Is Blake Wheeler Done Or Does He Have One Last Run At First Stanley Cup?

The soon-to-be 38-year-old Blake Wheeler is still without a contract for the 2024-25 season after finishing up a one-year, $800,000 deal with the New York Rangers in which he missed time with a leg injury.

Signing with the Rangers for so cheap after coming off a 16-goal, 55-point season in 72 games seemed like a definite win for the team and great chance for him at winning his first Stanley Cup. Unfortunately the Rangers fell short again and he has now played 16 seasons and 1172 games without winning the Cup.

Wheeler's production fell off last season a bit more than in previous years. He scored just nine goals and recorded 21 points in 54 games, but he also averaged nearly five minutes less per game than the previous season.

Wheeler has slowed down, but is still effective. With a full season in 2023-24, he was on pace to produce 13 goals and 32 points averaging just under 13 minutes per game. He has received Selke Trophy votes four times in his career, has reached the 20-goal mark in a season eight times, and along with being a two-time 90-point scorer, he has recorded at least 60 points in nine season, excluding the seasons where he recorded 41 points in 48 games and 46 points in 50 games.

Wheeler has a ton of experience and can still be relatively effective in the bottom-6. He has produced offensively and done well on the other side of the puck throughout his long career. It only makes sense for him to sign with a contender to have possibly one more shot at his first Stanley Cup like he did last season. Even if he's not signed by preseason, injuries could lead to a team calling upon him to play, but we'll have to wait and see.