Joseph NOT on Waivers; Penguins Have Two Options, Including Trade

The Pittsburgh Penguins did not put defenseman prospect P.O Joseph on waivers Sunday.

While inaction is usually not breaking news, in this case, it means a surprise is coming. The Penguins have until Monday afternoon to get below the $82.5 million salary cap and are still over the cap limit. And just because Joseph wasn’t waived, that doesn’t mean he’ll be on the opening night roster.

After keeping Joseph on Sunday, the only two plausible actions which could get the team below the cap are a Penguins trade or sending defenseman Ty Smith to the WBS Penguins. Joseph can be waived later, but he would not clear before Monday at 5 p.m. Thus the Penguins would remain over the cap.

UPDATE: The Penguins announced Sunday evening they assigned Mark Friedman and Ty Smith to the WBS Penguins.

Center Teddy Blueger has been progressing from an upper-body injury and elevated to non-contact in the Penguins practice at the UPMC Lemieux on Sunday. It’s unlikely the Penguins could place Blueger on LTIR to buy more time.

The Penguins did get to keep Mark Friedman. The surly defenseman cleared waivers on Sunday. The team did not submit a claim for Radim Zohorna. Dave Molinari has the Penguins’ waiver report.

With Friedman in WBS, the Penguins are about $780,000 over the cap, according to CapFriendly.com.

Smith, 22, carries an $863,333 cap hit. His demotion to the WBS Penguins would get the Penguins under the cap but by about $80,000.

Joseph, 23, played his best preseason game when it mattered most on Friday. Coaches paired him with Jeff Petry on the second pairing, and Joseph was excellent in the beginning and steady throughout the game.

“I thought it was (Joseph’s) best game. I think when you play with a player like (Petry), it makes the game a little bit easier,” head coach Mike Sullivan said Friday. “But I thought it was P.O’s best game for sure. And, you know, I thought he got better as the camp went on. And it’s encouraging to see him have a game like…”

PHN graded Joseph well in the Penguins postgame analysis. He carries an $800,000 cap hit this season.

Smith was a mixed bag on Friday; he was very good on the offensive side of the red line but was lost in transition and lost a few d-zone battles that allowed scoring chances. The defensive zone is currently his weakness.

One week ago, Sullivan admitted Smith had work to do.

“…On the defensive side, I think we’ve got an opportunity to help him grow. We know he can improve that area, and I think he’s determined to get there,” said Sullivan after a preseason 3-1 loss in Buffalo.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Options

Smith was seemingly the coaches’ choice to take the Penguins’ third-pairing spot. From the first days of training camp, Smith slotted beside Jan Rutta, who will be the Penguins’ third-pair right-side defenseman.

Smith is waivers exempt and can be assigned to the WBS Penguins immediately. However, as of publishing Sunday afternoon, the Penguins have not yet done so.

A possible Penguins trade isn’t limited to P.O Joseph. However, PHN reported in June that the New York Islanders had at least some interest in the defenseman. Montreal was the other team we confirmed to have interest in Joseph, but their situation has significantly changed, and an LHD isn’t a primary area of need.

GM Ron Hextall has not dismissed the idea of a trade but has not expressed optimism, either. Several other teams were, or are, looking for a partner on the NHL trade market. However, there are precious few teams with enough salary cap space to acquire more than minimal salaries.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to practice Monday at 6:30 p.m. after the roster deadline.