The New York Rangers have joined the 2026 NHL free agent frenzy by signing Joe Veleno to a one-year deal that will pay him $1.2 million. The expectation is that he will be the team's opening night fourth line center, and it is a move that carries a low cost and risk which offers the team a lot of potential upside.
Veleno brings elements the Rangers have been lacking
Once a highly touted prospect, Veleno has settled into being a defensive minded forward who doesn't contribute a ton of offense. What he brings to the table is a high motor and a lot of speed, and both are attributes that will be a great fit in Mike Sullivan's system. With a top max speed of 23.18 MPH, Veleno was in the 90th percentile of NHL EDGE data in 2025-26, and the Rangers certainly will appreciate having those kind of wheels in the bottom six.
Joe Veleno, signed 1x$1.2M by NYR, is a depth centre. pic.twitter.com/6KlNjEPfhX
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2026
This chart isn't that pretty, but for the role he will play, Veleno is a decent gamble at one year and $1.2 million. If it doesn't work out, he will end up on waivers and that will be the end of that. Any offense he can bring would be appreciated, but fans shouldn't hold their breath.
He once scored 12 goals and 28 points in 80 games, and that high water mark was achieved in 2023-24. He's appeared in 367 games up to this point, and his line includes 40 goals, 46 assists, and 86 points in total. Veleno averaged 12:05 per game last year for Montreal, and I'd imagine he'll be around that mark or lower with the Rangers. He also won 51.6 percent of his draws (163 wins and 153 losses) and that is something the Rangers took a look at before signing him.
Where the Rangers go from here
Center has been a need for the Rangers, and they have accomplished the task of adding a bottom-six center in free agency. The addition of a top-six center should come after Vincent Trocheck is traded, and it remains to been seen if that will be part of the return for their veteran forward, or if they will need to make a separate move.
The Rangers have a lot of options internally to compete for jobs on the wing, but the lack of meaningful center options in Hartford forced the issue, and Veleno will now look to have some success with his fourth original six franchise.
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