Chevy...Please sign Wheeler to Extension before Camp!

[Trinity]

I'd trade Ehlers to keep Wheelers.

Thank God you aren't our GM.

 

[Jets4Life]

Wheeler has been a good player, but had a great year last year. Can he continue at last years pace? That will determine his value. How many other teams would be willingly to offer him a 8m X 4 years? I'm doubting any team would

Teams would be lined up, tripping over themselves, in order to sign Wheeler to a 4 year/$32 million contract.

 

[AWSAA]

Teams would be lined up, tripping over themselves, in order to sign Wheeler to a 4 year/$32 million contract.

How many teams up against the cap (already stacked at the wing position) would offer that contract knowing they'd have to sacrifice a much younger core talent to fit Blake in?

 

[Jets4Life]

How many teams up against the cap (already stacked at the wing position) would offer that contract knowing they'd have to sacrifice a much younger core talent to fit Blake in?

Not every team is like the Jets, Skippy.

There are plenty of teams that have the cap space and would be ecstatic to acquire an elite 1st line forward like Wheeler. In Winnipeg, we are somewhat spoiled with offensive depth.

 

[Peggy]

Its going to be very interesting. If Wheeler wants to test free agency, does he get moved this year?

I'm not s professional athlete so I can't speak from personal experience

But you already make millions and millions of dollars you're the captain of a top 4 team

Why would you wanna leave the chance of leading a team to a cup for an extra million?

I understand Tavares leaving islanders because, he gave them chance and their future still looks wobbly, but the jets are no islanders

 

[DRW204]

the only player around the ages of 32-33 to get a deal above 5 years that i could find was Marian Gaborik, that was 7 years. Only player I could really find with similar production to Wheeler that signed a contract around his age was Jumbo Joe. edit - Sedins took a 4 x 7M at age 33 in 2013 (10.89% of cap) they were roughly PPG in the preceding years too

edit - lol i mentioned this earlier this thread

 

[Bigfish]

Teams would be lined up, tripping over themselves, in order to sign Wheeler to a 4 year/$32 million contract.

Would those same teams offer a roster player, a 1st round pick and a decent prospect to get Wheeler this year? If so i would consider trading Wheeler this off season. His value has never been higher. As a draft and develop team, if that what the Jets are, you cannot re-sign aging stars to big money contracts, especially when you have younger players to replace them. You trade your aging stars for younger players and picks. Draft picks are like gold for draft and develop teams like the Jets. Even more so when you have been able to draft good players in the later rounds like Lowry in the 3rd round, Hellebuyck in the 5th or Niku in the 7th. I was disappointed that the Jets traded their 1st and Foley to get Stastny at the trade deadline last year. Draft and develop teams should not be trading away draft picks. EVER. Trade deadline pickups rarely work (win you the cup) and the 1st could have been Joe Veleno. I don't believe in any of this "our window is now" BS. The Jets have a great young core that, if managed correctly, should keep the Jets competitive for the foreseeable future.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

I can't see Jets trading Wheeler, Jets are in a win mode and need all hands on deck. Contending teams don't trade for futures. Wheeler is just to too valuable to trade despite his upcoming UFA....which is true for almost all upcoming UFAs on contending teams.

 

[Jets4Life]

I can't see Jets trading Wheeler, Jets are in a win mode and need all hands on deck. Contending teams don't trade for futures. Wheeler is just to too valuable to trade despite his upcoming UFA....which is true for almost all upcoming UFAs on contending teams.

I put this question on the main boards, if anyone is curious:

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/blake-wheeler-ufa-in-2019.2533901/#post-149101107

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I simply just rather wait until he comments and a trusted source comments on a potential contract extension with the Jets before I share what I would think the future possibilities are for Blake Wheeler.

 

[The Big M]

almost worth a gamble to not look at an extension and see how he performs next season. If he is back down to high sixties to mid seventies in point production for the year we may have a better bargaining chip to work with.

I cant see us trading Ehlers to make room for blake. the kid has hit the 60 point plateau twice at the age of 21. Blake did not crack that mark until he was 25. Unless people think that Ehlers has peaked already it is silly to assume he wont reach or surpass Blake's ceiling in the future.

I agree with you about Ehlers.
He could potentially beat Wheeler's career point totals.

But I wouldn't want to gamble to see if Wheeler regresses this year to save a few dollars.

Pay the man now!

 

[Howard Chuck]

I’ll bet VGK steals him and then they go on to win the cup. They seem to do that sort of thing to us

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I'm not s professional athlete so I can't speak from personal experience

But you already make millions and millions of dollars you're the captain of a top 4 team

Why would you wanna leave the chance of leading a team to a cup for an extra million?

