Blake Wheeler Logs Nine Minutes In First Game Since February
New York Rangers right wing Blake Wheeler was back in action in Game 4 against Florida on Tuesday, logging 9:18 of ice time in his first game since Feb. 15. Wheeler replaced Filip Chytil in the lineup after missing over three months with a lower-body injury. He skated on the fourth line, with Jack Roslovic taking Chytil's spot on the top trio. The veteran recorded two blocks, four hits, and two penalty minutes in the contest. Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette suggested Chytil was kept out of the game for load management purposes, so it remains to be seen whether Wheeler can stick in the lineup. But it was great to see him back on Tuesday.
New York Rangers right wing Blake Wheeler exited Thursday's contest versus Montreal after only five shifts, having suffered a right leg injury. He was hurt when he fell awkwardly following a collision with Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble. Wheeler couldn't put any weight on his right leg and had to be helped off the ice by teammates. The veteran has totaled nine goals and 12 assists in 54 games this season. Kaapo Kakko will have a chance to land back in a top-six role if Wheeler has to exit the lineup, which appears likely, given the nature of his injury.
New York Rangers forward Blake Wheeler was moved to the team's top line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider in Thursday's practice. The veteran has largely skated in a bottom-six role this season, his first with the Rangers, as he is averaging just 12:40 of ice time per game, a significant drop from his 17:03 mark last season with the Winnipeg Jets. He has seen his production dip as a result as he has seven goals and 17 points in 47 games (0.36 points per game) after recording 16 goals and 55 points in 72 games (0.76) last season. Wheeler takes the spot of youngster Kaapo Kakko who was unable to take advantage of first-line usage as he has just three goals and four points in 26 games on the season after notching a career-high 18 goals and 40 points while skating in all 82 games a season ago.
New York Rangers right wing Blake Wheeler got his career in the Big Apple off to a perfect start as he made a scoring debut for the team in Tuesday's preseason contest versus the Islanders. The veteran forward scored his team's final goal in a 4-2 win 5:01 into the second period. Wheeler had three shots in total across 14:39 of action and registered one block while finishing with an even plus-minus. The veteran winger turned 37 four weeks ago, but Wheeler has always been a prolific player and should have a fine year on a strong Rangers team.
The Winnipeg Jets have placed forward Blake Wheeler on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract, the team announced Friday. Wheeler's contract had an $8.25 million cap hit, but the Jets will now be on the hook for only $2.75 million over two years. The 36-year-old departs after spending 12 and a half seasons with the franchise. Wheeler managed a franchise-record 795 points in 897 games during his time with the team. He recorded only 55 points in 72 games last season, but the two-time All-Star is set to attract plenty of interest as a free agent.
Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler is set to depart the club this offseason, with TSN's Pierre LeBrun reporting that the veteran forward is working together with the team to find the most suitable solution for the situation. "This isn't about the Jets desperately trying to get rid of Blake Wheeler, this is two sides working together," LeBrun noted on the latest edition of Insider Trading. "Blake Wheeler wants a fresh reset just as much as the Jets want to try to make that happen for him and so his agent and Kevin Cheveldayoff really working together here." LeBrun added that a buyout could be an option if a trade can't be worked out. Wheeler has one season left on his contract with a cap hit of $8.25 million and it includes a five-team no-trade list. The 36-year-old is looking to move on after having a down year in 2022-23 with 16 goals and 55 points in 72 games.
Blake Wheeler Leads The Charge In Game 1 Victory Over Vegas
Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler recorded three points as the team shocked the Vegas Golden Knights with a 5-1 victory on Tuesday. The veteran forward matched a franchise playoff record with the three-point effort, registering one goal and two assists. Vegas is considered the clear favorite in the matchup, but Winnipeg has plenty of firepower as well and was able to hit five goals In Game 1 despite Nikolaj Ehlers (upper body) sitting out the contest. Nino Niederreiter filled in for Ehlers on the Wheeler line and had two assists.
Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler came up with a big goal in Sunday's 2-1 victory against Arizona, tilting a tight contest in Winnipeg's favor with the game-winning goal 16:45 into the second period. He scored in a second consecutive game and now has 11 markers for the whole season. Wheeler, who recently missed nine games after undergoing surgery for a ruptured testicle, has added 19 assists in 35 outings. He has been one of the most consistent scorers in the league for many years and Wheeler is still going strong even at 36. If he can up his pace just a little bit, the veteran winger would average at least 0.90 points per game for an eighth consecutive season.
Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler (groin) has come off Injured Reserve and will be back in action Friday versus Tampa Bay. He has missed the past nine games after undergoing groin surgery. It has been revealed that Wheeler suffered a ruptured testicle by blocking teammate Josh Morrissey's shot in a game against Nashville on Dec. 15. The veteran was stripped of captaincy prior to the start of 2022-23 and he has responded well to it, producing nine goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances. Wheeler will join the second line, with Cole Perfetti (upper body) also back and Nikolaj Ehlers (abdomen) making his season debut. The return of three key forwards is horrible news for Sam Gagner, who is forced to drop from the first line all the way back down to the fourth. Adam Lowry and Karson Kuhlman also have to settle for lesser roles.
Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler won't be in the lineup Saturday against Vancouver and he is set to miss at least a month after undergoing groin surgery. The veteran took a shot to the groin in Thursday's match against Nashville and missed a part of the game, but he returned in the third period to finish the contest and it appeared that Wheeler avoided serious injury. However, it's now been confirmed that he had surgery on Friday. The 35-year-old has had a good campaign so far with 26 points in 29 games. With the Jets still without Nikolaj Ehlers (hernia), there were some interesting lines on the ice at the morning skate, as Karson Kuhlman and Sam Gagner were among the top six.
Blake Wheeler Piles Up Four Points Against The Avalanche
Winnipeg Jets right wing Blake Wheeler enjoyed his best game of the season Tuesday, recording four points in a 5-0 win over Colorado. He notched his fourth career hat trick and handed out one assist. Wheeler opened the scoring on the power play and then added two even-strength goals to his tally. The former Jets captain has shown off incredible form lately, recording three consecutive multi-point efforts and racking up 10 points in his past five appearances. He's now on 20 points through 21 games for the whole season. The veteran winger finds him in a great position to prolong his hot streak, as Winnipeg faces a couple of awful defensive teams next, with Columbus and Anaheim coming to town.
Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler (upper body) will sit out a second consecutive game on Sunday against Ottawa. The Jets captain is also considered doubtful for Monday's contest versus Montreal. Wheeler has been Winnipeg's third-best scorer this season with 54 points in 57 games. Evgeny Svechnikov has replaced him in the top six and is expected to skate on the second line again on Sunday. His stats for the season include only six goals and 12 assists in 62 games, but playing with Pierre-Luc Dubois and especially Kyle Connor gives Svechnikov's fantasy stock a massive boost.
Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler has been ruled out of Friday's game against Colorado with an upper-body injury. He hasn't been practicing with the team since Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Detroit and is considered day-to-day. Wheeler has struggled to stay in the lineup all season long, skating in just 57 games. He's done well when healthy, going for 54 points with 56 hits. Evgeny Svechnikov is taking over his spot on the second line Friday night. The 25-year-old has shown some good ability, but he heads into the game on an eight-game point drought, so fantasy managers should keep their expectations low. Svechnikov has managed 18 points in 61 games overall this season.
Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler (lower body) has started to skate but is not ready to return to game action yet. The 35-year-old suffered a lower-body injury after a collision with his teammate on December 10 and was placed on long-term injured reserve. Jets head coach Dave Lowry said that he hopes the captain will join the Jets on the road later in January. Wheeler has recorded 17 points through 22 games this season, with one goal and 16 assists to go along with a minus one rating. The veteran forward can still provide fantasy value and contribute across standard fantasy formats upon his return.
Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler (lower body) was placed on the long-term Injured Reserve on Sunday. The Jets captain is set to miss his third consecutive game on Sunday against St. Louis, and he'll now be out for at least 10 games and 24 days. Wheeler got hurt just as he had managed to put together a nice five-game point streak, during which he averaged two points a night. The veteran boasts 17 points for the whole season in 22 games.
Blake Wheeler Finally Pots First Goal, Adds Two Assists
Winnipeg Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler kept accumulating assists but had zero luck in scoring a goal. Twice this year Wheeler thought he had scored his first only to have it taken away. On Friday, it finally happened. The forward scored midway into the opening period via his linemates Kyle Connor and Nate Schmidt. After that, Wheeler added two more assists and hit the net seven times in all Friday. The winger now has 17 points in 22 games this season. Expect the goal scoring to continue as Wheeler seems to be past his early struggles.
Blake Wheeler Nets Two Assists In 1,000th Career Game
Winnipeg Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler served up two more assists on Sunday night in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was not any ordinary contest as this was Wheeler's 1000th career game. It has been a long and productive career for the forward. With the two points, Wheeler is up to 12 assists in 19 games and 819 points for his career. There are only six other American-born wingers who have more points than Wheeler. Though he still does not have a goal on 42 shots this season, the forward remains quite dangerous in all offensive phases.
Blake Wheeler's Three Assists Key Eight-Goal Night
Winnipeg Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler had not scored a goal all season so far. On Friday night, the forward dished out three assists in the 8-4 home triumph over the New Jersey Devils. Wheeler had just one shot on goal and one blocked shot but did have two takeaways on Friday. Furthermore, it was believed that Wheeler had scored his first goal of the season. Late in the second period it appeared that was the case but Josh Morrissey had altered the direction of the puck. Nonetheless, it was still a good night for Wheeler who now has ten assists in 18 contests.
Blake Wheeler Snaps Out Of Offensive Funk With Two Assists
Winnipeg Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler is one of the best passers in the NHL. He can feed a player for a one-timer in a way that is too good for words. His feed to Kyle Connor in the third period on Saturday was perfect. The result was Connor's second goal and turned out to be the game-winner. Wheeler had not even seen the assist column in five games before Saturday night's two assists. That gives him seven on the season. Now, there is the other concern with zero goals on 37 shots. Wheeler had seven straight 20-goal seasons before the shortened year. The goals will eventually come.
Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler will not dress for his team's road matchup versus the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Wheeler did not skate with the Jets in Monday's practice after testing positive for COVID-19, and he will be out indefinitely as a result. The Minnesota native has played in just two games thus far in 2021-2022, collecting one assist, four penalty minutes, three shots and two hits.
Blake Wheeler
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Rangers
