Mark Wheeler

[ihadtochangethename]

Would you still consider this a slow start or a preview of his first bad season in the Peg?

Click to read more...

 

[JetsFan815]

Don't know, don't understand. I still vaguely remember games from the last 2 seasons where Wheeler looked Malkin on the ice. Let's hope this is just a slump. He has 17 points but I'd say that most of them are a side-effect of playing with red hot Ladd and Little. On his own he hasn't looked particularly dangerous.

 

[Gnova]

Changing diapers has ruined his game imo.

 

[hockeyarena]

We showed him the money.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

I'm not that worried. Wheeler sucked at the start of the 2011-12 season, went on to be the Jets leading scorer by season's end.

IMO he's the Jets player hurting most from the move to the West. He's a darn good playmaker off the rush, but his effectiveness really drops once play gets muddled along the boards.

 

[Shakey Rustie]

I'm a little more concerned about Bogosian, at least Wheeler can stay healthy.

 

[ihadtochangethename]

Don't know, don't understand. I still vaguely remember games from the last 2 seasons where Wheeler looked Malkin on the ice. Let's hope this is just a slump. He has 17 points but I'd say that most of them are a side-effect of playing with red hot Ladd and Little. On his own he hasn't looked particularly dangerous.

This, so much this. I can (if i try really hard), think of maybe two plays wheels made that looked like his old self.

 

[cctyler]

Changing diapers has ruined his game imo.

Ive had the same thought for a while.....too comfortable in his new gino home, cant stand that ad!
But seriously, hes a new father and at every opportunity when asked about a day off he brings up his family and child. Not knocking him for it, then again im single and no kids, but you have to think his mind is elsewhere a lot of the time.

 

[surixon]

He's the teams highest paid forward but has probably been the 5th or 6th best this year. He needs to up his game substantially.

 

[JetsHomer]

Wheeler is 4th on the team in points and on pace for 50 points. His struggles have been vastly overblown because he's not a goalscorer. He's still putting up decent offense.

 

[BigZ65]

Wheeler is 4th on the team in points and on pace for 50 points. His struggles have been vastly overblown because he's not a goalscorer. He's still putting up decent offense.

I'd be fine with Wheeler's slow start production-wise if he wasn't handing the puck over so much and just being generally weak on the puck in all zones. Byfuglien is at least a danger to both teams when he's on the ice, Wheeler is just dangerous to us lately.

 

[razorsedge]

Ive had the same thought for a while.....too comfortable in his new gino home, cant stand that ad!
But seriously, hes a new father and at every opportunity when asked about a day off he brings up his family and child. Not knocking him for it, then again im single and no kids, but you have to think his mind is elsewhere a lot of the time.

I have a 3 year old and an 11 month old, you're pretty much right about him having his mind elsewhere. Especially with being a new father, everything takes a backseat.

 

[viper0220]

Ive had the same thought for a while.....too comfortable in his new gino home, cant stand that ad!
But seriously, hes a new father and at every opportunity when asked about a day off he brings up his family and child. Not knocking him for it, then again im single and no kids, but you have to think his mind is elsewhere a lot of the time.

You have no idea, how much I envy you.

 

[alchemyindex]

Changing diapers has ruined his game imo.

It's a strange thing. I can't comment on it because I haven't been in either position, but I always thought that if I were given the opportunity to be an Olympian, I would run as far as I could with that opportunity. Apparently we've discovered the one thing that will make you forget about it. Heck, Stamkos is doing his best to not let a broken leg get in the way of his chances.

Maybe Team USA will buy Wheels a plane ticket just to chaperone Trouba.

 

[thed00d]

I'm kind of surprised it's taken this long for Blake Wheeler to be an issue. He has been awful this year. Weak on the boards, never going in to corners, can't make/take a pass. He has the occasional flash of speed, but that's it. He's been riding Little and Ladd's coattails this season, and has not contributed what a top line RW should. The past few games, you could've had Thorburn in for Wheeler, and the team would have been no worse off.

And I know that he's a "slow starter" etc...but if you're being paid what he is being paid, you need to figure our your game in the first week of the season, not the first quarter.

Sorry for the rant...he's just been so frustrating to watch this year.

 

[sipowicz]

Wheeler is 4th on the team in points and on pace for 50 points. His struggles have been vastly overblown because he's not a goalscorer. He's still putting up decent offense.

He's being paid almost Perry/ Getzlaf money, trouble is he's only half as good!

Wheeler wouldn't be on a USA2 team with his play this season.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I have a 3 year old and an 11 month old, you're pretty much right about him having his mind elsewhere. Especially with being a new father, everything takes a backseat.

I know the feeling. I have a three and a half year old, an 18 month old, and a one month old. I can barely remember my name some days. Yet I wouldn't trade it for anything.

*random anecdote* I come home from work yesterday. Three year old says "Daddy! This is how I roll!" and proceeded to roll around on the floor.

 

[allan5oh]

The Jets have much improved their tracking through the neutral zone while backchecking, which is great for Wheelers game. He thrives on transition.

He'll be fine.

 

[ps241]

I know the feeling. I have a three and a half year old, an 18 month old, and a one month old. I can barely remember my name some days. Yet I wouldn't trade it for anything.

*random anecdote* I come home from work yesterday. Three year old says "Daddy! This is how I roll!" and proceeded to roll around on the floor.

Wow three kids under 3 1/2 Joe!!

 

[Yukon Joe]

Wow three kids under 3 1/2 Joe!!

What can I say... it took 4 years of trying before we had the first one.

Then... the floodgates opened.

 

[JetsFan815]

Ive had the same thought for a while.....too comfortable in his new gino home, cant stand that ad!
But seriously, hes a new father and at every opportunity when asked about a day off he brings up his family and child. Not knocking him for it, then again im single and no kids, but you have to think his mind is elsewhere a lot of the time.

Meh, don't buy that. Buff and Ladd have gotten noticeably better since having kinds

 

[sting13]

Changing diapers has ruined his game imo.

lol

Doesn't seem to apply to Ladd who is a fairly new Dad as well.

 

[truck]

I thought Wheeler had turned the corner a week ago, but he was flat out awful yesterday.

He has always been prone to odd plays that cost the team defensively.

 

[JetsHomer]

He's being paid almost Perry/ Getzlaf money, trouble is he's only half as good!

Wheeler wouldn't be on a USA2 team with his play this season.

Perry and Getzlaf are at 8.6 and 8.25m each. Blake Wheeler make 5.6m. He's making Richards/Vanek/Zajac/Ribeiro kind of money. He needs to step up his game for sure, but lets not pretend that he's on some huge contract and a 30 point pace.

 

[ps241]

What can I say... it took 4 years of trying before we had the first one.

Then... the floodgates opened.

I have a son that is 5 (I can't believe he is that old already) and a daughter that will be 2 in February.

With really young children the days last forever but the years fly bye.....I can't believe how many people look at me with my kids and smile and say watch out it goes really fast. Whenever we are having a rough day I try to remember the words my buddy with kids grown up and out of the house says "there is nothing you wouldn't pay to be able to go back and relive a day with your child when they were 2"

Congrats and the family!