I understand Tavares leaving islanders because, he gave them chance and their future still looks wobbly, but the jets are no islanders

I think you underestimate the professional athletes desire to get paid. That’s not to say Wheeler won’t take a bit less then market value to make it work in Winnipeg but it won’t be to the extent some seem to expect. Also, this isn’t just some run of the mill player. He’s one of the top wingers in the league and the captain. You just don’t replace players like him regardless of how good you think your farm system is. For a contender like the Jets you have to sign him. Period.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

I’ll bet VGK steals him and then they go on to win the cup. They seem to do that sort of thing to us

I know folks feel that way when they lose a UFA. But why should they? He wasn't stolen as being a UFA, he wasn't yours to be stolen.
Funny how fans are so gleeful when a UFA signs with THEIR team....great we have a player that wants to join our team, live in our city etc. But when a player leaves as a UFA, he almost like he is traitorous.

My thoughts about Wheeler. Four years is too much. 7.25might be the maximum.

 

[Jets4Life]

My thoughts about Wheeler. Four years is too much. 7.25might be the maximum.

If the Jets offer Wheeler a 4 year/$29 million contract, he is as good as gone. There would be teams offering him close to $9.0 million for four years, if he has anywhere near the season he just had.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

If we sign Wheeler to a 5 year deal, he will be 37 at the end of his contract.

He turns 32 in 3 days. He has 1 year on his current contract. He will be 32 when it ends and just 2 off-season months short of 33. When 5 years are up he will be 37, 2 months short of 38. To be precise. He may very well not last to 35. You don't know. No one does. But the liklihood of flaming out goes up sharply with each year.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

If the Jets offer Wheeler a 4 year/$29 million contract, he is as good as gone. There would be teams offering him close to $9.0 million for four years, if he has anywhere near the season he just had.

I'll just talk in generalities not Wheeler. But if Jets think a upcoming UFA is worth about 7m and another team offers 8.5m, should Jets match 8.5m offer or spend that 7m that have allotted on other assets? It's a dilemma. I'm just saying, while a team might "lose" a player, they make up for it by signing other(s) with that money.

Talking about Wheeler , I don't think an aging player RWer is going to paid 9m....which might be the top 5 paid at this position....admitting it only takes one team to make the offer.

 

[Jets4Life]

Talking about Wheeler , I don't think an aging player RWer is going to paid 9m....which might be the top 5 paid at this position....admitting it only takes one team to make the offer.

I can't figure out how easily some people are to dismiss Blake Wheeler, due to him being in his early 30s. Wheeler was somewhat of a late bloomer, and has played his best hockey in his 30s. It really depends on the player, genetics, injuries, and a variety of intangibles as to how long an NHL career can last. In terms of NHL stars, for every Dany Heatley, there is a Teemu Selanne. Just like for every Andrew Ladd, there is a Blake Wheeler.

If you want to talk about averages, it's true the prime years for a NHL star is usually between 25-29. However, there are many exceptions to this rule, such as Wheeler. If his best seasons were behind him, you would have a convincing argument. However, it is a gamble I think the Jets should take, signing Wheeler until he is 37. I think it will pay off. Wheeler arguably is one of the top 5 players in his position over the last three years. He managed to receive votes for the Hart Trophy, that in itself is a testament to how valuable Wheeler is to this organization.

 

[CaptainChef]

I agree with your thoughts but there are things that bother me.
It reminds a bit of what happened recently with Stastny.
He would have looked real good this year as our 2nd C.
So what happened?
I'm guessing Chevy offered about 5.5 million a year and Stastny went with a higher offer.

The other situation that it reminds me of is Tavares. I'm actually a little unimpressed with Tavares. Here's my thoughts.
It seems to me that Tavares let the Islanders think that he was willing to sign with them when really he always wanted to go to his dream team the Leafs.
Why? If the Islanders suspected he wouldn't sign with them they would have traded him for some assets and he wouldn't get to pick his first choice.

While I'm concerned I think the Wheeler situation is different. First Chevy and Maurice would obviously love to keep their captain for a few more years.
Chevy at the very least will give a higher priority to the Wheeler signing than the Stastny signing.....I hope.
And the other difference? Wheeler is a heart and soul kind of guy. He has invested in himself to give his all for the team and the community.
Wheeler at the very least will want his agent to try to work out a contract that could work for him and the Jets....I hope.

Im sure you got lots of opinions. Certainly so by the length of this thread.

Before looking at all responses, I must say that I really fear Wheeler will do much as Taveres. Of course he'll tell them he wants to stay & a lot of him wants to. But its really going to take some huge sacrifices to keep him. Of course, Perrault, Kulikov, Myers, but thats just the start of it. Unless some of these young stars and stars to be (lets see Morrissey, Laine, Connor, Roslovik,Vesalainen...who else have I forgot. They are all going to want big bucks. We got lucky with Ehlers &, Schief, but theres a lot more to worry about.

