Two Rangers veterans declined for Eastern Conference Final after suspensions notifications was delivered
Rangers veteran forward Blake Wheeler is medically cleared to play and could return to the lineup for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Panthers on Wednesday, he confirmed to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski Sunday.
Wheeler, 37, was activated from long-term injured reserve late last week. He hasn’t played since February 15, when he sustained an apparent right leg injury on a hit from Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble that caused him to fall awkwardly against the boards.
The 1,172-game veteran was having a decent season in a depth role after signing a one-year, $1.1M deal with the Rangers in free agency. Wheeler, who had spent parts of 13 seasons with the Jets/Thrashers franchise, was stripped of the captaincy in Winnipeg before the 2022-23 season and was bought out following the campaign. He had one season left at an $8.25M cap hit at the time.
His 0.39 points per game (nine goals, 21 points in 54 contests) were the lowest of his 16-year career. He also averaged a career-low 12:43 per game, playing an expectedly reduced role with corresponding lower production. Once one of the league’s premier playmakers, Wheeler’s poor defensive impacts over the past few years were slowly drawing widespread attention, leading most to believe Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette was better off giving top-six minutes to the younger Alexis Lafreniere.
The lengthy absences of Wheeler and center Filip Chytil (concussion) directly influenced general manager Chris Drury’s trade deadline strategy. In essence, he replaced their roles directly by acquiring two-way center Alexander Wennberg from the Kraken and mobile top-nine forward Jack Roslovic from the Blue Jackets. Roslovic has stepped into a second-line role alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad in the postseason, producing well with two goals and seven points in 10 games.
If Wheeler returns for Game 1 at home, it would likely be in a fourth-line role at right wing, replacing minor-league veteran Jonny Brodzinski. Brodzinski, 31, has been scratched for eight of the Rangers’ 10 playoff games through two rounds and has averaged only 8:47 per game when in the lineup.
The New York Rangers are returning to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2022. Chris Kreider was on a mission not to see a Game 7 on Saturday night, and he propelled his team to victory to end the series in six games.
Chris Kreider is a Playoff Performer for the Rangers
Kreider has done this for the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2012. That year, he finished his season with Boston College and immediately entered the Rangers lineup. From there, his impact could be felt immediately. His first NHL goal was the winner in Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators on April 23, 2012. He also scored the winner in Game 1 of the second round against the Washington Capitals.
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