2024 Report Card: Blake Wheeler

Expectations

There are some interesting approaches you can take to whether or not Blake Wheeler met, exceeded or fell short of what was expected of him this season. The Rangers signed the longtime Atlanta Thrasher/Winnipeg Jet to a very low risk one-year contract for close to league minimum. Coming off a 55 point season in Winnipeg last year, there was hope that Wheeler could be a potential RW1 solution on the Zibanejad/Kreider line. However with his age and role on the Rangers in mind, there was room for him to fall by the wayside into more of a middle-six type of role. 

As a result, his performance absolutely depends on what your expectation was for him. If you wanted him to come in and be a full-time, effective solution as a relied upon, top-six forward then you were probably quite disappointed with how his season played out. He did spend a good portion of the season on that top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, but he was far from that picture perfect, missing link the Rangers have had at RW1. A more fair expectation was for him to come in as an additional forward depth piece that can contribute some secondary scoring. Even if you cut his point total in half from last season, that would likely be a good outcome for the veteran winger. Alas, a significant injury and other inconsistencies hindered his chances at a full, successful season on Broadway. 

Performance

In 54 games played with the Rangers, Wheeler registered nine goals and 12 assists for a total of 21 points. His best hockey came during a nine game stretch in the back half of December where he put up three goals and six assists. One of which included this highlight reel moment from the season where Wheeler finished on an incredible one touch pass from Mika Zibanejad behind the net in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. 

Throughout that part of this season, Wheeler was seemingly clicking with Zibanejad and Kreider the most he had up to that point which was without question an encouraging sight. We’ve spent the better part of this decade trying to crack the code that is the perfect right wing solution for that top line. On paper, perhaps in his prime, Blake Wheeler very well could have been that. He’s a big-bodied, right handed shot that brings a strong playmaking element while being able to score goals. However at 37 years old, expecting him to be that just wasn’t realistic. 

Looking back on his season from a big picture perspective, it’s easy to say he fell short of what were mainly hopeful expectations. For him to put up numbers remotely close to what he did last season or any year prior for that matter were always going to be a longshot. Despite that hot stretch in December, there were what felt like painfully long stretches across his 54 games where he wasn’t bringing much to the table. On the flipside, you can’t say he wasn’t playing with passion. He brought a little bit of everything as best he could in this new role at this stage of his career. This even included dropping the gloves with former friend Jarred Tinordi in a match-up with the Chicago Blackhawks early in January. 

Unfortunately, Wheeler’s season would come to an abrupt halt in a meeting with the Montreal Canadiens in the middle of February. After an awkward hit from Jayden Strubble, Wheeler’s right leg completely buckled which left him in a tremendous amount of discomfort, unable to get up on his own power. It was such a brutal sight, you were left not only worried about him being able to play again that season, but ever again in general given this stage of his career. 

Impossible not to feel gutted for the veteran winger following the injury. His tenure with the Jets came to a rocky finish as he was bought out nearing the end of his long term contract. Prior to which, rumors circulated about his voice in the locker room growing stale which created concerns for the Rangers bringing him on in the first place. Nevertheless, he took it all in stride and accepted his role on a new team with the right attitude. While it may not have panned out in the most ideal way, there is something to be said about his persistence. 

Nothing but stick taps and high praises to Wheeler for working his tail off to rehab his leg and do everything he could to stick around as part of the team. It would pay off for the veteran winger as he was eventually able to shed the no-contact jersey closer to the team’s playoff run. One of the off-ice highlights of the Rangers postseason came in his reaction to Panarin’s Game 3 overtime winning goal against the Carolina Hurricanes when he was right there celebrating on the opposite side of the glass.

Against all odds, Wheeler was able to make enough of a full recovery to be able to suit up for a pivotal Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Finals. While that game obviously didn’t go the Rangers way and became a huge turning point in the eventual outcome of the series, Wheeler didn’t have a bad game and brought some urgency to the Rangers fourth line. He did end up taking a penalty that led to the game's deciding factor but he really didn’t have much of a choice in that situation. It was the brutal giveaway from Mika Zibanejad that sent Aleksandr Barkov on the breakaway where Wheeler resorted to hooking him. Given how the Rangers matched up against that Florida team, there’s no telling they would have been able to win the series if they won that Game 5. 

Wheeler drew back out of the lineup for Game 6 which was likely the right decision. It’s a shame however that it very well may go down as the last game of his playing career. With 1,172 games under his belt including 321 goals and 622 assists for a total of 943 points, all signs are pointing to Blake calling it a career. During the team’s locker cleanout day, he spoke about the uncertainty regarding his decision to continue playing.  

Author Grade: D+

Banter Consensus: C-

Wheeler definitely had his moments but all things considered, he didn’t have the kind of season the Rangers or anyone hoped for. You can’t blame him for the injury and all the games he missed as a result but the 54 games he did appear in were often underwhelming and quite the drop off from the player he once was. It’s a shame but Wheeler will join the ever growing list of once elite players that joined the Rangers at the tail end of their career, with nothing to show for aside from being brought up in classic “remember when ______ was a Ranger?” conversations. 

1,000+ games in the National Hockey League is no small feat. If and when Blake Wheeler decides to officially hang up the skates, we’ll wish nothing but the best for him in whatever comes next. His 54 games with the Rangers aside, he’s had a fantastic career that began as a 5th overall draft pick by the Phoenix Coyotes but will mainly be remembered for his decade plus in Atlanta/Winnipeg.