid.”

Joseph settled down, made the team and went on to have a solid rookie year.

There would be more adversity for Joseph, like when the Penguins briefly played trade-deadline pickup Dmitry Kulikov ahead of him in March. But he produced five goals and 21 points with a team-best plus-8 rating in 75 games.

After the season ended, Joseph was set to head back to Montreal to start his summer when Sullivan gave him a call. Canada wanted Joseph to represent his country at the IIHF World Championships in Europe. Sullivan was all for it.

“Mike told me it would be a good experience for me to go and keep playing hockey after the season,” Joseph said with a big grin. “I definitely jumped at the opportunity to wear the maple leaf for the first time. And I sure didn’t regret it.”

Joseph played 10 games and scored once as Canada took home the gold medal. He enjoyed the food and the people in Latvia and Finland, the host countries. He learned some tips of the trade from his fellow defensemen on Team Canada. His mom flew over to Finland to watch him in the tournament final.

“It was great. Everything about it was just an awesome experience,” he said.

Joseph returned home to Montreal to enjoy a little bit of downtime by playing golf, attending concerts with friends and eating lobster rolls in Maine. He then got back to work, building on what he accomplished in his first full season.

He focused on a few areas. He wanted to be better both with and without the puck. He said it is “critical” that he wins more puck battles in the “small areas” of the rink and has looked more assertive in trying to clear the net front. He has also learned what he needs to do to hold up over a long, grueling season.

Sullivan sees a player who is “light years ahead” of where he was a year ago.

“You can see his confidence and his overall game, both with the puck and without the puck,” the veteran coach said, adding, “I think he’s a step faster just because he has had a year of NHL competition under his belt, and I think that experience forces guys to pick up a step, because the game demands it.”

Around the boards

Radim Zohorna, Valtteri Puustinen and Sam Poulin scored in the loss. Poulin’s goal was particularly pretty. ... Alex Nedeljkovic started in goal against his former team and finished with 29 saves. ... Smith played on his off side against the Wings. Versatility is a valuable asset in the battle for the last roster spot.

Matt Vensel: mvensel@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mattvensel.

First Published: September 27, 2023, 1:44 a.m.
Updated: September 27, 2023, 2:19 a.m.

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