Joined: Aug. 2016
Posts: 32
Likes: 7
I do agree that he's positive value asset (nothing crazy, mid-to-late round pick return) that brings value to a team. He's definitely paid more than he should be for his current output, but I don't agree with the narrative that he'll cost assets to move.
To your main point though, I don't think the question should be if the Sens should keep Joseph. His role is valuable to help keep too much of the PK duties away from the top 6 while not overtaxing what was a very clearly outmatched 4th line, and his style of play fits very well with the way that Ottawa wants to play in general. The better question is whether they can afford to keep Joseph, and that can't be known until Ottawa knows what's happening with Cat (and to a lesser extent the other RFAs, but I would imagine that Dorion has a good idea of the ballpark on the relevant contracts). I expect that we'll have a pretty clear idea of where things stand there on the 28th, and as a result will have a pretty good idea if Joseph is going to be a 3rd liner in Ottawa or elsewhere come the 29th.
But yes, I do have a top 6 of Brady/Norris/Batherson and Greig/Timmy/Giroux penciled in after virtually any Cat trade that doesn't return a top 6 replacement.