3 players the Detroit Red Wings should re-sign this summer
By Ben Heydt
The Detroit Red Wings should re-sign Joe Veleno.
Joe Veleno was drafted to be a part of the team’s successful years, and while that window may still be a year or two away, he has been a mainstay on the roster since being given the opportunity. Outside of Captain Dylan Larkin, Veleno is arguably the best skater on the team.
The Detroit Red Wings are commonly at a disadvantage to whoever they are playing against on a given night in the skating department. It would be a huge loss if they were not able to bring him back to the roster. Veleno consistently wins his races to the puck, is excellent on the forecheck, and is great on his edges, which he uses to create opportunities for his linemates.
Many Wings fans have noticed that struggling Filip Zadina has created more offense over the last few weeks. Joe Veleno is most certainly a contributing factor to that turnaround. Although his dreams of becoming a top-six forward may have vanished from his time in Grand Rapids, he is a highly talented skater with good hockey sense who looks to have his prime years still ahead of him.
The former first-round pick (30th overall in 2018) has scored just seven goals while totaling 16 points in 71 games this season for the Detroit Red Wings. He’s maintained a Corsi For Percentage of 45.0% while averaging just twelve and a half minutes per game this season.
If the organization still believes that their timeline for cup competing years has not changed, they must look to keep the roster young with proven NHL players like Veleno.