Jets Sign Wheeler To Five Year Extension

The Captain is staying around for five more years.

As first reported by Darren Dreger and then confirmed by the Winnipeg Jets proper, the club has signed forward Blake Wheeler to a five year deal worth $41.25 million. It carries an Annual Average Value (which is the number used for Salary Cap purposes) of $8.25 million.

Blake’s 2017-18 season was by far the best of his 10 year career. He posted 23 goals, 68 assists for 91 points, leading not only the Jets in assists and points, it also co-holding the NHL lead in helpers along with the Flyers Claude Giroux. He was also named a second team All-Star and earned serious consideration as a Hart Trophy candidate.

Wheeler was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and likely could have commanded such a high price on the open market. Still, the deal isn’t without risks.

While Wheeler did have a career year last season, there is a history of players around Blake’s age – he just last week turned 32 years old – who start to decline in play. At best, the Jets can hope Blake’s play can remain at a high level for the next three years and then only start to dip a bit in the last couple of years of the deal.

As reported by Sportsnet’s Chris Johnson, the deal also includes various no-movement and modified no-trade clauses, with the first three years being a complete no-movement clause and the final two years of the deal being a less restricted clause where Blake can submit a list.

This also doesn’t make the Jets overall Salary Cap situation any clearer. Defenseman Josh Morrissey still remains un-signed as a Restricted Free Agent right now. There is also the matter of Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor coming off their Entry Level Contracts next Summer as well as the ongoing saga of Jacob Trouba.