NHL Rumors: 3 Potential Landing Spots For Blake Wheeler

The Winnipeg Jets made a huge change on Friday when they stripped Blake Wheeler of his captaincy. With this news, one has to wonder if the Jets will try to trade the 36-year-old winger from here. Frank Seravalli reported earlier this offseason that the Jets explored the trade market for the winger, but a deal never happened. Yet, this latest development will surely heat things up on that front again, so let's predict where the Minnesota native could end up if moved.

Anaheim Ducks: The Anaheim Ducks had an excellent offseason, as they added players like John Klingberg, Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, and Dmitry Kulikov to their roster. Even after all that spending, they still have $16 million of cap space to work with. It's clear that they are aiming to be more competitive in 2022-23, so perhaps Wheeler could be a player for them to consider. He would provide them with an upgrade in their top six, and it would not hurt them to have another veteran with Ryan Getzlaf retiring.

Buffalo Sabres: The Buffalo Sabres took a step in the right direction this past season and want to continue that trend in 2022-23. Wheeler could be an intriguing addition to their group, as he could play on one of their top two lines and provide them with more offense.

New York Islanders: The Islanders need offense badly and GM Lou Lamoriello failed to address that this summer. Yet, Wheeler could be an excellent late-summer splash for them. Yet, in this scenario, they would need to move at least one contract out, as they have a little over $2 million of cap space. If the Jets retained some of Wheeler's salary and the Islanders sent Josh Bailey (with other assets) the other way, this move could become possible.