Rangers sign center Joe Veleno in NHL free agency

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The Rangers’ first free agent signing of the day added necessary center depth.

Joe Veleno signed a one-year contract with the Blueshirts worth an average annual value of $1.2 million on Wednesday, according to a league source.

The expectation is that Veleno will serve as the team’s fourth-line center this upcoming season.

After spending parts of the first five seasons of his NHL career in Detroit, Veleno was traded twice (to Chicago and then Seattle) during the 2024-25 season.

The Kraken subsequently placed him on unconditional waivers and bought out the remaining year of his contract.

The 26-year-old then signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens last summer.

In 61 regular-season games for Montreal, Veleno was limited to only five points (two goals, three assists).

He appeared in nine of the Canadiens’ 19 playoff games, contributing just one assist as the Habs lost to the Hurricanes in the conference final.

Veleno concluded the 2025-26 campaign on a 43-game goal drought and was ultimately not tendered a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.