Joe Veleno: The Canadiens need to offer him a new contract

Marc-Olivier Cook
Joe Veleno: The Canadiens need to offer him a new contract
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

I have a little secret to share. In the first half of the season, I'd watch Joe Veleno play and think to myself… this:

Come on, for heaven's sake. What is he doing in the lineup? What does he really bring to the ice for the Montreal Canadiens?

Joe's role was minimal, and his impact on the team was really negligible. But as we know, in the NHL, things change quickly…

Today, Veleno has found his role with the Canadiens.

He's being used as a depth forward and he's doing a damn good job. Veleno hits hard, excels at forechecking, brings energy to his teammates, and is (very) responsible in all three zones of the rink.

On X, a user named AJ (AJ__24) suggests that Kent Hughes offer Veleno a contract extension. And you know what?

I agree with AJ. 

Not to say that players like Veleno are rare in the NHL, but every team needs guys like him.

Every team needs a reliable player who can be used here and there and who adds depth to the roster. And we know Veleno loves playing for the Canadiens… especially since he's from Quebec and grew up in Montreal.

Veleno deserves it, at the very least.

We're not talking about a guy who's going to rack up 100 points a season, but we're talking about a guy who's effective for the reasons mentioned earlier in the article. It's time for Kent Hughes to think about offering him a new contract, and I wonder if that idea is already on the Canadiens' GM's mind.

After all, it didn't take long for him to reward Alexandre Texier. And now, it's #90's turn to receive that same treatment.


In a nutshell

– To be continued.

– Hello, boys.

– Awesome!

– Well done.

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