Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler is likely not long for Manitoba. After a less-than-ideal 2022-23 season, and a public spat with head coach Rick Bowness, the former Jets captain is probably playing elsewhere next season.
In a way, Wheeler is a fascinating player to analyze as it pertains to a potential trade. He has a modified no-trade clause, allowing him to submit a list of five teams he'd like to play for.
However, this is far from a straightforward process. Wheeler is 36 years old and turns 37 prior to the start of preseason. Furthermore, he carries a whopping $8.25 million cap hit with him.
With that considered, it's hard to pinpoint whether Wheeler will be traded at all. Let alone which teams around the NHL may be interested in acquiring his services. This is far from an easy transaction to make.
That said, I'll take a crack at this. After thinking over all the possibilities, here are three potential trade destinations for Blake Wheeler this summer.
3) Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks own the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. With that pick, they'll likely select generational talent Connor Bedard. The focus then shifts to who the Blackhawks put around him.
The Blackhawks have around $37.5 million in salary cap space this offseason. They need to get to the cap floor before the start of next season. To that end, Chicago can afford to take on all of Wheeler's $8.25 million cap hit.
However, they'd need to convince Wheeler to join a rebuilding roster. The former Jets captain is in the twilight of his career and has never won a Stanley Cup. Even with Bedard, Chicago can't give him the chance to compete this season.
Perhaps their pitch is a bit transactional. Wheeler comes in and helps mentor the NHL's next phenom. And in return, the Blackhawks promise to flip Wheeler to a contending team at next year's trade deadline.
2) Boston Bruins
These next two teams require Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to get creative. The Boston Bruins have less than $5 million in available cap space at the time of this writing.
This is probably where a third-party “broker team” gets involved. A third team acquires a draft pick in exchange for agreeing to use one of their retained salary slots on Wheeler.
Wheeler has a bit of a history with the Bruins, as well. He played two and a half seasons for Boston to begin his career. The 36-year-old scored 50 goals and 110 points in 221 games before a trade to the then-Atlanta Thrashers in 2011.
The Bruins are set to lose a few key pieces of their roster this summer. Perhaps they take a flier on a former Bruin to help keep the team in contention for next season.
1) Minnesota Wild
Another team that would likely require a third-party broker team. The Wild have more cap space than the Bruins, coming in with around $9 million to work with this summer.
Wheeler has a rather personal reason to potentially waive his no-trade clause. The 36-year-old veteran is a native of the state of Minnesota. Getting the opportunity to spend potentially your final career season in your home state is not an opportunity that comes around often.
The Wild may not be Cup contenders, and that's definitely fair to say. However, they aren't a bad team either. They have promising players in Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy to lead the way.
Wheeler could go home to Minnesota, help mentor these players, and make a push for the playoffs. If we're talking strictly about a Blake Wheeler trade, it's hard to imagine a better scenario for the 15-year veteran.