Joseph started converting those scoring chances he had been creating early in the season and became arguably the Crunch's best player in 2017-18 despite his rookie status. The winger scored 15 goals and led Syracuse for scoring (53 points) and assists (38) in the regular season and proved he's a big-game player too after averaging a point a game in the postseason with three goals and seven points in seven playoff games.
Now, there are whispers he has an opportunity to challenge for a spot on the Tampa Bay Lightning roster once training camp concludes, particularly with the loss of veteran forward Chris Kunitz to free agency and Ryan Callahan's upper-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup through October.
Joseph, however, is keeping everything in perspective.
"It's one season," he said. "It doesn't mean you're making the team next year because you have a good season (in Syracuse). You have to earn everything in hockey, especially spots. It's a good organization, good players here, so I'll have to work really hard to make that team.
"It's everyone's goal."
Before main camp next week, Joseph is competing at Lightning rookie camp, which started Thursday with off-ice sessions and continued Friday with the first day of on-ice activities at the Ice Sports Forum. As a second-year pro now, Joseph is looked at as one of the leaders, and the confidence of knowing what to expect has allowed him to play his game naturally rather than thinking about how to play the game.
"They've played in some exhibition games, they know what to expect," Lightning director of player development Stacy Roest said of Joseph as well as other second-year pros in the organization like Mitchell Stephens, Alexander Volkov and Erik Cernak. "They know the guys. They know the system. They know the organization. It's just huge for them to be around here. And just when you go into that main camp, there's no uncertainties. You know what's going on, you know exactly how everything runs and you know Coach (Jon) Cooper and his systems. You just carry it right into camp and it just becomes a confidence thing and going out there and playing your game."
Joseph's main goal this offseason was to put on some weight and transform his admittedly skinny frame into one more suited for the pro game.
So he ate.
A lot.
"Seven times a day," he said.
He also wanted to get stronger, so he worked during the offseason with Lightning strength and conditioning coach Mark Lambert.