Jets extend top forward Wheeler for 5 years

The Winnipeg Jets want top scorer and captain Blake Wheeler around for a while to help build on their franchise-best 114-point season.

The veteran winger, coming off a career-high 91-point campaign, has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $41.25 million US that reportedly includes a no-movement clause (for waivers, etc.) and a modified no-trade clause.

"I knew my best years were ahead of me and I wanted to give those years to this organization and hopefully push this team to championship levels," Wheeler, who was entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $5.6 million in the upcoming season, told reporters.

"My heart is here. I'm a Day 1 guy here and have been given some incredible opportunities. I couldn't see myself anywhere else."

An NHL all-star for the first time in 2017-18, the 32-year-old finished ninth in NHL scoring, tying for first in assists (68) with Philadelphia's Claude Giroux, but leading with 48 primary helpers.

Wheeler's regular season also included 40 power-play points (up 19 from his previous high in 2017-18) and 20 minutes 15 seconds of ice time, the highest average of his 10-year NHL career.

Wheeler's reported extension breakdown

• 2019-20: $4 million signing bonus, $6 million salary
• 2020-21: $6.5 million
• 2021-22: $10 million
• 2022-23: $6.5 million
• 2023-24: $8.25 million

"Making the playoffs was certainly a hurdle for this group [and] something we desperately needed to accomplish," said Wheeler. "There's a long road to get back and it doesn't happen just because we want it to happen and because we think we're better than everyone else."

Wheeler noted the players bought into a style of play that made the Jets a tough team to play against.

Franchise leader in assists

"We learned how to grind as a team," he said, "and this year [if] we get back to that the better we're going to be because then some of our talent is going to come help."

One of three players still with the organization since it relocated to Winnipeg in 2011 from Atlanta, he is the franchise leader in assists with 383 while ranking among the top 10 in each major scoring category, including second on the all-time Jets scoring list with 495 points in 754 games.

The native of Robbinsdale, Minn., was a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, presented to the NHL player that exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team on and off the ice during the regular season while taking a leading role in his community growing the game.

'Lucky' to play with Scheifele

Helping Wheeler in his decision to stay in Winnipeg was the eight-year, $49-million deal that fellow standout forward Mark Scheifele signed in July 2016.

"I know how lucky I am to play with a guy like that," said Wheeler, who spent a month working out with the 25-year-old Scheifele during the off-season. "There's probably nobody in our league and maybe in the world that does more to try to get themselves better. There isn't a thing he hasn't tried or researched.

"I can try to take some of the things that work and apply them to what I do. It's pretty cool to pick his brain a bit."

Scheifele is equally as thrilled to have his linemate stick around and shared his feelings on Twitter.

The six-foot-five, 225-pound Wheeler was named the Jets captain on Aug. 31, 2016 and has played eight of his 10 seasons with the Jets organization.

He has 222 regular-season goals and 605 points in 778 career games with Boston, Atlanta, and Winnipeg. 

The Jets still need to sign restricted free-agent defenceman Josh Morrissey ahead of Sept. 13, the first of training camp, after getting goalie Connor Hellebucyk and blue-liner Jacob Trouba under contract earlier in the summer.