Canadiens Absorb Zero Risk with Joe Veleno Signing

All that having been said, Kuznetsov is far from a top-six-centre lock, himself. With any hypothetical contract, the Canadiens, who are no longer a likely destination for the forward, would have been taking a chance that a) he rediscovers his peak scoring form and b) his widely accepted reputation for having a work-in-progress work ethic is unfounded… and, if it is indeed well-founded, that it wouldn’t rub off on Demidov, on whom the future success of the organization largely depends.

True, by most accounts, Kuznetsov and Demidov displayed chemistry together playing for SKA St. Petersburg last season However, no one knows if that will translate to the NHL. Ultimately, is the small chance that it does worth the risk? With prospect Michael Hage in the pipeline, it wouldn’t have made sense committing to Kuznetsov for more than a single year or two, regardless of his reasonable salarial demands.

Kuznetsov vs. Veleno

Compare and contrast that to Veleno, who again the Canadiens just signed for a single season, after which the now-25-year-old will still be a restricted free agent under team control. Despite it being a one-way deal, the small cap hit isn’t exactly prohibitive to the Habs sending him down to the minors if he isn’t a fit. In such an instance the only real risk would be that another team claims him off waivers. And, if that’s anyone’s primary reservation here, that the Habs could easily lose him, is it worth complaining about, when they didn’t really have to sign him at all?

Veleno serves as little more than an insurance policy. No one saw this signing coming up until the run-up to the point it was being finalized. Few if any were even insinuating the Canadiens had a hole beyond the one at centre on the second line, that Kirby Dach, once he’s healthy again, presumably to start next season, might even be able to fill. That makes Veleno a luxury, not a necessity. However, in contrast to Kuznetsov, he has for all intents and purposes zero propensity to become a liability either.

It’s really just the opposite. If anything, Veleno can surprise to the upside as a 25-year-old, who has only scored a career-high 28 points (2023-24). In contrast, it’s a fairly safe bet Kuznetsov would disappoint, especially if anyone is expecting him to jump back to point-per-game territory.

To be fair, the entire comparison is admittedly disingenuous in that this was never really an either-or situation. It’s not like they struck out on Kuznetsov and signed Veleno as a back-up option. Based on reports, it seems as if it’s the other way around in that the Canadiens couldn’t guarantee Kuznetsov the role he wanted and they then signed Veleno as if to fill a separate one. It just speaks to how illogical one’s mindset can get, were a hypothetical Habs fan to have had their heart set on Kuznetsov only to be disappointed by the Veleno signing. Not for nothing, but the last time Kuznetsov was in the NHL, Veleno outscored the guy (with much less favourable deployment).

As this past season proved, the short-term success of this team doesn’t hinge on a second-line centre. Dach struggled through most of it at the position and the Canadiens still made the playoffs for the first time since 2021. So, while it would certainly be nice were the Habs to acquire one, they don’t need to rush things. They can take their time finding their guy. What’s clear is it’s not Kuznetsov. And it’s probably not Veleno either. That doesn’t mean anyone should close the book on him becoming a valuable player on this team, though (before he’s even played a game for the organization no less). Like the Habs seem to have, open yourself up to all possibilities.