Wheeler’s long, productive stint in Winnipeg nearing end? By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 10:50 AM CDT Thursday, Jun. 22, 2023

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This article was published 22/06/2023 (1126 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It appears to be the end of an era.

Veteran Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler is not expected to return to the team to play out the final year of his contract, sources tell the Free Press. Instead, the 36-year-old former captain will likely be moved in the coming days.

One NHL source said that a buyout is “very possible, but not a certainty.” As an alternative, the organization is still exploring whether there is any interest on the trade market.

Another source said the Wheeler family has told members of its inner circle the organization intends to move on without him. Neither the Jets nor Wheeler’s agent would comment on the situation.

To say this is a sensitive situation would be an understatement. Wheeler has been the heart and soul, not to mention the face, of the franchise for many seasons. He’s the last remaining player who came over from the Atlanta Thrashers when they were purchased by True North in 2011 and re-located to Winnipeg.

Wheeler was once a true power forward who became one of the game’s premier playmakers for years. He had an incredible 139 assists over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons and often brought fans out of their seats as he’d streak down the right side and cut hard to the net.

He and his family have become entrenched in the community with numerous charitable endeavours. He was just nominated a few weeks ago as the team’s representative for the King Clancy Award for on and off-ice efforts, with the winner to be announced next Monday in Nashville.

Last weekend, Wheeler and the man he succeeded as captain in 2016, Andrew Ladd, represented the organization on a fishing trip with some contest winners. He’s also slated to tee it up in August at the Manitoba Open golf tournament on a sponsor’s exemption against members of the PGA Tour Canada.

Wheeler has played 874 of his 1,118 career regular-season games with the Jets, with 795 points (255 goals, 540 assists) in that span. His compete level has never been questioned, even after age and injuries have slowed him down.

He suffered a ruptured testicle last December after he was struck by a Josh Morrissey slap shot in the second period of a game against Nashville. Incredibly, he returned to play in the third period, then underwent emergency surgery hours later. He ultimately missed three weeks of action.

Wheeler is set to make a team-high US$8.25 million for the 2023-24 season as he completes the five-year, US$41.25 million extension he signed in 2018. The Minnesota product had 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists) in 72 regular-season games last year. That represented his lowest points-per-game average of his 12-year Jets career.

All NHL teams have until next Friday, June 30 to process any buyouts. If the Jets go that route with Wheeler, he would become an unrestricted free agent who could sign with any team beginning on July 1.

According to the CapFriendly website, a Wheeler buyout would result in a US$2.75 million cap hit for Winnipeg next year, which would mean a savings of US$5.5 million. However, an additional cap hit of US$2.75 million would be added for the 2024-25 campaign.

“There wasn’t a day I took off, so I guess that’s the best you can do.”–Blake Wheeler

If a trade ends up becoming the play, the Jets would likely have to sweeten the transaction either by adding a draft pick or prospect and/or retain up to 50 per cent of Wheeler’s salary to entice another team to bite. They explored potential deals last summer but weren’t able to find any takers.

Wheeler is one of the current “core four” members who could be out the door in the coming days or weeks. Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Connor Hellebuyck can all become UFAs next summer, and the Jets are exploring potential trades for all three.

Last season was undoubtedly Wheeler’s toughest, and not just because of the gruesome injury he suffered. New head coach, Rick Bowness, removed the captaincy he’d held since 2016 just before training camp. Adam Lowry took his official spot in the leadership group, joining Morrissey and Mark Scheifele as alternates.

Bowness, along with general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, said the idea was to create an environment where other players could expanded their roles. A novel idea in principle, but it’s clear Wheeler’s presence loomed large. At exit day interviews in April, right after the Jets had been eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in five games, numerous players (including Morrissey and Lowry) referred to Wheeler as the unofficial captain of the team.

It was at that same media availability where a rift between Wheeler and Bowness appeared to play out on the podium.

Following Winnipeg’s season-ending loss in Sin City, an emotional Bowness told reporters he was “disappointed and disgusted” with his troops, including a lack of “pushback” when the going got tough.

“We could have had those discussions behind closed doors. So, I didn’t agree with how he handled himself after that game,” Wheeler said afterward.

Wheeler appeared to recognize he may have already played his final game with the Jets. He mentioned agreeing to that contract extension after the Jets had gone to the Western Conference Final in 2018, believing the best was still to come.

“If 2018 didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have re-signed here,” he said. “The only reason I did is, I believed we had a chance to win, you know. I’ve dedicated my career to this place because I believed that we had the pieces to win. So from that standpoint, yeah, it’s disappointing to know that that didn’t come to fruition.”

Wheeler then seemed to get choked up when asked what he’d want his legacy to be, if that really was it for him.

“I mean… I gave it everything I’ve had. I hope that that’s good enough, you know what I mean,” he said. “There wasn’t a day I took off, so I guess that’s the best you can do.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg