The Montreal Canadiens have added several new players so far this off-season. Among their newcomers is forward Joe Veleno, as the Habs signed him to a one-year, $900,000 contract last month. This was after he was bought out by the Seattle Kraken ahead of July 1.
While Veleno is not as flashy an addition as players like Noah Dobson and Zach Bolduc, he still has the potential to be a nice piece for the Canadiens next season. When looking at the Canadiens' current roster, he should provide their bottom six with a solid boost down the middle.
During this past season split between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, Veleno recorded eight goals, nine assists, 17 points, and 139 hits. Overall, Veleno had a quiet yearm but he has shown in the past that he is capable of providing more offense when playing at his best. Just back in 2023-24 with the Red Wings, he set career highs with 12 goals, 16 assists, and 28 points in 80 games. If he gets his offense back up to this level, he would be a solid pickup for Montreal's forward group.
Furthermore, with Veleno still being only 25 years old, the possibility of him hitting a new level should not be ruled out. Perhaps joining the Canadiens will help him take that next step and become a legitimate top-nine forward.
Overall, there is no harm in the Canadiens taking a chance on a forward like Veleno, especially with him being signed for only one year at a very affordable price. It is going to be interesting to see how much of an impact he can make with Montreal this upcoming season from here.
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