Gabe Vilardi Update Former captain of the Winnipeg Jets, Blake Wheeler, appears ready to be head back to where it all began. Over the past week, reports have surfaced that the Boston Bruins are considering handing out a professional tryout to the guy who got his professional start with the Bruins. However, the guy who started that rumour has already proven to be incorrect on his second bit of news, with Kailer Yamamoto having opted to sign a PTO with Utah this past week. Just one summer removed from having the final season of his contract with the Winnipeg Jets bought out, Wheeler remains a free agent, able to sign wherever he so chooses. However, this time around, it appears the offerings were not there for the now 38-year-old veteran. Contracts, remember, are a two-way street. Wheeler spent the 2023-24 season with the New York Rangers, where he only appeared in 54 games - due to injury - where he amassed nine goals, 21 points and 23 penalty minutes. Prior to that, he had spent 12 seasons in Winnipeg and was the final players on the team to have been a part of the Atlanta Thrashers before their move north in 2011. Wheeler was drafted early in 2004 by the Arizona Coyotes, but opted not to sign with the team. He was dealt to Boston, where he went on to break into the league and spend the next three seasons, leaving for Atlanta by way of trade. Sadly for Wheeler, that trade happened just before the Bruins won the Stanley Cup at the conclusion of that year's season. He never quite came to terms with Boston's Game 7 victory over Vancouver. Whether or not he comes to terms with the Bruins this fall, the rumour mill continues to swirl that the team is contemplating rekindling the flame. For a player still contemplating his future, a return to the place where it all began would likely be a no-brainer. But for now, only time will tell.
