Value of: Blake Wheeler

[Rabid Ranger]

I think there is a lot of unnecessary hand wringing over Wheeler's next deal. The Jets will take care of him and deal with his "twilight years" when it gets to that point

 

[StreetHawk]

Obviously a 7 or 8 year deal for him would be tremendously front-loaded.

I just don’t see that many guys left in the nhl who were drafted between 1997 to 2001 this past year. Age range in 2018 for those guys would be 35 to 39.

Just have to be realistic about how many good years wheeler has left. If you hand him a long term deal you do so knowing that it will cost maybe a 2nd round pick or mid level prospect to send him to another team with 2-3 years left on his deal.

 

[Hostile Offer]

I just don’t see that many guys left in the nhl who were drafted between 1997 to 2001 this past year. Age range in 2018 for those guys would be 35 to 39.

Just have to be realistic about how many good years wheeler has left. If you hand him a long term deal you do so knowing that it will cost maybe a 2nd round pick or mid level prospect to send him to another team with 2-3 years left on his deal.

That's why most of the money would be paid in the first few years of that contract. Even a totally washed up Wheeler with a high cap hit but low actual salary should attract some budget teams looking to reach cap floor. Cue Arizona.

 

[Flyerfan52]

Obviously a 7 or 8 year deal for him would be tremendously front-loaded.

I figure that's the type of contract he'll want.
Something like $8 (a tad higher than Buff) x 6-8 (lower cap hit if front loaded) & as a late bloomer I can see him playing well @ 38. His real, hard hitting game only came when the Thrashers moved to Wpg. In that time he can win a SC with the Jets & turn the reins over to Scheifele, make his $s & retire happy. Then become 1st (or 2nd if Buff retires 1st with a SC ring or 2) of Jets 2.0 to be inducted into the Jets HOF.

 

[untouchable21]

Wheeler is hated in Arizona.

No advocating his proposal, but your statement is besides the point. It’s not the same regime as when Wheeler left Arizona as a UFA.

 

[rynryn]

i can't even comprehend this happening.

 

[bernmeister]

This is a good question whether or not he stays.

But this is my take: he stated in an interview he goes to prove himself every single day. I also know he loves it in Winnipeg, but for all we know, he could be asking for dumb money within the next day. I mean I could see him getting offered $7M AAV for eight years, a contract that is flexed through the portion of his career if it locks him up in Winnipeg. But you never know, he might be a team guy and ask for low money. Although, his trade value is very high after this season. I expect him to have a better one next season. I'd love him to retire a Jet, he rocks 26 beautifully.

One thing I will say is if Vancouver did manage to get a hold of him before he was traded to the Thrashers, he would've worked amazingly with the Sedins.

I'll just pretend he wants out of Winnipeg and gets traded to Florida for Barkov. I think straight up would do it, but if any team is likely to add in this case-scenario, Winnipeg would.

Other than the Jets, I see him playing for the Rangers.

I don't see it to NY, bad timing UNLESS next season
EK signs 40m for 3 years
Panarin signs
Hayes is playoff rental, then returns long term
Nieves, not a 1C, nevertheless is functional pivot for Kreider - Kravtsov
Chytil, Andersson, Howden, etc all work out
3LD prospects emerge, Day is pushing it in the A

translation, a young core to be competitive is suddenly here
and
Skjei is available as surplus for a premium winger, tho I see more likely try for RD

to be clear, this is conceivably possible under certain circumstances, but not likely

I expect Jets to make space and extend

 

[kylbaz]

Love Wheeler but it's going to end up being an ugly deal with an ugly term.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

Love Wheeler but it's going to end up being an ugly deal with an ugly term.

It kind of reminds me of the Burns situation. Could easily have a similar contract term and AAV too.

 

[Jozay]

jets are a cup contender, dont see why they'd trade him

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Jets would be best served by letting him play out his deal and letting him go after the season.

 

[MagicalRazor]

If you gave him 7x7 , And he took a 30-40% decline still a 55-65 Point winger lets just average that at 60 Point 30/30 player i don't see 7x7 a bad contract for him even with his age. he has gotten better with age like burns

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Jets would be best served by letting him play out his deal and letting him go after the season.

