Joe Veleno didn’t have any arbitration rights this summer, so he signed a “prove it” contract with the Red Wings, inking a 1-year, $825,000 contract last week.
At 23 years of age, Veleno’s future with the organization is “up in the air” to some extent, and the Hockey News’s Sam Stockon wonders what a successful 2023-2024 campaign will constitute for Veleno:
Earlier this summer, Steve Yzerman praised Veleno for adding different layers to his game to the ones he showed in junior. “I think [Veleno] in junior was considered a power play net-front guy,” Yzerman said.”He’s learning how to check. He’s learning how to win face-offs. He’s killing penalties. That is earning him ice-time, and the offensive part [of his game] is growing.” In that sentiment, Yzerman summated the challenge for Veleno moving forward.
Detroit’s top six continues to grow more crowded with off-season additions like J.T. Compher and Alex DeBrincat, while youngsters like Jonatan Berggren or Marco Kasper continue to push closer to claiming their own places in the Wings’ top six.
As such, it’s even less likely than ever that Veleno will blossom into a top-of-the-lineup scorer, which changes the nature of his mandate. Instead, Veleno needs to show that he is a player whose ability as a checker and penalty killer makes him valuable in the bottom six, while still flashing some of the skill that once made him an exceptional prospect.
At 23, Veleno is in something of a liminal space: no longer a prospect but still a player you would hope will continue to add new layers to his game. One year at under a million dollars is the epitome of the “prove-it” contract, so what exactly does Veleno need to prove?
Veleno needs to show that on a team pushing toward the post-season (if not quite making it there) that he makes sense in a bottom six role. It’s where he’s played for the bulk of his pro career, but the stakes (for him and for his team) are different now.
This season’s Red Wings will be the deepest group Veleno has been a part of, so even after avoiding a stint in the minors a year ago, it will be more difficult than ever to crack the lineup. The ’23-24 Wings also carry loftier ambitions than any of the three Red Wing teams Veleno has played for to date.
Continued; wherever Veleno lands in the lineup, he has to excel in his terms of his positional duties, or he’s going to be squeezed out. Plain and simple.
