The Ottawa Senators should be on the hunt for some more center depth this offseason. This will especially be the case if pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) center Lars Eller ends up signing with another team this summer.
When looking at potential targets who could make sense for the Senators, Montreal Canadiens forward Joe Veleno is an interesting one worth considering.
After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Canadiens, Veleno will now be a UFA on July 1 if he does not re-sign with the Habs before then. If he does hit the market at the start of next month, the Senators should consider making a push for him.
Veleno had a tough year offensively for the Canadiens, as he recorded two goals and five points in 61 games. However, his high-energy style of play and grit made him a solid part of Montreal's bottom six, as evidenced by his 166 hits. He also had success at the faceoff dot this past season with the Canadiens, winning 51.6% of his draws. With this, he could be a solid depth player for the Senators to bring in.
If the Senators signed Veleno, he could slot well on their fourth line. Furthermore, because of his solid defensive play, he would also give Ottawa another clear option to work with on their penalty kill if signed.
Senators signing Veleno would give them a low-risk bounce-back candidate
While Veleno struggled offensively this season, he has shown in the past that he has the potential to provide decent secondary production when playing at his best. During the 2023-24 season with the Detroit Red Wings, the 2018 first-round pick set career highs with 12 goals, 16 assists, and 28 points in 80 games.
If Veleno could get back to those offensive totals while maintaining his hard-nosed style of play, he would be a good player for the Senators to add to their roster. It will be interesting to see if they will make a push for him from here.
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