[Signing] Jets sign Wheeler to extension starting in 2019/20 (5 yr, $8.25 mil AAV)

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

How do you figure? An $11.0 m salary would rank him #9 in the entire League

Which, coincidentally, is where he finished in points in the latest season.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Wheeler was:

6th in scoring in 2016.
11th in scoring in 2017.
9th in scoring in 2018.

And overall during that time frame 5th, behind only Kane, Crosby, McDavid and Kucherov. While being good-to-great defensively for a winger.

He has been a top tier talent these last couple years, just doesn't have the name recognizable that others do. He is over 30, so a long-term contract with a high cap hit like his younger peers didn't make sense, but boy is he underrated.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Wheeler was:

6th in scoring in 2016.
11th in scoring in 2017.
9th in scoring in 2018.

And overall during that time frame 5th, behind only Kane, Crosby, McDavid and Kucherov. While being good-to-great defensively for a winger.

He has been a top tier talent these last couple years, just doesn't have the name recognizable that others do. He is over 30, so a long-term contract with a high cap hit like his younger peers didn't make sense, but boy is he underrated.

Another great trade brought to you by Peter Chiarelli

Blake Wheeler
Mark Stuart

for

Rich Peverly
Boris Valabik

(To be fair Peverly was a good piece in their cup win but you think he could have got him for a cheaper price than Wheeler).

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I feel like this is where Gaudreau SHOULD be....Flames are getting a $1.5M-$2M discount on him yearly.

When you sign players before they are UFA's, you get that break.

[Geeoff]

This feels like a contract that Wheeler will end on the LTIR.

[N-E-B]

I really don’t like that deal. I think Wheeler is overrated.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

I really don’t like that deal. I think Wheeler is overrated.

I don't think he's overrated at all but he plays hard minutes and I would be shocked if he held up until 38.

[Snuffleupagus]

Big guys hit a wall sooner than the small guys, Wheeler is big, very big!

This contract could look extremely bad in less than 3 years

[savardandjokinen]

Great deal for the first 2-3 years, bad for the last 2-3. He's a terrific player and very underrated, but age is not on his side

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Big guys hit a wall sooner than the small guys, Wheeler is big, very big!

This contract could look extremely bad in less than 3 years

Tell that to ‘Jumbo’ Joe.

[White Out 403]

A necessary evil, but, I can see in his last couple years Jets trading him with cap retained. Or who knows. Maybe cap will be higher.

Very happy to have him locked down tho. Criminally underrated; an elite winger with size.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

A necessary evil, but, I can see in his last couple years Jets trading him with cap retained. Or who knows. Maybe cap will be higher...

I don't see how that will help the Jets unless they start charging to the tune of thousands of dollars for tickets. They can cram only so many people into that tiny arena.

[GreenLantern2814]

Iginla was reasonably effective until he was 38. Why can't Wheeler can be a 45-point 2nd line option at that point.

The cap and salaries will continue to go up, and though he probably doesn't earn ALL of that money, it shouldn't hurt the Jets.

Good deal.

[Enoch Root]

He gets the huge contract after a career year. And it kicks in when he is 33.

What could go wrong?

He is a great player, and the Jets had little choice, but that is a lot of money and this contract is going to be very burdensome in a couple of years.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Iginla was reasonably effective until he was 38. Why can't Wheeler can be a 45-point 2nd line option at that point.

The cap and salaries will continue to go up, and though he probably doesn't earn ALL of that money, it shouldn't hurt the Jets.

Good deal.

$8.25M. Thats why.

I gather that they had little choice in order to wedge their window open a little longer, but this is going to rapidly become a regrettable contract.

[djsFlames]

No player should be making over 8 mil after 35 outside of Crosby and very select elite company.

Now you've taken away some incentive for him to put up the best numbers/performance possible this season too.

Good job aeroplanes.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

No player should be making over 8 mil after 35 outside of Crosby and very select elite company.

Now you've taken away some incentive for him to put up the best numbers/performance possible this season too.

Good job aeroplanes.

I think too many people get an idea of what a cap hit should be regardless of the extreme difference in salary cap from 2005 to 2010 to 2018. Like what if it was 2022 and the cap was $100mil? Still the same thoughts on 8mil AAV?

You do realize Iginla was making like $12mil in today's dollars when he signed for $7mil back in the day, right?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

I feel like this is where Gaudreau SHOULD be....Flames are getting a $1.5M-$2M discount on him yearly.

Originally Posted by The Cobra

When you sign players before they are UFA's, you get that break.

Gaudreau is low because of the year he signed, but also keep in mind (not comparing specifically to Wheeler) that he signed a 6 year deal which kept the cap hit down. Personally I'd be happy to have signed him to an 8x8 deal to keep an elite left winger in our core an extra two years.

In four years he either goes to the east (most likely, imo) or we will be paying $11 mil, possibly more and would likely have to lose another star to keep him.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I think too many people get an idea of what a cap hit should be regardless of the extreme difference in salary cap from 2005 to 2010 to 2018. Like what if it was 2022 and the cap was $100mil? Still the same thoughts on 8mil AAV?

You do realize Iginla was making like $12mil in today's dollars when he signed for $7mil back in the day, right?

Cool story. I'm still good with paying under 7 mil for all our best/core players, which the flames have somehow managed to do despite your logic (crazy huh). Maybe just me but that kind of cap management feels better than shelling out albatrosses to mid 30 players after career seasons and justifying it because of where the cap projects to possibly be in a few years that will 'lessen the hurt'. When you have young players that will require huge pay raises in the near future like the jets why play with fire and risk not being able to keep everyone? I guess they think they're going all in at the risk of shedding a good player or two later alike the hawks. But that means you have to make it count. Not sure if the jets have it in them.

Im pretty grateful for our GMs approach honestly. Treliving playing hard ball on negotiations now will pay off huge when/if the Flames take the next step as they'll be able to keep everyone locked in with these cap friendly 4-6 mil contracts. The space saved in each case adds up to that extra star contract that may be needed before the cap compensates e.g. Tkachuk.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Cool story. I'm still good with paying under 7 mil for all our best/core players, which the flames have somehow managed to do despite your logic (crazy huh). Maybe just me but that kind of cap management feels better than shelling out albatrosses to mid 30 players after career seasons and justifying it because of where the cap projects to possibly be in a few years that will 'lessen the hurt'.

Signing RFA's and UFA's are completely different. We're talking about the same team that got Scheifele and Ehlers signed for 6M just like Gaudreau and Monahan. Let's see what Gaudreau gets when he becomes a UFA...

Giordano is the only one comparable to Wheeler's situation, but Giordano's contract goes a full year longer (agewise). Giordano's last year will be when he's 38. If Giordano signed a similar contract that brought him to 37, and not 38, he's probably looking at pretty decent size cap increase. Definitely puts him in that 7M+ range.

So ironically, because Treliving threw out a very-likely-to-be albatross contract to Giordano (obviously fine contract right now, but probably not when he's 38), you're happy with his moves. Cool story.