When the New York Rangers signed Blake Wheeler as a free agent on July 1, many saw it as a steal of a deal because they got a consistent 60-point player on a cheap deal to come in and fill a void they had on the right wing. While the deal looked good at the time, it has not lived up to the hype.
Wheeler has struggled all season long and even though he’s been moved around to different lines, it does not seem to be clicking for the 37 year old. If his struggles continue, the Rangers may need to look at bringing in external options to help make up for his disappointing play.
Wheeler’s Lack Of Production
During his last two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Wheeler has had a 60-point and a 55-point season. He has consistently been able to produce around those numbers for most of his career. However, that has not been the case so far with the Rangers. As of this writing, he currently has two goals and six points for eight points in 23 games played. One goal was an empty-net goal and two of his assists came in the same game. His lack of production has become a serious issue because he does not provide much else to the team as he is not a 200-foot player and his skating has taken a massive step back due to his age. The Rangers need Wheeler to start producing more or he could end up sitting in the press box very soon.
With the injuries to Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko, the Rangers need Wheeler now more than ever to start producing more offense. The Rangers’ depth has taken a massive hit and it’s concerning to see a player such Wheeler not producing when he has been given plenty of opportunities while a player like Jonny Brodzinski — who was called up because of injuries — has outplayed Wheeler and has already matched him in assists with four in four games played. When the captain of the Rangers’ American Hockey League affiliate is outplaying a player who spent time on the top line and has now taken that spot, it shows Wheeler has not been good.
Wheeler’s Top-Line Failure
When the Rangers’ top line was struggling earlier this season, head coach Peter Laviolette switched two players around, dropping Kakko to the third line and moving Wheeler up. This was the chance for Wheeler to show he still had plenty of game left in the tank — and he was used to playing top-line minutes with the Jets, but this time, it was not a success. His best game on the top line came against the Philadelphia Flyers when he has two assists, but other than that, he was a non-factor on the line and did not help Mika Zibanejad or Chris Kreider in any meaningful way.
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Wheeler simply could not keep up with his linemates and it showed during most of the games. As mentioned earlier, Wheeler has now been dropped back down to the third line was replaced by Brodzinski on the top line and so far, he has looked like a much better fit than Wheeler ever was. Brodzinski’s style of game fits better with Kreider and Zibanejad and his hard-woking play will likely keep him on the top line for the foreseeable future unless players come back from injury and lines are shuffled. As for Wheeler, he looks like a complete non-factor most games and is barely noticeable when he is on the ice.
Wheeler’s Skating Is A Major Concern
On of Wheeler’s biggest flaws is his skating and just how slow he truly is at 37 years old. He can never win a race to a puck because the players around him are faster and younger. When he gets caught up the ice, it takes him too long to get back into the play. His age is perhaps a bigger factor than many thought, but his skating is truly one of the biggest reasons why he isn’t a productive player. If there is something he can do to help change that, then he should, because at this point, he is holding the Rangers back and other players could probably fill in for him and do a better job.
While he might not be a great on-ice player anymore, Wheeler is still very respected in the locker room and Laviolette might respect him too much to take him out of the lineup. However, even if it’s just one game, Wheeler needs to be sent a message that his game is not where it needs to be and he needs something to spark him. Whether it’s a healthy scratch or less ice time, the Rangers needs to get more out of the veteran and they need to do it sooner rather than later.