Injured Blake Wheeler ‘doing as well as he could be’
New York Rangers veteran forward Blake Wheeler is out for the season, but not out of coach Peter Laviolette’s thoughts.
“I’ve talked to him once and shared a couple of text messages,” Laviolette said. “He’s doing as well as he could be.
“I’m sure he’d rather be on the ice and playing games. Unfortunately, it’s the nature of the beast here that sometimes (injuries) happen and takes you out of the play. So we wish for a healthy, speedy, and successful recovery.”
When asked if he expects Wheeler to be around the team at some point, Laviolette responded in the affirmative.
“I’m sure he will. He’s still part of the team.”
Related: Alex Wennberg a Rangers trade target
Blake Wheeler doing well after injury
Wheeler, 37, finished this season with nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 53 games. After signing a one-year deal over the summer, he had his heart set on a possible Stanley Cup run. Sadly, that ended on Feb. 15th in a 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
“As much as these guys are teammates, we lost a friend,” captain Jacob Trouba explained before the Stadium Series. “We all care a lot about hockey and our jobs, but we’re all humans and friends and, I’m not saying this is true, but maybe he played his last hockey game.”
Of all the players on the Rangers, Wheeler’s loss hit Trouba the hardest due to their relationship dating back to his time with the Winnipeg Jets.
“To see this player, this friend, who helped me so much when I came into this league, it’s emotional. For me, it’s a little extra tough I think because he’s someone I look up to.”
New York is actively shopping for additional help on right wing before the Mar. 8th NHL Trade Deadline. Currently, Frank Vatrano, Anthony Duclair, and Vladimir Tarasenko are considered general manager Chris Drury’s top targets.
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