Former Red Wings player Joe Veleno‘s summer has been a roller coaster ride when it comes to knowing what his future will be in the NHL.
First, there were rumors that the Blackhawks would buy out his contract. Instead, they traded him to Seattle and it seemed as if he might get a shot with the Kraken. Instead, they bought out his contract. Then there were reports that the Montreal Canadiens were interested in signing him. Then, there was a single report that the Habs would pass on the free agent.
But Wednesday the roller coaster stopped long enough for Veleno to sign a one-year, one-way contract for $900,000 with the Montreal Canadiens.
Veleno Back in Atlantic
The deal suggests Veleno will get an opportunity to play a role for the Red Wings’ Atlantic Division rival. This will now be Veleno’s fourth official team since last spring when the Red Wings’ traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for Petr Mrazek. Since then, the Red Wings moved Mrazek to the Anaheim Ducks in the John Gibson trade.
Meanwhile, the Blackhawks didn’t appreciate what they saw from Veleno (seven points in 18 games) last season.
Veleno was a Detroit first-round pick (30th overall) in 2018, and fans expected more offense from him. Perhaps, the Blackhawks believed they would unlock his offensive ability.
Maybe because Veleno has now moved around, the Montreal fan base will forget he was a first-round pick. Perhaps, they will accept him as the versatile role player that he has become. The Quebec native can skate, has averaged roughly 130 hits per year for four seasons and has scored 12 goals in a season. Because of his speed, he’s comfortable filling in on a scoring line. Those are attributes and numbers befitting a quality role player.