How is it a good idea to let a player like Wheeler go? The Jets have a large window to win. Pay him what he's worth, get top drawer production for at least four more seasons and then deal with the probable downward trajectory then.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

How is it a good idea to let a player like Wheeler go? The Jets have a large window to win. Pay him what he's worth, get top drawer production for at least four more seasons and then deal with the probable downward trajectory then.

He's 32 years old, the Jets have a lot of big contracts to hand out to young core players shortly, and are strong on the wings even without Wheeler while being relatively weak on defense/at center. If they can get him on a good contract it could be workable, but this is gonna be his last deal and I imagine he's going to want to get paid what his track record suggests, which he's certainly entitled to do.

If 30+ forwards like Stastny, Radulov, and Marleau can get 6+ mil contracts with their recent track records, what do you think Wheeler could get? Is it good cap management to allocate that much money to yet another winger - the least important position in hockey - when they're already going to be committing so much to Ehlers, Connor, and Laine long-term? I have serious doubts.

If Wheeler were to commit to playing center and worked well there long-term, I think keeping him would be more palatable. Maybe that's something the Jets should explore this year.

 

[simon IC]

I'd love Wheeler on the Blues, but a snowball has a better chance in hell than the Jets trading him within the division. Jets are all in now, Wheeler is going nowhere.

 

[mikeyp24]

7 mill?? I could easily see him asking for and getting 9+ for 4-5 years and hoping he has a contract year or two left in him after that aswell to make even more. The guy had 91 points last season, if he scores close to that again with the cap going up as much as it has and might go even higher next season he should easily get 9+.

He would want 7 or 8 years so would likely take 7 or 8 to get the extra years. He wont do short term because his money will get cut in half after the first is up.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

So let's say Wheeler gets 8 mil per on his next deal. Laine could reasonably ask for 9, and Ehlers already makes 6 so Connor could very well ask for the same.

That would be 29 million dollars a year wrapped up in 4 wingers, provided Wheeler doesn't make a permanent position change.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

So let's say Wheeler gets 8 mil per on his next deal. Laine could reasonably ask for 9, and Ehlers already makes 6 so Connor could very well ask for the same.

That would be 29 million dollars a year wrapped up in 4 wingers, provided Wheeler doesn't make a permanent position change.

Leafs math tells us this isn't a problem.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Leafs math tells us this isn't a problem.

I don't see how Leafs math affects this.

Is there any situation where the Leafs would be spending near that much money on the least important position in hockey? They're talking about keeping Nylander and Marner, who even in a worst-case scenario likely wouldn't cost as much as Wheeler and Laine, let alone the other 2 wingers the Jets have who could realistically make 6 mil apiece.

 

[WesMcCauley]

He would want 7 or 8 years so would likely take 7 or 8 to get the extra years. He wont do short term because his money will get cut in half after the first is up.

How would his money get cut in half?
9*5=45m
7*7=49m

Then he has two more years where he will total out at the same amount if he makes 2 million each one of those years. Chances of him making more the last two years are really high unless he gets seriously injured or is completely done. If thats the case he has "only" lost 4 million which he probably can make working those two years as something else than a player. The chances of him earning more than 4 million as a player or something else the last 2 years are much higher than not imo

 

[Saidin]

I'd get rid of him and replace his dollars with Mark Stone. I think they are both UFA's next year?

 

[Hunter368]

I'd get rid of him and replace his dollars with Mark Stone. I think they are both UFA's next year?

Yes both are ufa end of this season.....yes switching out Wheeler for Stone would be acceptable to me and I love Wheeler.

 

[DRW204]

So let's say Wheeler gets 8 mil per on his next deal. Laine could reasonably ask for 9, and Ehlers already makes 6 so Connor could very well ask for the same.

That would be 29 million dollars a year wrapped up in 4 wingers, provided Wheeler doesn't make a permanent position change.

and 6.125M on the PPG 1C, that deal helps a lot

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

and 6.125M on the PPG 1C, that deal helps a lot

Scheif is on a great deal to be sure. I don't think it's good enough to justify spending 29 mil on 4 wingers, and I've yet to see a compelling argument to support that.

 

[DRW204]

Scheif is on a great deal to be sure. I don't think it's good enough to justify spending 29 mil on 4 wingers, and I've yet to see a compelling argument to support that.

It's not a reason to justify it, it's why it could be a bit more palpable because the Jets have a 8-9M dollar player making 6.125M.