I don't think anybody would fault P.O Joseph if he showed a little frustration.
He's one of nine defensemen competing for six spots in the Penguins' lineup, and it's looking like he's one of the odd men out to start. He's ready to take that next step and see more regular NHL time, but there just doesn't seem to be a spot for him right now. And with Joseph entering his first season of waivers eligibility, his name has been a topic in trade speculations. If there isn't room for him in Pittsburgh, the Penguins would ideally like to get something in return for Joseph rather than lose him for nothing on the waiver wire.
I remember speaking to Joseph during his rookie year in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2019-20. The big knock on his game as he was turning pro was naturally his size. He was skinny. Of course, he's still on the slender side now, but he's a lot stronger now than he was back then. He had worked hard all summer in the gym leading up to that season and put on 15 pounds of good weight. Then right at the start of his rookie season, he got mono. He had to quarantine for a few weeks (before it was even cool), and lost those 15 pounds. Luckily, he was able to re-gain those 15 pounds (and more) over the course of that season. But it was still a bumpy start to his professional career.
Joseph told me at the time that his motto through that early adversity was "keep your smiles."
Now, with all the uncertainty surrounding Joseph's future with the Penguins, it's clear that his "keep your smiles" attitude hasn't gone anywhere, and it's coming in handy throughout this process.
Joseph played on the left side of the Penguins' second pairing in Friday's 7-1 win over the Sabres in the preseason finale, and he had a strong game. When Mike Sullivan pointed to areas of Joseph's game that could stand to show improvement earlier in the preseason, Sullivan spoke of wanting to see Joseph "take what the game gives him" more. Joseph was trying to force plays to happen that weren't there. He was doing too much and it would lead to mistakes.
In this game, Joseph showed growth in that area. He didn't have any turnovers, and he had two takeaways and two hits. He still took the opportunity to use his shot when it presented itself, and his two shots on goal were the second-most among Penguins defensemen in this game.
"I thought P.O played really well tonight, I thought it was his best game," Sullivan said afterward. "I thought P.O got better as the camp went on, and it's really encouraging to see him have a game like tonight."
Joseph knows the stakes, and how important this game could be for his future.
"I mean, there's still a couple of practices left, but tonight was a big step with the last game for the preseason. I think I left it all out there tonight, and I'm pretty happy with the result. ... At this point, I just have to control what I can control. That's my attitude. I think I left it all out there during camp. Of course, there's still some stuff that I have to improve, but I think overall, I did a pretty good job."
The Penguins have several more days before the start of the regular season on Oct. 13. With the exhibition season over, Joseph has controlled all that he can control. Things are largely out of his hands. When he was asked if it's hard now to sit and wait over these next few days, he didn't sound nervous. Quite the opposite.
"It's exciting," he said. "You've been dreaming of this your entire life. Now it's time to know the big situation that's going to come."
One of the potential situations is a trade, and Joseph is well aware of that, given the circumstances. He knows that his name has been one that's surfaced in reports of a potential trade candidate as the Penguins try to become cap compliant. I asked him how he's been able to quiet that noise and focus on the task at hand throughout camp.
"I mean, that's always going be part of sports especially nowadays with social media," he said. "I just tried to quiet it down and not think about it and just enjoy the process of camp and just trying to improve every day."
One person who has helped Joseph through this process has been a fellow Montreal native and one of Joseph's favorite players growing up: Kris Letang.
Letang has taken Joseph under his wing during Joseph's past stints in Pittsburgh, making a point to spend time with Joseph away from the rink. Letang took things a step further this year and invited Joseph to stay at his home throughout training camp. Having a player Joseph idolized while growing up now serve as a mentor to him has been a huge help during this process.
"He's been unbelievable, honestly," Joseph told me of Letang. "Just food-wise, how I can get prepared, and some talks to calm me down and calm him down as well. I think we have a good relationship and I'm really pleased that he invited me over."
In speaking with Joseph during camp, it's just striking how well he is handling this situation. You don't sense even an ounce of frustration. He's so mature and level-headed, especially for a player who is only 23 years old.
The coaching staff has been impressed with Joseph's mindset throughout training camp.
"I think he's done a great job," Sullivan said when I asked about Joseph's attitude. "He's controlling what he can. That's his effort, his execution, his mindset going in, day-in and day-out. P.O is such a great kid. I know how much he cares and he wants to make a good impression. He and I have had a couple of conversations here along the way through training camp, and I've been trying to encourage him not to put pressure on himself and just play the game. Just take what the game gives him. Embrace the game and have fun with it, and his talent will emerge. He's a real good kid. He's a conscientious player. I think he's gotten better as the camp has gone on here."
When I was talking with Joseph after this game about his situation and the uncertainty surrounding his future, and I was met with mostly smiles and talk from him about how excited he is just to be where he is right now, I just had to ask: Do you ever get frustrated about anything?
"I try not to," he said with a laugh. "I feel like if you see life positive, good things will happen. I don't really like the negative part of things. I'm just trying to stay happy with things. It’s always a progress. You live to learn, really. I live by that.”
No negativity with anything? Soured milk? A stubbed toe?
"I think there's a couple things that can piss you off," he said with another laugh. "But in general I think there's a good side to everything."
It's difficult to predict where Joseph might be playing a week from now. But he'll surely still be keeping his smiles wherever that may be.
