Joe Veleno was left without a qualifying offer on Monday. The Canadiens also qualified eight players, which pushed him toward unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Veleno, 26, had 2-3-5 totals in 61 regular-season games this season and added one assist in nine playoff games. He signed a one-year, US$900,000 contract with the Canadiens last summer as a free agent.
Canadiens keep eight, exclude Veleno
The Canadiens gave qualifying offers to Kirby Dach, Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc, along with Brett Berard, Jared Davidson, Sean Farrell, Hunter McKown and Maksymilian Szuber. That left Veleno outside the group and set his contract path apart from the players who kept their negotiating rights with the team.
A qualifying offer is a guaranteed, one-year contract extension that lets a team retain exclusive negotiating rights. Without it, Veleno can move into the UFA market on July 1 and weigh other options without being tied to the Canadiens after that date.
Joe Veleno and the July 1 move
For Veleno, the change is immediate in contract terms even if nothing else about his season changes. He spent the year on a one-year deal, played through 61 regular-season games, and finished with one assist in nine playoff games before Monday’s roster decision changed his status.
The Canadiens chose a split outcome on Monday: keep eight players under team control and let Veleno head toward UFA July 1. The decision leaves his next move in his own hands once the calendar turns, with free agency opening the door that qualifying offers would have closed.
Why the Canadiens decided not to issue Joe Veleno a qualifying offer is the part that now matters most. The only thing settled is his status: he is no longer headed into July tied to the Canadiens, and his next contract can come from anywhere once he reaches UFA.
