Player Discussion: Blake Wheeler

[JetsUK]

Now that’s a Captain and even more so a good human being.

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Great stuff. Lord knows St-Léon is both excellent, and not cheap.

Now for the crucial next step: implanting the idea that onrushing opposing forwards are, in fact, unpaid-for baskets of groceries, that require urgent attention from the Cap'n...

 

[blues10]

Wheeler has notoriously slow starts to the season. What looks concerning to me is he looks in poor physical conditioning. That is after 20 or so seconds of hard skating his body language indicates he is just gassed. He was skating around all hunched over and looked like he was going for a change last night only to re-appear on the TV screen as he didn't go off the ice. This has led to goals against and penalties in the past. I don't see a player that can play top minutes anymore. Not because Wheeler isn't a great player. My concern is father time in winning again as he always does. The last place Wheeler should find himself is on the PK. He needs shorter shifts and less overall icetime if we are going to get the most out of him. The coaching staff needs to find a way to optimize Wheelers talent as father time knocks at the door.

 

[Jet]

Poor Wheeler - I really hope he doesn't read SM. I think the way he's being talked about is obscene, especially with his body of work with the Jets, both on and off the ice.

Yes, he's overpaid, but that's the model in the NHL. One a player gets to a certain age, you know you're going to have to overpay in later years to retain them. You can't blame the player.

Every team in the NHL has guys who are overpaid and have non movable contracts. You just have to accept that. We should be happy that we really only have one of those players on our roster.

Blake Wheeler loves the Jets, loves Winnipeg, and gives everything he has to the team. If he was a whiny little bitch who half assed it like Laine did I could see the fans being critical of him but that is simply not the case.

I'm not saying people are wrong to want him to play down the lineup a bit. I think he'd be great on a third line with Copp and Lowry, with PP1 time net side.

He be fresher and make the 3rd line a scoring threat that could match against the oppositions best players.

I want the Jets to honor his contract and have him retire as a Jet.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Poor Wheeler - I really hope he doesn't read SM. I think the way he's being talked about is obscene, especially with his body of work with the Jets, both on and off the ice.

Yes, he's overpaid, but that's the model in the NHL. One a player gets to a certain age, you know you're going to have to overpay in later years to retain them. You can't blame the player.

Every team in the NHL has guys who are overpaid and have non movable contracts. You just have to accept that. We should be happy that we really only have one of those players on our roster.

Blake Wheeler loves the Jets, loves Winnipeg, and gives everything he has to the team. If he was a whiny little bitch who half assed it like Laine did I could see the fans being critical of him but that is simply not the case.

I'm not saying people are wrong to want him to play down the lineup a bit. I think he'd be great on a third line with Copp and Lowry, with PP1 time net side.

He be fresher and make the 3rd line a scoring threat that could match against the oppositions best players.

I want the Jets to honor his contract and have him retire as a Jet.

I also respect Wheeler for what he's done for the the past decade. I'm also reserving judgement for this season, as he has plenty of time to rebound. However, the fact remains that other than one really nice pass in Anaheim, he has been slow, clumsy and mostly invisible during the past two games. And I'm think Staz may also be slowing down to the point where he doesn't belong on the top six anymore. I'd move Harkins up to the top six before I'd play Staz there again this season. Same with Wheeler, until he shows me something. I'm predicting that he will be back to his former self before too long, but another side of me says that it only makes sense that he's going to start slowing down at his age.

 

[sipowicz]

Poor Wheeler - I really hope he doesn't read SM. I think the way he's being talked about is obscene, especially with his body of work with the Jets, both on and off the ice.

Yes, he's overpaid, but that's the model in the NHL. One a player gets to a certain age, you know you're going to have to overpay in later years to retain them. You can't blame the player.

Every team in the NHL has guys who are overpaid and have non movable contracts. You just have to accept that. We should be happy that we really only have one of those players on our roster.

Blake Wheeler loves the Jets, loves Winnipeg, and gives everything he has to the team. If he was a whiny little bitch who half assed it like Laine did I could see the fans being critical of him but that is simply not the case.

I'm not saying people are wrong to want him to play down the lineup a bit. I think he'd be great on a third line with Copp and Lowry, with PP1 time net side.

He be fresher and make the 3rd line a scoring threat that could match against the oppositions best players.

I want the Jets to honor his contract and have him retire as a Jet.

All true, but the bottom line is that Wheeler is no longer a top line forward!

 

[JetsUK]

Poor Wheeler - I really hope he doesn't read SM. I think the way he's being talked about is obscene, especially with his body of work with the Jets, both on and off the ice.

Yes, he's overpaid, but that's the model in the NHL. One a player gets to a certain age, you know you're going to have to overpay in later years to retain them. You can't blame the player.

Every team in the NHL has guys who are overpaid and have non movable contracts. You just have to accept that. We should be happy that we really only have one of those players on our roster.

Blake Wheeler loves the Jets, loves Winnipeg, and gives everything he has to the team. If he was a whiny little bitch who half assed it like Laine did I could see the fans being critical of him but that is simply not the case.

I'm not saying people are wrong to want him to play down the lineup a bit. I think he'd be great on a third line with Copp and Lowry, with PP1 time net side.

He be fresher and make the 3rd line a scoring threat that could match against the oppositions best players.

I want the Jets to honor his contract and have him retire as a Jet.

For me, this is the real point. Given his willingness in previous years to move round the lineup, take a long swing at C (a position he never played) when injuries required it, and so on, I just can't see Wheeler being the squeaky wheel barricading himself in PoMo's office demanding prime all-situations minutes because captaincy, pedigree, or anything else. I think he'd be absolutely fine contributing elsewhere down the lineup and on PP 1/2 in his former wheelhouse -- or wherever. This is on the coaching staff.

I do think that his usage needs to change, especially once we're facing more dominant teams with a higher octane offence which are likely to stretch him in terms of all-out speed, stamina and finishing. It's time for a rethink of how the "top 6" is built and deployed, and how special teams can be optimized. That, again, should be on the coaching staff.

 

[thai jet]

Poor Wheeler - I really hope he doesn't read SM. I think the way he's being talked about is obscene, especially with his body of work with the Jets, both on and off the ice.

Yes, he's overpaid, but that's the model in the NHL. One a player gets to a certain age, you know you're going to have to overpay in later years to retain them. You can't blame the player.

Every team in the NHL has guys who are overpaid and have non movable contracts. You just have to accept that. We should be happy that we really only have one of those players on our roster.

Blake Wheeler loves the Jets, loves Winnipeg, and gives everything he has to the team. If he was a whiny little bitch who half assed it like Laine did I could see the fans being critical of him but that is simply not the case.

I'm not saying people are wrong to want him to play down the lineup a bit. I think he'd be great on a third line with Copp and Lowry, with PP1 time net side.

He be fresher and make the 3rd line a scoring threat that could match against the oppositions best players.

I want the Jets to honor his contract and have him retire as a Jet.

Wheeler demanded to play last season with cracked ribs which was a detriment to the team's performance. He continually uses his leverage as a personal friend of the managing owner for the benefit of himself and his clique. A great example of that is Morrissey playing on power-play one last season and now on power-play two. There is no justification in his play for that. Maurice is a very weak coach which allows Wheeler and his boys to usually get their way.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Wheeler demanded to play last season with cracked ribs which was a detriment to the team's performance. He continually uses his leverage as a personal friend of the managing owner for the benefit of himself and his clique. A great example of that is Morrissey playing on power-play one last season and now on power-play two. There is no justification in his play for that. Maurice is a very weak coach which allows Wheeler and his boys to usually get their way.

I thought the justification was that Pionk is better at setting wheeler up for the one timer as he’s suddenly become the shooter with his muffin instead of kfc.

 

[surixon]

Wheeler demanded to play last season with cracked ribs which was a detriment to the team's performance. He continually uses his leverage as a personal friend of the managing owner for the benefit of himself and his clique. A great example of that is Morrissey playing on power-play one last season and now on power-play two. There is no justification in his play for that. Maurice is a very weak coach which allows Wheeler and his boys to usually get their way.

I really don't follow the Morrissey part? Are you saying Wheelwr insisted JoMo being on unit one last year or that he wanted his old HB spot back and that made needing a RS dmen the optimal hence Morrissey moving back to unit 2?

I think which dmen is used is based fully on what side we are trying to tee up the one timer and not so much politics.

Now it seems they want to try to go back to the Laine PP configuration with Scheifele as Laine (I heard he worked all summer in his one timer).

The issue is that we don't have a replacement for Scheifele as a one shot slot scorer so all opposing teams have to do is take away the seam to him and that forces Wjeeler to shoot. To me its just coaching living in the past and not recognizing that the pieces have changed and that a new system is needed to optimize what we now have vs. What we used to have.

 

[Imcanadianeh]

Wheeler demanded to play last season with cracked ribs which was a detriment to the team's performance. He continually uses his leverage as a personal friend of the managing owner for the benefit of himself and his clique. A great example of that is Morrissey playing on power-play one last season and now on power-play two. There is no justification in his play for that. Maurice is a very weak coach which allows Wheeler and his boys to usually get their way.

This is a nice new conspiracy theory, haven’t heard many of these since Laine was traded.

But to build on it I heard from a reliable source that Maurice didn’t want to give Morrissy the “A” but changed his mind after he was given multiple Swirlies by Wheeler.

 

[buyinnow]

thai jet, you swear at the tv during jet games don't you?

Wheeler demanded to play last season with cracked ribs which was a detriment to the team's performance. He continually uses his leverage as a personal friend of the managing owner for the benefit of himself and his clique. A great example of that is Morrissey playing on power-play one last season and now on power-play two. There is no justification in his play for that. Maurice is a very weak coach which allows Wheeler and his boys to usually get their way.

"demanded"
"continually uses his leverage as a personal friend....himself and his clique"
"a great example of that"
"Maurice is a very weak coach....wheeler and his boys"

wow. that post is cuckoo. and 4 people liked it.

 

[The Blue Baron]

Well he isn’t practicing so he’s is intact hurt again! Not at all Shocking I guess.

He looks like a 40 year old out there.

 

[JetsFan815]

Wheeler demanded to play last season with cracked ribs which was a detriment to the team's performance. He continually uses his leverage as a personal friend of the managing owner for the benefit of himself and his clique. A great example of that is Morrissey playing on power-play one last season and now on power-play two. There is no justification in his play for that. Maurice is a very weak coach which allows Wheeler and his boys to usually get their way.

Please explain how you know that Wheeler "demanded" that Mo play him with cracked ribs.

Also what does Morrissey being on the PP have to do with Wheeler?

By all accounts from the media that covers the Jets Morrissey has been bombing in goals from the right circle in practice. His shot certainly looks better in that spot than PLDs as he actually seems to be able to one-time it and seems to be heavier than PLDs shot. Lets see how that PP actually performs before casting judgements, not like the Jets have better options.

 

[surixon]

Please explain how you know that Wheeler "demanded" that Mo play him with cracked ribs.

Also what does Morrissey being on the PP have to do with Wheeler?

By all accounts from the media that covers the Jets Morrissey has been bombing in goals from the right circle in practice. His shot certainly looks better in that spot than PLDs as he actually seems to be able to one-time it and seems to be heavier than PLDs shot. Lets see how that PP actually performs before casting judgements, not like the Jets have better options.

Yeah I have been quite happy with JoMo as the triggerman on pp2. He used his shot on the pp a lot in junior, this is purring him back in a similar role.

 

[Neuf]

Well he isn’t practicing so he’s is intact hurt again! Not at all Shocking I guess.

He looks like a 40 year old out there.

C19 protocol according to Maurice, where are you getting the injury news?

 

[FiveHoled]

 

[bustamente]

Hopefully he kept it to himself, last thing the Jets need more guys getting this virus and being out of the lineup for a significant time

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Poor Wheeler - I really hope he doesn't read SM. I think the way he's being talked about is obscene, especially with his body of work with the Jets, both on and off the ice.

Yes, he's overpaid, but that's the model in the NHL. One a player gets to a certain age, you know you're going to have to overpay in later years to retain them. You can't blame the player.

Every team in the NHL has guys who are overpaid and have non movable contracts. You just have to accept that. We should be happy that we really only have one of those players on our roster.

Blake Wheeler loves the Jets, loves Winnipeg, and gives everything he has to the team. If he was a whiny little bitch who half assed it like Laine did I could see the fans being critical of him but that is simply not the case.

I'm not saying people are wrong to want him to play down the lineup a bit. I think he'd be great on a third line with Copp and Lowry, with PP1 time net side.

He be fresher and make the 3rd line a scoring threat that could match against the oppositions best players.

I want the Jets to honor his contract and have him retire as a Jet.

Mostly agree with this. I want him to retire as a Jet. That's why I always wanted his contract to be a year shorter.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I also respect Wheeler for what he's done for the the past decade. I'm also reserving judgement for this season, as he has plenty of time to rebound. However, the fact remains that other than one really nice pass in Anaheim, he has been slow, clumsy and mostly invisible during the past two games. And I'm think Staz may also be slowing down to the point where he doesn't belong on the top six anymore. I'd move Harkins up to the top six before I'd play Staz there again this season. Same with Wheeler, until he shows me something. I'm predicting that he will be back to his former self before too long, but another side of me says that it only makes sense that he's going to start slowing down at his age.

Just a thought about Wheeler and his slow starts - it seems to me that the players who best manage to extend their careers past 35(ish) manage to do it by working harder to be in shape than they did when they were younger and also by pacing themselves a bit. At the same time they get reduced TOI and take a reduced role. I don't see any sign of Wheeler doing any of those things.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Wheeler demanded to play last season with cracked ribs which was a detriment to the team's performance. He continually uses his leverage as a personal friend of the managing owner for the benefit of himself and his clique. A great example of that is Morrissey playing on power-play one last season and now on power-play two. There is no justification in his play for that. Maurice is a very weak coach which allows Wheeler and his boys to usually get their way.

You know all of this how?

You assume that everything Maurice does is at the demand of Wheeler? Strange.

 

[Jets 31]

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If Wheeler has Covid that would definitely explain why he looked tired in the first few games, glad i held off ripping into him now.

 

[Hunter368]

You know all of this how?

You assume that everything Maurice does is at the demand of Wheeler? Strange.

Strange is the polite word for it….

Coaches determine usage and lineups not players

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Strange is the polite word for it….

Coaches determine usage and lineups not players

Yes. I'm deep Canadian.

 

[Hunter368]

Yes. I'm deep Canadian.

I’ll add:

Docs determine if a player plays when injured.

 

[Hunter368]

People shouldn’t complain about a players usage and blame him……blame the coach.