Canucks sign Pierre-Olivier Joseph to one-year contract

The Vancouver Canucks continued to bolster their roster on the second day of NHL Free Agency, signing left-handed defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to a one-year contract worth $775,000 on Wednesday.
Joseph, 26, becomes the latest former Pittsburgh Penguin to join the Canucks under general manager Patrik Allvin and president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford. Other former Penguins on the Canucks current roster include defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forwards Teddy Blueger and Drew O’Connnor.
In 2024-25, the Laval, Québec native started the season with the St. Louis Blues, but re-joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in early December in a trade for future considerations. His tenure with the Blues lasted just 23 games before he returned to the Penguins to take part in his fifth NHL campaign with the club.
Between the two clubs, he posted three assists in 47 games, bringing his NHL total to eight goals and 40 points in 194 games.
Initially selected 23rd overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2017 NHL Draft, Joseph began his professional career in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2019-20, before joining the NHL Penguins for his rookie season in 2020-21.
Before turning pro, he played four seasons with the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL, splitting his final year of junior between them and the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
With the Canucks, he will compete for playing time with four other left-handed defensemen currently signed and on the NHL roster.
“Pierre-Olivier has good speed and mobility and will add to our depth on the back end,” Allvin said. “His addition gives us a player with some solid NHL and pro hockey experience, he is comfortable playing both sides, and he won a world championship with Tyler Myers in 2023. We look forward to getting him here to start working with our group.”
After a run to the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Canucks missed the 2024-25 postseason, finishing fifth in the Pacific Division on 90 points. However, it wasn’t all bad, as the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks went on to win their first Calder Cup title.