Vancouver Canucks sign Pierre-Olivier Joseph in free agency
The Vancouver Canucks have added a new defenceman in free agency.
Pierre-Olivier Joseph is on his way to Vancouver after signing a one-year contract worth $775,000.
A first-round pick by the Arizona Coyotes in 2017, Joseph has 194 games of NHL experience with the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues.
Joseph shoots left, but Canucks GM Patrik Allvin notes that he’s also comfortable playing his off-side.
āPierre-Olivier has good speed and mobility and will add to our depth on the back end,ā said Canucks GM Patrik Allvin. āHis 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.ā
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Joseph’s career-best season came two years ago with the Penguins, when he scored 21 points (5-16-21) in 75 games. He left Pittsburgh last offseason, signing with the Blues in free agency, only to be traded back to the Penguins in December.
The 26-year-old from Laval, Quebec is the first notable new addition by the Canucks in free agency, after re-signing Brock Boeser on July 1.
Joseph joins a crowded blue line in Vancouver, which includes five veteran defencemen in Quinn Hughes, Filip Hronek, Marcus Pettersson, Tyler Myers, and Derek Forbort. Joseph should compete for a spot on the back end along with some of the Canucks’ younger defenders, including Victor Mancini (age 23), Elias Pettersson (21), and Tom Willander (20).