Blake Wheeler reflected on his last days with the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, in addition to discussing his new opportunity with the New York Rangers.
Wheeler signed a one-year deal worth $800,000 with the Rangers on Saturday, a day after the Jets bought out the final year of his five-year contract with an average annual value of 8.25 million $. He spent 12 seasons with the Jets after moving with them from Atlanta in 2012. Wheeler knew his contract was going to be bought out, and he wasn’t surprised.
“I’m really grateful for everything that happened in Winnipeg,” he said. Playing for 12 years in the same place is not something that several people will have the opportunity to do. I have nothing but gratitude to the city, the organization and the fans. I am happy to leave the organization on good terms with [le président] Mark Chipman, le [directeur général] Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Rick Bowness. This isn’t always the case when a player quits, especially after being in one place for a long time. Communication has been excellent, especially in the last few weeks when I knew what to expect. The discussions were friendly. It’s a good way to separate. »
READ: Rangers add depth despite salary constraints
Now is the time to take the next step for the right winger.
The Rangers had little wiggle room under the salary cap (about $10 million), and they have yet to come to terms with restricted free agents Alexis Lafrenière and K’Andre Miller. They needed a right winger capable of playing in the top-6.
Wheeler hopes to be able to live up to expectations.
“If given this opportunity, I believe I can be successful in this role,” said Wheeler, who will be 37 at the start of next season. When you look at the formation, there are several world-class players, especially in attack (Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider). I think I’m a good complement for these guys. »
Wheeler’s experience (1,118 season games) and size (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) have been attractive to the Rangers. His salary too.
“He can do a lot of things on the ice, he’s a big winger and a veteran,” said general manager Chris Drury. We think it can be used pretty much anywhere in training. We are happy that he wants to be here, and that he believes in what we are trying to accomplish. »
Rangers tried to fill their gap at the right wing last season by acquiring both Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko before the trade deadline. Tarasenko had 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 31 games, while Kane had 12 (five goals, seven assists) in 19 games. Kane had six points (one goal, five assists) and Tarasenko had four (three goals, one assist) in a seven-game loss to the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs. Both players became unrestricted free agents on July 1.
Wheeler will therefore take their place on the right for the next season. He will receive $800,000, along with performance bonuses of $300,000. A more than interesting prize for a player who collected 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists) in 72 games last year,
Wheeler is no longer the 91-point player he was in 2017-18 and 2018-19, but he has averaged 56.5 points per campaign since 2019-20, including 46 points in 50 games in the season shortened by COVID-19 in 2020-2021.
In fact, Wheeler would have finished fifth in Rangers scoring last season with such a tally.
Kaapo Kakko was the Rangers’ leading right-winger in scoring last year, with 40 points in 82 games.
“I know I’m still capable of playing a big role and playing big minutes,” Wheeler said. The sport has changed since my early years in the League. It’s much faster and the players are younger. Gone are the days when I could grab the puck and outspeed the defenseman. But I know that I can still offer quality performances and evolve with good players.
“I was lucky to be able to play with talented players in Winnipeg. That’s part of why New York was so attractive, because of the quality players on the team. I think I can be a good option to make these guys even better, and hopefully the team too. »
2023-07-03 23:05:21
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