Next season, the Joseph family will reunite in St. Louis. P.O. Joseph signed a one-year contract worth $950,000 with the Blues on Tuesday, as reported by Elliotte Friedman. This news came shortly after the Blues acquired his older brother Mathieu and a third-round pick from the Senators in exchange for future considerations.
The Penguins are scheduled to face the Joseph brothers and the rest of the Blues for the first time on March 13 in Pittsburgh next season, with their visit to St. Louis set for April 3.
P.O. Joseph, who was set to become a restricted free agent this summer with his expiring contract carrying an $825,000 cap hit, was initially planned to be qualified by the Penguins to retain his rights, as Kyle Dubas mentioned at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo on June 8. Dubas indicated that discussions were ongoing between Vukie Mpofu, the director of hockey operations, and Joseph’s agent regarding a new contract. However, plans changed, and the Penguins did not end up qualifying Joseph before the Sunday deadline, which made him an unrestricted free agent as of noon on that day.
Joseph had declined an initial offer from the Penguins, and to avoid the risk of arbitration, the team chose not to qualify him. Despite this, Dubas did not rule out the possibility of Joseph returning to the Penguins, mentioning this during a statement on Monday.
Joseph, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Monday, has spent his entire five-year professional career with the Penguins. Originally selected 23rd overall by the Coyotes in the 2017 draft, he was traded to the Penguins in 2019 as part of the Phil Kessel deal, along with Alex Galchenyuk, just before he turned pro.
During his tenure with the Penguins, Joseph appeared in 147 NHL games, tallying eight goals and 29 assists. He also played 138 games in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, contributing 14 goals and 50 assists.
Despite initial plans to qualify him, the Penguins chose not to do so before the deadline, allowing Joseph to become an unrestricted free agent. He ultimately signed with the Blues, joining his older brother in St. Louis for the upcoming season.
The Joseph brothers have faced off numerous times across different leagues, from the QMJHL to the AHL and eventually in the NHL, where their matchups were always intense.
“I love playing against him,” P.O. Joseph said two seasons ago before their first NHL meeting. “We’re fierce competitors on the ice, and it’s always a good battle.”
Their competitive spirit often led to heated moments, prompting their mother, France Taillon, to issue a clear directive whenever they played against each other: No fighting.
“They’re both so competitive, each in their own way,” she explained. “I always warned them that fighting each other was not allowed. I used to tell them, if you don’t want Mom coming onto the ice to pull you apart, then don’t even think about fighting!”
Their family’s playful yet serious stance underscores the passionate rivalry between the brothers whenever they faced each other on the ice.
Despite the family’s warning against fighting, P.O. Joseph didn’t completely rule out the possibility of dropping the gloves with his brother Mathieu at some point.
“It’s always been a point of contention with my mom regarding fighting,” P.O. mentioned before their first NHL matchup. “I don’t think we’ll be fighting anytime soon, but with the intensity we bring on the ice, you never know. I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point in my career I end up fighting him, but for now, I’ll try to keep my mom happy.”
Now, their parents will likely be even happier to see both brothers playing on the same team in St. Louis.