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Confirmed with Link: Rangers sign Blake Wheeler [1Y/800K]

He's not terrible, he's just kinda there.

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These results are better than probably 95% of the players making league minimum among non-rookies.

I would certainly entertain possible ways to improve the third line and bump Wheeler down, but by no means would I be looking to get rid of him.

There's literally no reason to. Every player available at the same price is worse.
 
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Machinehead said:
He's not terrible, he's just kinda there.

View attachment 760885

These results are better than probably 95% of the players making league minimum among non-rookies.

I would certainly entertain possible ways to improve the third line and bump Wheeler down, but by no means would I be looking to get rid of him.

There's literally no reason to. Every player available at the same price is worse.
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I think these numbers are as much the result of Trocheck and Cuylle playing fantastic hockey together, as anything Wheeler is doing. With how far behind the play he is, I suspect he'd have the worst metrics on the team if he was on the 4th line.

Vesey would almost certainly be an instant improvement for the 3rd line. Cuylle and Trocheck forecheck very hard, and they buzz around in the o-zone. Wheeler has been on the receiving end of a lot of passes from won board battles; I would much prefer to put a third guy on that line who is going to contribute meaningfully to creating that o-zone chaos. Maybe that turns out not to be Vesey, but right now it isn't Wheeler either.

e - the most telling stat that agrees with what my eye test sees is that Cuylle leads the team with 25 hits, Trocheck is 4th with 15 hits, and Wheeler has 3. 3 hits.
 
Honestly, I'm holding back a bit there. I think that any of Vesey, Goodrow, Edstrom, Othmann, or Brodzinski, would be an improvement on that line. I know that's probably a little too far in the other direction, and I also think it's a bridge we can't really come back across, so giving Wheeler a chance to get his legs under him is important.

But if the playoffs started tomorrow and we needed to put the best third line together possible, I'm taking any of those guys over him right now.
 
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0-0-0 -4

On a winning team.

Has anyone seen a player do less? Via the old trusty eye test, he does absolutely nothing. I am talking less than carpenter or lechyshyn or ANYONE. He hasnt made many mistakes but he also literally does nothing. No hits, not plays, no passes, no good shots, not in front of the net, no screens or deflections, no pk, no pp, no faceoffs. He literally is nothing out there- watch a few shifts next time, focused on him. I cant remember ever seeing a guy literally do nothing for this long (9games)
 
He's our only backup option to be PP1 bumper guy. He's untouchable.
 
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I called him the Dan Boyle of forwards when they signed him.
 
Wheeler isnt here for the regular season folks, and they arent waiving or benching a guy who chose to come here making pennies. 0 Reason why he cant be part of a 4th line like Tampa Bay has had with Maroon and Perry over the last few seasons. A 17 year vet is going to get more than 9 games.
 
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McRanger92 said:
Wheeler isnt here for the regular season folks, and they arent waiving or benching a guy who chose to come here making pennies. 0 Reason why he cant be part of a 4th line like Tampa Bay has had with Maroon and Perry over the last few seasons. A 17 year vet is going to get more than 9 games.
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Exactly this.
 
McRanger92 said:
Wheeler isnt here for the regular season folks, and they arent waiving or benching a guy who chose to come here making pennies. 0 Reason why he cant be part of a 4th line like Tampa Bay has had with Maroon and Perry over the last few seasons. A 17 year vet is going to get more than 9 games.
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Uhm... But Big Rig (or Perry) wasn't an upright skating pole for them.
 
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Wheeler himself knows that he's cooked. He took the league minimum to be able to park his sunset butt here. Sam and Joe said that he is valuable in the dressing room, and that's where his value is derived.

On a related note, remember when Kramer worked for free and still got fired?

From Wikipedia:
While using the restrooms at a company called Brandt-Leland, Kramer aids an employee with a printer and is mistaken for a co-worker by the staff. He begins showing up at regular work hours with no contract and no pay, simply appreciating the structure that a steady job adds to his life.

Fast forward...

Kramer is terminated by Leland because of his incomprehensible reports, only for Kramer to respond that he doesn't actually work there. Leland acknowledges the difficulty of the situation.
 
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will1066 said:
Wheeler himself knows that he's cooked. He took the league minimum to be able to park his sunset butt here. Sam and Joe said that he is valuable in the dressing room, and that's where his value is derived.

On a related note, remember when Kramer worked for free and still got fired?

From Wikipedia:
While using the restrooms at a company called Brandt-Leland, Kramer aids an employee with a printer and is mistaken for a co-worker by the staff. He begins showing up at regular work hours with no contract and no pay, simply appreciating the structure that a steady job adds to his life.

Fast forward...

Kramer is terminated by Leland because of his incomprehensible reports, only for Kramer to respond that he doesn't actually work there. Leland acknowledges the difficulty of the situation.
Click to expand...
TCB
 
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NickyFotiu said:
Still more shots than some of our other guys
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He hasn't been bad. He hasn't put up any points. But he's working out there. It's not like he's a liability. I warmed up to him. My issue with him originally was him taking time away from other players but he's literally not blocking anyone. I can see the way he plays helping in the playoffs. I think he's having a positive influence on Cyulle too.
 
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GENESISPuck94 said:
He hasn't been bad. He hasn't put up any points. But he's working out there. It's not like he's a liability. I warmed up to him. My issue with him originally was him taking time away from other players but he's literally not blocking anyone. I can see the way he plays helping in the playoffs. I think he's having a positive influence on Cyulle too.
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I'm hoping once that line finds its groove some goals will follow. If not we will have to fix it but for now its fine. Im more concerned about the 4th line.
 
McRanger92 said:
Wheeler isnt here for the regular season folks, and they arent waiving or benching a guy who chose to come here making pennies. 0 Reason why he cant be part of a 4th line like Tampa Bay has had with Maroon and Perry over the last few seasons. A 17 year vet is going to get more than 9 games.
Click to expand...
Wheeler plays nothing like Maroon or Perry. He is not going to be able to contribute in that way. They’d be better off scratching him than putting him in an equivalent energy role
 
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