Former Red Wings forward's career still on hold after buyout

And it looks like former Red Wings forward Joe Veleno won't be suiting up for the Seattle Kraken this season following a trade that sent him to the Emerald City earlier this month. Early Sunday afternoon, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Kraken put Veleno "on waivers for purposes of a buyout."

This is yet another obstacle in the young forward's NHL career, and it raises the question of where Veleno will land next. Or, is his career in the NHL as good as finished? Is he destined to be nothing more than organizational depth moving forward?

More unanswered questions are springing up on former Red Wings forward

Veleno was the Red Wings 30th-overall pick back in 2018, and he never seemed to fully grasp the NHL's demands. While a tenacious player with a true hitter's mentality, Veleno often found himself on the lower lines and struggled to make a serious impact when given more opportunity.

Veleno's 2023-24 campaign was the highwater mark of his career when he put up 12 goals and 28 points, and a 14.0 shooting percentage. He also snagged a career-high 305 wins at the face-off dot that season.

Veleno then went to Chicago in a late-day move at the trade deadline on March 7th when Steve Yzerman decided to bring in goaltender Petr Mrazek and forward Craig Smith from the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. So much has happened since then, as Yzerman shipped Mrazek to Anaheim in a trade that brought John Gibson to town.

Veleno, meanwhile, will be a player without a home unless someone takes a chance on him in free agency. Someone probably will, but will he impress another team enough to convince them he deserves to be on the big club?

Joe Veleno may be on his last chance to make an impact at the NHL level

Veleno's tenacious approach is why I'd have kept him in Hockeytown. But right now, it doesn't look like he's impressing anyone else.

He didn't play well enough to stick around in Hockeytown. And the Blackhawks were so impressed with the young forward that they sent him to Seattle, only for the Kraken to buy out his contract. Something the front office probably had planned all along.

Anyway, is there a chance he winds up back in Detroit? It won't be long until we have that answer.

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