Rangers get big Blake Wheeler sighting ahead of Game 2 vs. Hurricanes

The 37-year-old crumbled to the ice after getting hit by Habs defenseman Jayden Struble just under three months ago, and he needed to be helped off the ice by teammates. The initial prognosis was that Wheeler would miss the rest of the season — the regular-season, at least. But there is some hope in the Big Apple that he may be able to suit up for the Rangers at some point during this playoff run.

A source with direct knowledge of Wheeler’s injury told Mercogliano earlier this year that a potential postseason return is “unlikely” but not impossible. He hasn’t been shut down for the entirety of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and thus, Monday’s appearance will certainly turn some heads.

Wheeler was brought to New York on a one-year, league minimum contract after being bought out by the Winnipeg Jets — the only NHL team he had ever known — at the end of last year. He chipped in nine goals and 21 points in 54 games this season, and although that production is a far cry from his prime, Wheeler would still certainly help this roster in a bottom-six capability if he can get healthy.

And it would add just another element to a Rangers team that hasn’t yet lost in the playoffs.

Is there a roster spot for Blake Wheeler in red-hot Rangers lineup?

The Rangers still haven’t lost in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after beating the Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 1. That’s after a tidy sweep of the Washington Capitals in the first-round earned the Blueshirts a chance to play for Metropolitan Division supremacy.

It seems unlikely that Wheeler will be available for Round 2, but if New York is able to get through to their second Eastern Conference Final in three years, he could certainly be an option.

Wheeler began skating on his own last month, with Monday’s practice obviously representing the most significant step in his recovery thus far. But even when he gets healthy, there’s no guarantee the career 321-goal scorer will slot right back into a stacked Rangers lineup.

“Even if Wheeler is cleared while the Blueshirts are still alive, it’s no sure thing that he’d step right back into the lineup. He was playing right wing on the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad at the time of his injury, but Jack Roslovic was acquired at the trade deadline to take that spot and has posted five points through five playoff games,” wrote Mercogliano on Monday.

“Meanwhile, Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko are entrenched as the right wingers on line Nos. 2 and 3, and it’s unlikely the Rangers would ask Wheeler to play in a fourth-line checking role.”

Whether or not Blake Wheeler slots in when healthy, his presence at practice should be a huge boost for his Rangers teammates. He’s 12th among active NHL players with 943 career points, and is still an effective player in 2024.

It’ll be intriguing to see if the veteran forward dons the New York Rangers blue this postseason.