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St. Louis Blues: Checking out Pierre-Olivier Joseph more closely

St. Louis Blues fans know by now that Pierre-Olivier Joseph and his brother Mathieu Joseph will pair up for a unique brother tandem in the NHL. What can fans expect from Pierre-Olivier?

By David Crum

Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins
Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins / Justin Berl/GettyImages
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Pierre-Olivier Joseph is still young, turning 26 in July.

He’s a former first-round pick in the 2017 draft.

He’s played exclusively with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an NHLer after the team that drafted him, the Arizona Coyotes, traded him to the Penguins in 2019.

Joseph has extensive experience at the AHL level:

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

2019-20: 52 games, 3 goals, 14 assists, 17 points.
2020-21: 23 games, 1 goal, 12 assists, 13 points.
2021-22: 61 games, 10 goals, 23 assists, 33 points.

In 2023-24, he played 52 games in the NHL, marking his second year of extensive playing time in the NHL.

Pittsburgh Penguins

2020-21: 16 games, 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points. 16:47 TOI.
2021-22: 4 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points. 18:13 TOI.
2022-23: 75 games, 5 goals, 16 assists, 21 points. 15:14 TOI.
2023-24: 52 games, 2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points. 15:05 TOI.

It’s fair to say Joseph’s NHL experience has been limited, especially in terms of minutes played.

However, given his age and the change of scenery to St. Louis, fans might expect an increase in not only minutes but perhaps adjustments to his game.

His signing of a one-year deal signals that he’s not a top defenseman but a skater that GM Doug Armstrong seeks to develop further and perhaps rely on in the long term.

Joseph has a unique opportunity with the Blues. He gets to play alongside his brother and joins the roster of a team that still lacks defensive sparks.

Joseph, being a former first-round pick and a young skater, has the chance to excel and make a name for himself.

Although it was a junior league, he shined in the Canadian QMJHL, posting very high numbers in the assist category.

Scouts became intrigued with his talent in 2017 when he was selected in the draft. Keep your eyes on Joseph; moving to St. Louis could be the start of a new and eventful journey.

Deep down, Blues fans are certainly rooting for both brothers to succeed. Can you imagine those hockey fights? How exciting to defend one’s brother.

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