The Rangers have taken a low-risk swing on Joe Veleno, giving the center a one-year deal worth $1.2 million and setting him up as the favorite to open the season as their fourth-line center.
It’s the kind of move that makes sense on paper: modest money, limited downside, and a chance to plug a hole with a player who still brings a few tools the roster has been missing. Veleno is no longer the blue-chip prospect he once was, but he has carved out a profile as a defense-first forward with speed and energy. That combination should fit neatly into Mike Sullivan’s system.
The skating stands out. Veleno hit a top max speed of 23.18 MPH, putting him in the 90th percentile of NHL EDGE data in 2025-26.
For a team looking to juice its bottom six, that kind of burst matters. He may not pile up points, but he can move, and that alone gives the Rangers something useful.
Joe Veleno, signed 1x$1.2M by NYR, is a depth centre. pic.twitter.com/6KlNjEPfhX
- JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2026
Offensively, the resume is more modest. Veleno’s best season came in 2023-24, when he scored 12 goals and totaled 28 points in 80 games.
Through 367 NHL games, he has 40 goals, 46 assists and 86 points. Last season with Montreal, he averaged 12:05 of ice time per game, and that usage is expected to stay in that neighborhood - or dip below it - with the Rangers.
There is at least one other detail that likely mattered in the decision. Veleno won 51.6 percent of his faceoffs last season, finishing with 163 wins and 153 losses. That kind of competence down the middle fits a team trying to stabilize its lower lines.
If the move doesn’t click, the Rangers won’t be tied to it for long. The one-year term keeps the risk contained, and if Veleno can’t hold the job, waivers would likely be the next stop. Any extra offense would be a bonus, but that’s not what this signing is built on.
The larger picture is straightforward: center was a need, and the Rangers have now added a bottom-six option in free agency. A more prominent center addition is still expected to come after Vincent Trocheck is traded, though it remains unclear whether that player will be part of the return for the veteran forward or arrive through a separate move.
For now, the Rangers have addressed one piece of the puzzle. They also have plenty of internal options on the wing, but the shortage of real center depth in Hartford made this a necessary step. Veleno now gets a chance to make good on that opening-night role with his fourth original six franchise.
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