Veleno Heading To Third NHL Team

Former Detroit Red Wings player Joe Veleno, considered a potential buyout for the Chicago Blackhawks, was traded to the Seattle Kraken today for Andre Burakovsky.

This will be Veleno’s third chance to make a first impression to a new NHL team.

Burakovsky, a 37-point scorer last season, will help improve a Blackhawks offense (2.73 goals per game) that was ranked 26th in the NHL this past season.

The motivation for moving Burakovsky is a contract that pays him an average of $5.5 million for two more seasons. Veleno is in the final year of a deal that pays him $2.275 million per season.

Third Chance

Veleno, a 2018 first-round pick, hasn’t lived up to his draft year expectations. He has 38 goals in 306 games. He can skate, and play physical, but has never contributed the level of offense that the Red Wings expected. They traded him before the 2025 NHL trade deadline in the deal for Petr Mrazek. The Blackhawks must not have appreciated what he produced (seven points in 18 games) because Faceoff.com reported he was a possible buyout.  Because he’s 25, Veleno can be bought out for one-third of his contract.

The Kraken may be thinking they can help Veleno unlock his scoring potential or may believe he can be valuable role player. In his best Detroit season, he scored 12 goals.  The Kraken also have the option of buying out his deal.

This season Andre Burakovsky hadn't impressive numbers but with it, he would have been 5th #Blackhawks scorer. He will solidify their middle-6 at this stage#SeaKraken shed some money for the next 2 seasons and give Joe Veleno the next try to reboot https://t.co/tdd69ua3YO pic.twitter.com/gQTOOCLoAc

— Benchrates (@benchrates) June 21, 2025

Veleno can generate more than 100 hits per season. He is also a versatile player, someone who can move up and down lines. His speed allows him to keep up with elite level players.

One irony: if the Blackhawks would have kept Veleno (and didn’t buy out his contract), then he would have been reunited with Jeff Blashil. He was his first coach in Detroit. Blashill was hired as the Blackhawks coach this summer.