Las Vegas – While it seemed like a sure win at first glance, restricted free agent defenseman PO Joseph's return remains uncertain, according to Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas, who said Dubas plans to seek better value around the league before deciding whether to extend a qualifying offer before the 5 p.m. deadline on Sunday.
It was a mild shock on a Friday afternoon before the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. What was taken for granted after Joseph finished the season as a top-pairing defenseman could turn out to be the opposite. In fact, based on Dubas' comments, it's very possible Joseph won't meet eligibility and will become an unrestricted free agent.
Penguins director of hockey operations and legal affairs Vukie Mpofu has been negotiating with Joseph's camp, but Dubas' tone suggests the player has little leverage in the situation.
“Vookie continues to talk to PO representatives, and I think this kind of free agent defensive market is very interesting,” Dubas said. “A lot of guys don't qualify. The arbitration factor is important for us. And cap space. So we're trying to evaluate players that don't qualify.”
Now Joseph is a free agent with arbitration rights, and the latter part of that sentence is problematic. In arbitration, Joseph could appeal to his first-pair status and demand a higher salary than Dubas is willing to offer. And there's also the question of whether Joseph really escaped coach Mike Sullivan's doghouse after voluntarily leaving before a November game against Carolina.
Joseph struggled through the first two months of the season, playing in and out, a situation made worse by him citing injury before returning in November, and while Sullivan openly admitted that the player was the one who was sidelined, his candid statement only added to the speculation about Joseph's future.
Joseph didn't play from Nov. 4 to Dec. 12 and only played three games in December. But all seemed to be forgiven when Joseph established himself in the Penguins' lineup in January and then on the top pairing with defenseman Kris Letang in March. After months of struggles and shaky play from defenseman Ryan Graves, Joseph took over and the Penguins' fortunes went from a bleak death march to a playoff charge.
But Dubas is likely looking around before making an offer he may end up regretting due to arbitration. Joseph's projection is a two-year contract worth about $1.9 million per season, according to AFP Analytics.
“So we're trying to evaluate the guys that aren't going to qualify. The other guys that are going to be free agents, we're going to look at how much cap space we have to see if we want to go down that path,” Dubas said. “What type of players do we have? Are (the other potential free agents) better or comparable? Can we get the same players for less money?”
In contrast, Dubas said the Penguins will make eligible RFA Corey Andonovski, who played a full season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The 25-year-old Andonovski completed his second full season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after playing three seasons of collegiate hockey at Princeton University.
The Penguins' other RFA is deep forward Emil Bemsthom. Dubas also said the team has spoken with Bemsthom but has not made a decision. Bemsthom was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Alex Nielunder but has not made an impact on the team. With just five points (3 wins, 2 losses and 5 ties) in 24 games, Bemsthom is unlikely to receive a qualifying offer.
If a player does not meet the eligibility requirements, he can still sign a contract of his choice with his current team, but if not, he will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
