Scouting Report

1997-98 Season
Signed as free agent, July 14, 1998. Third in NHL in minutes played. Tied for fourth in NHL in shutouts.

The Physical Game
Nothing Joseph does is by the book. He always looks unorthodox and off-balance, but he is one of those hybrid goalies whose success can't be argued with. He positions himself well, angling out to challenge the shooter. He is one of the best goalies against the breakaway in the NHL. Joseph goes to his knees quickly, but bounces back to his skates fast for the rebound. He tends to keep rebounds in front of him. His glove hand is outstanding. A strong, if bizarre, stickhandler, Joseph has to move his hands on the stick, putting the butt-end into his catching glove and lowering his blocker. His favourite move is a weird backhand whip off the boards. He is a good skater who moves out of his cage confidently to handle the puck. He needs to improve his lateral movement. He also uses his stick to harass anyone who dares to camp on his doorstep. He's not Billy Smith, but he's aggressive with his whacks. Joseph gets into technical slumps, which seem to sprout from fatigue and usually result in his staying too deep in his net.

The Mental Game
Joseph is used to a lot of work, but cutting back his games by a half-dozen or so would result in a fresher goalie for the playoffs. He is never fazed by facing a ton of shots in a night.

The Intangibles
The problem with Joseph, as it is with Ron Hextall and Dominik Hasek, is that you're never a winner until you win the big prize. Signing with Toronto will not give him a chance to change that fate in the near future.

Projection
Joseph would face a lot of pressure if he joined a strong team (like Philadephia), where he would be viewed as the missing piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle. The Leafs have less of chance at a Cup than his old Oilers team. Chalk up another season as a valiant loser.

SOURCE: HOCKEY SCOUTING REPORT