So yes, Wheeler is going to say all the right things. Management will too. But when it comes down to giving him more $ than the next team that really wants him, I don't think we can win that battle. If he badly wants 8mil times 6 and decides thats what he goes to the wall with. Do you really think we take that gamble? If we do, count out at least one of the young stars, cause I don't think we can afford them all, even with Perrault, Kuli, Myers etc gone.

And don't be fooled into thinking he wants to go for the cup, so of course he'll stay. They'll be plenty of suitors with very good cup chances. So he better love being captain, or really really love Wpg, because I don't like where this is going.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

I can't figure out how easily some people are to dismiss Blake Wheeler, due to him being in his early 30s. Wheeler was somewhat of a late bloomer, and has played his best hockey in his 30s. It really depends on the player, genetics, injuries, and a variety of intangibles as to how long an NHL career can last. In terms of NHL stars, for every Dany Heatley, there is a Teemu Selanne. Just like for every Andrew Ladd, there is a Blake Wheeler.

If you want to talk about averages, it's true the prime years for a NHL star is usually between 25-29. However, there are many exceptions to this rule, such as Wheeler. If his best seasons were behind him, you would have a convincing argument. However, it is a gamble I think the Jets should take, signing Wheeler until he is 37. I think it will pay off. Wheeler arguably is one of the top 5 players in his position over the last three years. He managed to receive votes for the Hart Trophy, that in itself is a testament to how valuable Wheeler is to this organization.

Folks seems reluctant to "give up" their own UFAs. OK, if the Jets have cap space, you seem to suggest that the Jets would be willingly to pay 9m multi year for him. OK, I get it. Let's imagine Wheeler was UFA from Arizona, would his 9m salary seem such a bargain for the Jets? There would be a lot more resistance from Jets fans.

 

[KingBogo]

Folks seems reluctant to "give up" their own UFAs. OK, if the Jets have cap space, you seem to suggest that the Jets would be willingly to pay 9m multi year for him. OK, I get it. Let's imagine Wheeler was UFA from Arizona, would his 9m salary seem such a bargain for the Jets? There would be a lot more resistance from Jets fans.

This is an interesting point. You throw in what some have suggested that they would be willing to lose Ehlers to sign Wheeler. Now how many of us would be advocating that the Jets sign a 33 y/o UFA long term from another organization at the cost of losing a valuable piece of our young core?

 

[PhilJets]

No contending team will be able to afford Wheeler.
If Wheeler's is 9M and up.
Sure he can get it from other teams.
But most of these team are what.

If Wheeler would like to go out in the sunset with a struggling team and get paid 2M more for 4 years. That is his choice.

Also this is Wheelers team. He goes to another team, new management, new teammates.

Though 8M is a lot of money to really sway him to that team.

Hope he goes 3 years.
Then 1 year contract each year until he decide to retire and hang his 26 in the Jets rafter.

 

[Oilpeg]

Wheeler has missed ~8 games in his entire career, if anyone can maintain his current level of play until his later 30s, my money is on our captain. He is extremely important to this team, I don't think Chevy and his crew are unaware of that and will get him signed. There are other shoes that can, and will, drop in order to give him what he deserves and what I'm fully confident he'll earn going forward, without sacrificing the future. Perreault can be traded, Trouba can be traded if he wants out, Kulikov can be traded. I realize it's not as simple as saying it, but I have faith in Chevy and if he needs to make something happen, he will.

I'm comfortable with a four or five year term because of his durability. The only indication that Wheeler may slow down going forward is the fact that other players his age have slowed down. I'm willing to bet that all the other players that people are drawing their decline prediction from had injury trouble leading in to their 30's. Wheeler hasn't had that issue and with his work ethic he's likely taking the proper steps as he ages to ensure he remains injury free.

The cap should continue to rise as well, especially once Seattle gets rolling, so the small cap space that exists today, should be more next summer, and more the summer after that.

 

[Howard Chuck]

I know folks feel that way when they lose a UFA. But why should they? He wasn't stolen as being a UFA, he wasn't yours to be stolen.
Funny how fans are so gleeful when a UFA signs with THEIR team....great we have a player that wants to join our team, live in our city etc. But when a player leaves as a UFA, he almost like he is traitorous.

My thoughts about Wheeler. Four years is too much. 7.25might be the maximum.

You must have missed the

 

[Jets4Life]

Folks seems reluctant to "give up" their own UFAs. OK, if the Jets have cap space, you seem to suggest that the Jets would be willingly to pay 9m multi year for him. OK, I get it. Let's imagine Wheeler was UFA from Arizona, would his 9m salary seem such a bargain for the Jets? There would be a lot more resistance from Jets fans.

Where did you get the $9,000,000 figure from?