Will Joe Veleno Bounce Back with his Hometown Team?

Luckily for Veleno, his hometown team was willing to take a low-risk shot on him for less than $1 million on a 1-year deal. Next season will be a key year for Veleno to show that his 12-goal and 28-point season in Detroit was not just a one-year thing and that he could consistently be a good bottom-six centre with the potential to move up the lineup at times. 

As it stands, Veleno is expected to be either the 3rd or 4th line centre with the Habs in the NHL, but given his low cap-hit and current reputation around the NHL, his spot on the roster is far from secure with prospects like Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen knocking on the door to steal his role. With that being said, Veleno should be motivated to prove that he belongs on the Canadiens roster.

Something that works in Veleno’s favor in making the Habs roster is the need for a left-shot centre on the team. Aside from Alex Newhook (who is more of a winger), the Canadiens’ roster and top prospects are filled with right-shot centremen. Therefore, Veleno could be relied on often for faceoffs on the left side of the ice. He is a career 46.5% on the draw but was 49% during the 2023-24 season, so I hope he can bounce back to those numbers again. Maybe a little work with Habs’ special faceoff advisor Marc Bureau can help the 25-year-old get closer to 50% in the draw this upcoming season.

This off-season, Veleno has been putting in the work regularly at the Habs practice facility in Brossard and has particularly focused on tipping point shots, which may be something Veleno wants to do more of going forward. He isn’t expected to play on the power play, but if he proves to be strong at tipping the puck in front of the net, he could potentially push his way into a net front role on the 2nd power play unit. 

It’s good to see Veleno putting in the work as the Habs could use a player like the 2023-24 version of Veleno, but he needs to prove he can be that type of player all over again. It seems he wants to be that type of player consistently, and now it’s time to show that he can be.

I believe if Veleno puts in the work, he can put up around 15 goals and 30 points, while playing a reliable 2-way game in the bottom-six. 

What are your predictions for Veleno this upcoming season?