Pens Labyrinth
Fansided

P.O. Joseph is Back With Penguins: What This Tells Us About Marcus Pettersson's Injury

After signing a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues in the offseason, P.O. Joseph is back with Pittsburgh following trade. It's a welcome reunion with the young defenseman, but likely underscores the severity of Marcus Pettersson's injury.

ByZane Bloom|
Dec 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Welcome back, POJ!

Pierre-Olivier (P.O.) Joseph was acquired from the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, December 18th for future considerations. Joseph was a Penguin from 2020 through the end of the 2023-24 season before he signed a free agent deal with St. Louis this offseason.

His return to Pittsburgh is welcome, but it does subtly indicate additional information on Marcus Pettersson's lower body injury that he sustained earlier this week against Ottawa. More on that in a moment.

Joseph's time in Pittsburgh was highlighted by his 2022-23 season when he accounted for 21 points in 75 games. He's played on lines with Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson and Ryan Shea in the past, so he will have a familiarity advantage over other defensemen the Penguins could have looked to in replacing Pettersson.

What does this tell us about Pettersson's injury?

For the Penguins to go out and immediately trade for a defensemen indicates that Marcus Pettersson's injury may be more long term than fans want to hear. Not only did the Penguins get a defensemen, they got one who has ties with the team.

This is not a splash move trade. It's an insurance policy - one that comes at a time with the Penguins competing at a high level.

While it is no surprise that the Penguins defensemen aren't always the most defensive minded, Pettersson was always the steady player to balance out Letang and Karlsson's offensive mindsets. With the Dragon out of the picture for what seems like several weeks (or more), P.O. Joseph has a responsibility to pick up and play a physical brand of hockey in Pettersson's absence.

If the Penguins continue to push forward and win games, the question will be posed if Kyle Dubas will seek out a more prolific defenseman before the March 7th, 2025 trade deadline. For now, POJ is back in black and gold.

Joseph will not play in tonight's game in Nashville.

Home/Penguins News

Schedule