Joe Veleno's Expected Role in the Canadiens Lineup Has Been Revealed
Photo credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images
In the past few hours, we learned that Quebec-born forward Joe Veleno has signed with the Montreal Canadiens.
This is good news, as it's a solid depth addition at center, and he also shoots left.
However, many fans reacted negatively to the announcement, believing he was brought in to take the second-line center role (which is absolutely not the case, unless there's a massive surprise).
That said, let's talk about Veleno's expected role in Montreal.
Joe Veleno's Position with the Montreal Canadiens
It's not very complicated.
The Quebec-born center finds himself in the same spot that Alex Barré-Boulet was in last season.
He'll have to compete with the team's other young forwards to earn a regular roster spot.
As Étienne Ferland points out, if there are no other additions up front, Joe Veleno, Samuel Blais, Oliver Kapanen, Joshua Roy, and Owen Beck will be competing for two forward spots.
By process of elimination, it appears that Veleno's new spot in Martin St-Louis's Canadiens lineup will be centering the fourth line.
He'll also likely support other lines in the faceoff circle as a lefty, so expect him to work closely with Marc Bureau (the Canadiens' faceoff specialist).
According to the reliable site Daily Faceoff, there is indeed a spot available for Veleno on the fourth line.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 16 | 2189 ANSWERS Joe Veleno's Expected Role in the Canadiens Lineup Has Been Revealed Will Veleno play over or under 50 games with the Canadiens this season? | ||
| Over 50 | 1187 | 54.2 % |
| Under 50 | 1002 | 45.8 % |
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