The New York Rangers had a disappointing season last year but are looking to put that behind them.
The Rangers have made some bold moves this offseason, like trading K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes and signing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to replace him. However, New York still could use some extra help upfront, more so with the bottom-six.
NHL analyst Josh Wegman of theScore links the Rangers to signing former first-round pick Joe Veleno.
“The Rangers will need another center if they plan to play Mika Zibanejad on the wing as they did down the stretch last season. Enter Veleno, who’s one of the youngest free agents available,” Wegman wrote. “While he hasn’t lived up to the expectations that come with being granted exceptional status in the QMJHL at 15 years old and a first-round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, Veleno is a physical player who has posted stellar defensive metrics throughout his NHL career. Even if the offense hasn’t caught up, he could be New York’s answer at 3C. At the very least, Veleno’s probably better than Juuso Parssinen and Sam Carrick – the other contenders for that role.”
Veleno would likely sign for cheap after being bought out by the Seattle Kraken just days after the team acquired him. He’s coming off a deal where he earned $2.275 million last season, but he’d likely take less and earn around $1 million to try and rebuild his stock.
How Would Veleno Fit in With the Rangers?
Veleno can play both center and wing, which is a positive for him to keep playing in the NHL.
Veleno is still just 25, so there is room to grow, as he was once considered one of the best top prospects in the sport, but he hasn’t panned out.
Yet, with the Rangers, Veleno would be the team’s third-line center and add some secondary scoring to the lineup. Last season, between the Chicago Blackhawks and Red Wings, Veleno recorded 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points in 74 games.
Veleno, meanwhile, also plays well defensively, so he could be part of a shutdown line, as stopping teams’ offense was an issue for the Rangers last season.
Ultimately, signing Veleno would be a low-risk move as the Rangers would be banking on him finding some of that untapped potential.
Rangers Focused on Defense in Offseason
New York has put an emphasis on defense this offseason and limiting goals against.
The Rangers signed Gavrikov, who’s one of the best defensive defenseman in the NHL, while moving on from Miller, who struggled in his own end. Entering the offseason, Rangers GM Chris Drury said the goal was to improve their defense.
“It starts in our D-zone,” Drury said about Gavrikov and the defense. “We have to be better in our zone, we have to be better in front of (Igor Shesterkin) and (Jonathan Quick). To me, that’s the mindset he shows up with every single day.
“The size, the reach, the competitiveness, the way he defends and the way he is able to complement his partner, whether that’s (Adam) Fox or any other of our right-shot D that we have, that’s what excited all of us in targeting this player. Thrilled to be able to have him as a key part of that D corps.”
The lone forward move the Rangers made was signing Taylor Raddysh to a two-year deal.
