More than halfway through the 2023-24 season, the New York Rangers still don’t know what they have in the most experienced NHL player on their roster.
No one wearing a Blueshirt this season has played more games than Blake Wheeler’s 1,165 in a career that’s spanned 16 years for three franchises. Yet it’s the 37-year-old right wing, who came to New York as a hyped bargain signing – if there is such a thing – who remains a mystery as to how and if he fits, and whether the Rangers will be rewarded by keeping him in a meaningful role.
Wheeler’s arrival on a one-year, $800,000 contract last summer generated the most excitement amongst general manager Chris Drury’s bevy of low-cost pickups at the outset of free agency. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward who came into the season with 312 goals and 610 assists has instead been overshadowed by fellow value-aisle signings Jonathan Quick and Erik Gustafsson and, at times, the faceoff and shot-blocking prowess of fourth-line center Nick Bonino.
Wheeler’s totals of seven goals and 10 assists aren’t bad, and perhaps in line with what might have been originally expected of him. Coach Peter Laviolette, however, has had to use Wheeler extensively in the top six, joining Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider on a line that never seemed to really click.
Wheeler Might Still Be Adjusting to His New Reality
Figuring out what the Rangers have in the Minnesota native is partially the fault of Wheeler himself, as he’s been something of a riddle all season. He’ll have games when he’s hardly visible, and will then deliver a two-goal effort like he did in a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 16. He’ll appear to have trouble keeping up with the play for extended stretches, his uncommon speed for a big man seemingly fading, and then find the burst that’s made him a headache for opponents across a long career as he carries the puck down the middle and along the right boards.
Even at this point in the season, it’s impossible to tell whether Wheeler just doesn’t work for this roster, or if he’s still adjusting to a new system, new team and vastly different situation after 13 years with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise. It’s worth noting that he didn’t just leave familiar surroundings. Wheeler’s departure was messy, having been stripped of his Jets captaincy before the 2022-23 season and having his five-year, $41.25 million contract bought out with a year remaining, then joining a club playing in a major media market on a huge pay cut and having to adjust to a supporting role after being part of the core of his previous team.
Wheeler wasn’t just part of his previous team’s core; in fact, he was the face of the franchise, embracing small-market Winnipeg and its fanbase.
Wheeler’s so-so season in a Rangers jersey is hardly the top area of concern for a team that, despite sitting atop the Metropolitan Division at 29-15-3, has been struggling, with a 3-2 overtime gut-punch of a loss to the NHL-worst San Jose Sharks on Jan. 23 being the latest alarming result. With the Blueshirts still eyeing a run at the Stanley Cup, though, Drury will be looking to upgrade at the trade deadline. Though the club’s needs aren’t perfectly defined at this point, there’s little question the Rangers require scoring depth on the right side, be that from an internal source such as Wheeler or via the trade market. Can the big guy re-discover the form that’s pushed him to within striking distance of 1,000 career points?
Wheeler’s current assignment might bode well for him finding his game and place in the lineup. Moved to the right wing of the third line with impressive rookie Will Cuylle and recently, center Jonny Brodzinski, the straight-ahead unit has used its size and speed to attack the net and create havoc down low, excelling at zone entry and cycling once in the offensive zone. The line produced a critical goal in the Rangers’ 5-2 comeback win over the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 21, with Cuylle deflecting in defenseman Jacob Trouba’s point shot to tie it at 2 in the third period after a strong shift by the three forwards.
If Wheeler proves to be an indispensable and productive member of the third line – which could become even more formidable if center Filip Chytil makes what appears to be a likely return from a suspected concussion that’s kept him out since early November – it could change Drury’s deadline shopping list. The trio has posted strong underlying numbers in 53:04 together, with a 54.2 Corsi for percentage and 65.0 expected goals for mark, generating 26 scoring chances for to 13 against, along with 11 high danger chances for to five against. The unit provides the kind of heavy presence offensively that the Rangers so desperately need.
Wheeler Looking to Show He Can Contribute in Playoffs
If Wheeler goes back to having extended stretches where he’s not noticeable, however, his position might be the easiest to upgrade. It’s probably fair to say that the time between now and the March 8 deadline represents the stretch run of Wheeler’s audition to play a significant part in the Rangers’ 2023-24 season.
Does he have enough left to make an impact in the playoffs three months from now? Will that be the time when the savvy veteran raises his game back to something that resembles his prime, rewarding the organization’s patience to let him acclimate? An upgrade at third-line right wing will certainly be tempting for Drury, but he also has to plan for the possibility that might also have to find another center if Chytil ends up unable to contribute. That would likely be the priority on which the GM would spend his prime draft capital. If Wheeler starts to resemble his Winnipeg self, it would alleviate the need for a right-side replacement and free up the front office to focus on other holes.
Related: Rangers’ Will Cuylle Deserves More Ice Time
The fault for Wheeler’s struggles to find his role on this team isn’t all on him, of course. Injury and depth issues forced Laviolette to move him to the Zibanejad-Kreider line, a role for which he was miscast and wasn’t signed to fill. With Kaapo Kakko back from a leg injury that kept him out for nearly two months, and slotting back in on the right of Zibanejad-Kreider, there’s no reason Wheeler should find himself in that spot again.
Wheeler now appears to be in his perfect situation to find success with the Rangers, providing depth scoring and raising the impact of the third line. It’s likely, however, that he faces a high bar to clear to keep Drury from acquiring a top-nine forward with size and grit at the deadline. Despite his big frame, Wheeler isn’t all that physical. While he does go to the net, he’s more of a passer, a skill player in a grinder’s body whose game is nuanced – which ultimately, might not be what the Blueshirts need on the third forward unit going into the playoffs.
The signing of Wheeler was a sound and low-risk experiment, one that certainly made sense for the Rangers at the time. He hasn’t exceeded expectations in a Blueshirt – certainly not considering his cheap contract – but he hasn’t played badly either. Wheeler, though, might have to do much more of the former over the next few months to avoid finding himself on the outside looking in when the postseason rolls around.
