The New York Rangers have signed forward Blake Wheeler to a one-year contract worth $800,000 with an additional $300,000 in performance bonuses.
Free Agent Frenzy is officially upon us.
The New York Rangers made quite the splash on Saturday, agreeing to terms with forward Blake Wheeler on a one-year contract worth $800,000 with an additional $300,000 in performance bonuses.
It's a massive coup for the Rangers, who now add an effective offensive veteran for a price that hovers near league minimum. Wheeler certainly has his issues, having been stripped of the captaincy by the Winnipeg Jets ahead of the 2022-23 season and then bought out by the club on Friday, but the 36-year-old still finished with nearly 20 goals and 60 points in what was considered a down year and seems to have plenty left in the tank.
Given the Rangers' offensive weapons, Wheeler will almost certainly take on a more sheltered role in the Big Apple and likely thrive in it, allowing new head coach Peter Laviolette to feed his new winger a healthy heaping of offensive zone starts and power play time that will make better use of his skill set. Not to mention, that specific deployment could paper over Wheeler's well-documented defensive issues, which certainly held him back throughout his time in Winnipeg.
No matter how you slice it, Wheeler's addition is a very promising one for the Rangers.
Stay tuned. More moves will continue to roll in.