The Boston Bruins should invite this former "B" to training camp.
The Boston Bruins should invite this former "B" to training camp.
Earlier this week, The Fourth Period's Shawn Hutcheon reported that the Boston Bruins are considering sending a professional tryout (PTO) offer to both Blake Wheeler and Kailer Yamamoto.
Hearing that the Bruins are debating whether to sign Wheeler to a PTO is especially intriguing. The Plymouth, Minnesota native notably began his career with the Bruins. However, during the 2010-11 season, Wheeler was traded along with defenseman Mark Stuart to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik. Following the move, Wheeler cemented himself as an elite NHLer and sported the 'C' in Winnipeg from 2016-17 to 2021-22. He would later be stripped of it in 2022-23 and was bought out during the 2023 NHL Offseason.
Following his 13-year tenure with the Thrashers/Jets organization, Wheeler signed a one-year deal with the New York Rangers for the 2023-24 season. This past campaign was a challenging year for the 2004 fifth-overall pick, as he posted nine goals and 21 points in 54 games. He also suffered a lower-body injury that ended his regular season in February but returned for one postseason game for the Blueshirts.
While Wheeler had a down year for the Rangers, there is reason to believe he could have a bounce-back season if given another opportunity. He was still a solid top-six forward just back in 2022-23 with the Jets, posting 16 goals and 55 points in 72 games. He was also nearly a point-per-game player from 2019-20 to 2021-22. Thus, he could potentially provide solid secondary scoring for the Bruins if he earned a cheap one-year deal through a PTO.
With the Bruins having a clear hole in their top six at right wing, it would not be the worst thing for them to invite Wheeler to training camp on a PTO. He would create more competition and could be a solid option for the season if prospects like Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov don't appear ready to make the jump to the NHL.
Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to see if the Bruins end up bringing in Wheeler on a PTO. It would certainly make for an interesting story during the preseason.
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