3 Potential Free-Agent Destinations for Blake Wheeler

NHL training camps open over the course of the next couple of weeks and there's a number of veterans looking for work. Free-agent forward Blake Wheeler is among the mix with a ton of experience and he'll likely be in line for a professional tryout agreement with a contending team.

Here's three teams to keep an eye on for Wheeler's services:

Boston Bruins

Insider Elliotte Friedman always points out it's likely the first team linked to a player that comes out on top, and in this case, the Bruins were the first team rumored to be interested in adding Wheeler for camp. He can play up and down the lineup and with his leadership qualities, could be a great influence on the dressing room. The Bruins have Jeremy Swayman's new contract hanging over the team at the moment, as they have $8.6 million in cap space, but apparently Swayman wants more per season. Once the goaltender's deal gets worked out, look for the team to make some additions for camp and Wheeler could certainly be one of those players.

New York Rangers

The Rangers haven't necessarily closed the door just yet on a reunion, but admittedly, it would be a bit of a long shot if Wheeler returned. The winger chipped in with 21 points in 54 games last season on Broadway and dealt with some injury troubles. The Rangers have all 23 NHL roster spots filled, and under the league minimum annual salary in cap space, so there would need to be a domino to fall if Wheeler makes the NHL roster ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avs have one roster spot open, they have $2 million in cap space and they have some question marks up front as they look to deal with the off-ice business ahead of training camp. Wheeler could be a solid addition in Colorado as he could start on the team's third line and get some second power-play time, meanwhile could easily fill in among the top-six if injuries presented themselves. The team knows him very well from his days in Winnipeg and with his character and intangibles off the ice, this would appear to be a seamless transition to join a Stanley Cup contending in Colorado.