NHL Prospect Preview: Joseph Veleno Stock Rising

Joseph Veleno is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2018, but some people are saying he is the “next”Connor McDavid. There will always be a next great prospect, and while a compassion to a currently undrafted player is extreme it will be good to be Joseph Veleno.

Veleno is the most recent junior hockey player to receive “exceptional status”, also known as the John Tavares Rule, meaning he can play in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as a 15-year old (players get drafted into the CHL at 16). He will be the fifth player in league history to be qualified under this rule. The others have been John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, and Sean Day. Let’s take a closer look at these players for a sense of how elite this company is:

John Tavares: The first overall pick in 2009 is already a two-time Hart Trophy finalist and one of the most respective young captains in the NHL. At the time, he was considered the greatest hockey prospect since Sidney Crosby and was almost drafted into the NHL a year early as a 17-year-old.

Aaron Ekblad: The favorite to win this year’s Calder Trophy in a stacked field, Ekblad was last year’s first overall pick. He seems to be on his way to becoming an elite defenceman in the NHL.

Connor McDavid: He is being considered a better prospect than Crosby was by many because of his speed and dominance on the ice. However, his biggest test will be whether he can rescue the Oilers.

Sean Day: Born in Belgium, raised in Michigan and holding a Canadian citizenship, Day first skated in Singapore (!). He has been around, but there is no questioning the 17-year-old defenceman’s raw talent. Some scouts question why he got exceptional status, but he will likely be a top five or ten selection in next year’s draft.

Veleno is a forward and from Kirkland in Quebec (near Montreal). He scored 52 points in 41 games for his Triple-A team and also played in the Canada Games this year. It looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on hometown talent Connor McDavid, but the Canadiens still have a chance to get their own hometown prospect in Veleno at the 2018 NHL draft.

So, will Veleno garner the same hype as McDavid? Anything can happen, but it is hard to see it. Before McDavid received exceptional status, he was probably at least known of by the average hockey fan because of his amazing 209-point season in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). Although Veleno put up good numbers, McDavid probably had better competition in the GTHL. The average hockey fan might know Veleno now, but that is only because he just got exceptional status. Veleno is an amazing hockey talent that will be a future star in the NHL, but he is not on McDavid’s level, and probably never will be.

Veleno was recently selected first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft by the Saint Dog Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs are a couple seasons removed from their borderline-dynasty era from 2009-2012, in which they won back-to-back QMJHL titles and the prestigious Memorial Cup, a rare feat for a junior team. Their roster included the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, Nathan Beaulieu, Charlie Coyle, Eric Gelinas, Simon Despres, and Mike Hoffman. Could Veleno lead a new Sea Dogs team to success, just like how McDavid led the Erie Otters?

Also check out: Sudbury Wolves draft Israeli-born-and-raised David Levin first overall in Ontario Hockey League Draft

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