Though the deal was agreed to much earlier this month, the Saint John Sea Dogs have officially traded top 2018 draft prospect Joe Veleno to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. The Sea Dogs will receive three first-round picks and two second-round picks in return for the exceptionally talented 17-year old, who will get an opportunity to play with a better team for the second-half of his draft year.
Veleno was the first player to be given exceptional status and enter the QMJHL at the age of 15, showing why as a rookie with 43 points in 62 games. Unfortunately, his game took a step back as he dealt with injuries in his sophomore year, leading some to question the league’s decision to allow him in so young. This year, Veleno has 31 points in 31 games for Saint John, but hasn’t been able to help the team to a better record than 10-19-4, second worst in the entire league.
Drummondville will hope to get Veleno for more than just the rest of this year, as there is the potential of him jumping right to the NHL next season. The 6’2″, 194-lbs center is projected to go somewhere in the top-15 picks in June’s NHL Entry Draft, though could go as high as the top-5 should his season take off. He’ll turn just 18 in January, but has played with those older than him his entire life.
Veleno is an excellent playmaker, and smooth in everything he does on the ice. The ease in which certain parts of the game come to him can sometimes be perceived as a lack of work ethic, but coaches and scouts say the very opposite about him. Whether he does crack the top-5 on draft day is still to be seen, but his future as a professional is very bright. For now, he’ll set his sights on the QMJHL Championship with Drummondville and an appearance in Regina at the 2018 Memorial Cup.