The Montreal Canadiens have signed Joe Veleno to a one-year, one-way contract with a cap hit of $900,000. Veleno was bought out by the Seattle Kraken after being acquired from Chicago ahead of free agency.
Pen to paper! The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a one-year, one-way contract with forward Joe Veleno.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 16, 2025
News release ↓ #GoHabsGo | Montblanc Boutique Montréalhttps://t.co/CUE2zccT15
Drafted 30th overall by the Red Wings in 2018, Veleno has appeared in 306 NHL games, tallying 38 goals and 43 assists since the 2020-2021 season. Over the 2024-2025 season with Detroit and Chicago, Veleno played 74 games, tallying 8 goals and 9 assists. The 6-foot-1 forward set a career high in points (28) during the 2023-2024 season.
A left-handed centre, Veleno will provide the Canadiens with much-needed depth at the centre position. A reunion with former agent Kent Hughes, the 25-year-old Montreal native, will look for the spark that made him an exceptional player in the QMJHL as he returns to his hometown.