Winnipeg Jets: Blake Wheeler to sign five-year extension

The Winnipeg Jets have announced they have signed team captain Blake Wheeler to a five-year extension worth $41.25 million. 

The Winnipeg Jets have been busy re-signing their players this offseason. Even with the loss of Paul Stastny to the Vegas Golden Knights, they should be in good shape entering the season. With team captain Blake Wheeler scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Jets decided to take care of business, as they have agreed to a five-year extension.

This deal will be for five years and will be worth about $41.25 million in total. That means Wheeler will have an $8.25 million annual cap hit, placing him among the highest paid players in the NHL.

It’s a bit pricey for a 32-year-old forward who will be 33 when his extension officially starts. But for a team who’s looking to win now like the Jets, Wheeler’s deal should be worth the hefty price tag.

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As you can see, Wheeler has a significant influence on his team. He’s an outstanding producer of points and can score and pass with equal efficiency. Though Wheeler doesn’t score many power play goals, he more than makes up for it with his precise passing.

Last season, he set a career-high with 91 points in 81 games. Wheeler scored 23 goals and had a league-best 68 assists. 34 of those assists came on the power play, as he helped lead one of the NHL’s most lethal power play units. Quietly, he’s also scored at least 20 goals in each of his last five seasons.

This signing, because the contract doesn’t start until next July, doesn’t mean anything for the Jets’ cap space this year. It does, however, make next summer a bit more interesting. The Jets will have at least 11 players under contract (likely 12 once they re-sign Josh Morrissey) and over $25 million of cap space before factoring in a likely rise of the salary cap ceiling.

Next summer, Winnipeg will have to re-sign Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Jacob Trouba, and Andrew Copp, as well as figure out what they’re going to do with their UFAs like Tyler Myers and Brandon Tanev. Getting Wheeler re-signed now gives them a bit more clarity.