Joe Veleno Seeks Fresh Start With Rangers After Tumultuous Two Seasons

Center Joe Veleno is looking to revitalize his NHL career with the New York Rangers, aiming to secure a fourth-line role and a stable environment after a challenging two-year period marked by multiple trades and a waiver claim. Veleno signed a one-year contract worth $1.2 million with the Rangers this offseason, seeking a fresh start after his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings.

Over the past two seasons, Veleno was traded from Detroit to Chicago and subsequently to Seattle. The Kraken then placed him on unconditional waivers. He later signed his first unrestricted free-agent deal with the Canadiens, experiencing playoff hockey for the first time last season. However, Montreal did not extend a qualifying offer, leading him to become a free agent for the second consecutive summer.

"It's been a little difficult, for sure," Veleno told The Post. "Not always easy, but you know what? You try to learn from those mistakes and try to avoid that happening again as best as you could. Try to find ways to improve and get better. I thought I did a good job of that last year, established myself [with] more of an identity to myself. Obviously, running here this year."

Veleno, 26, has been projected to fill the fourth-line center position since joining the Rangers. In his first preseason game with the team against the Devils, he skated alongside Tye Kartye and Matt Rempe, a potential lineup for Opening Night against Boston.

He stated his intentions to be defensively responsible, contribute on the penalty kill, and perform well in faceoff situations, while also expressing a desire to improve his offensive production.

Head coach Mike Sullivan highlighted Veleno's potential contributions, particularly on the penalty kill. "He will without a doubt be a big part of the penalty kill," Sullivan said. "I think he’s also a guy that has shown an ability, just with his defensive conscience. We can put him in defensive situations to play against other team’s top players if we need him to."

Sullivan emphasized Veleno's physical attributes, including his size and skating ability, as key assets for a defensive role. "The biggest thing that allows him to do that is his size and his skating ability. He can really skate. I think that’s a great attribute as a defensive player because if you get beat, if somebody gets a step on you, you have the ability to recover. I think Joe has that."

The Rangers also made roster adjustments, assigning five players to the Wolf Pack: Jacob Battaglia, Brody Lamb, Dylan Roobroeck, Spencer Martin, and Callum Tung. Goalie Joonas Korpisalo was scheduled to play the penultimate exhibition game with rookie Dylan Garand as backup.