Even after a hard-fought comeback win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, and despite a very successful regular season to date, the Jets captain emphatically stated it's far too early to consider his team to be Stanley Cup contenders.
"I just think that we've got to pump the brakes here a little bit," he said after the game. "We're talking Stanley Cup contender, we haven't even made the f---ing playoffs yet. We're building this up a bit bigger than it is. We're just trying to get better every single game."
Wheeler added it's difficult to avoid hearing how heightened the expectations are in a small market like Winnipeg, especially after the team has posted a record of 33-15-9 and sits second in the competitive Central Division.
"That's what makes this a special place to play," Wheeler continued. "But this is an organization that has never won a playoff game. So we're working on changing that culture every single day.
Wheeler, of course, has been part of the organization dating back to late in the Atlanta days. He's seen the Jets appear in only four playoff games since moving to Winnipeg, resulting in four losses to Anaheim back in 2015.
He's keeping expectations in check, but not making the playoffs or going four-and-out would seem to be a great disappointment for the up-and-coming Jets.
There's no question that a Phaneuf-for-Gaborik trade would have blown the roof off of the NHL a decade ago, but with father time catching up to both, it's a little less significant this time around.
That being said, the deal has major implications for both and each team is better having made the trade than they were before.
Kings get their guy
It was no secret that the Kings approached the deadline with the hopes of giving a boost to their blue line. As The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun noted earlier in the day, the club was in pursuit of a No. 4 or No. 5 defenseman.
They were also looking to make a hockey deal and not necessarily to trade for a rental. Check and check.
Phaneuf can play in all situations, can eat up minutes, and can defend against the game's biggest names. For the Kings, there's not much to hate about that kind of player being slotted into the club's bottom pairings.
With the trade, the Kings were able to get Marian Gaborik off their books. With a cap hit of $4.875 million for the next three years, an inability to stay healthy long term, and decreased production, he was more of a liability with the club - who is starved for offense - than he was an asset.
As for the swap of Shore for Thompson, the Kings get a more veteran presence with Thompson who joins the club with nearly 600 games of NHL experience, compared to Shore, who at 25 years of age, has 221 games under his belt.
Shore is also set to become a restricted free agent, so dealing him avoids the potential of Rob Blake having to hand Shore a raise from his current $925,000 deal.
But while money is good and all, let's face it, the Kings are still eyeing the playoffs.
The club currently sits three points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but should get a boost in the form of Jeff Carter - who's expected to return to the lineup soon.
After missing out in two of the last three seasons, the Kings are eager to get back into the postseason. Phaneuf gives them a push in that direction and with the deadline still two weeks away, the team has ample time to get another potential deal done.
Senators create valuable cap space
Whoever said Phaneuf's contract was untradeable was severely mistaken.
For the second time since signing a monstrous seven-year, $49-million deal as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2013, Phaneuf has been dealt.
The Senators were able to get out from his $7-million cap hit - with three more years on his deal - even though they will still pay 25 percent of his contract.
In Gaborik, the Sens get a player who can produce offensively - albeit not nearly at the same clip as he once could - and someone who could serve as an extra veteran voice in a dressing room that looks to have dealt with some dysfunction this season.
Further, despite his cap hit of $4.875 million for the next three years, he is owed much less in actual salary: $4.575 million next season, $3.175 million in 2019-20, and $3.075 million in 2020-21.
Of course, there's always the potential to buyout Gaborik's contract to shore up even more money. But that's for Pierre Dorion to decide later.
Then there is Thompson's $1.65 million coming off the books, which helps. As for Shore, he enters as a pending restricted free agent next season, so the team could elect to not offer him a qualifying offer in the offseason, making him a UFA and thus freeing up more space.
My quick math was a little off. It's more significant. Including what players were owed remainder of this season, #Sens will save $5,455,107 in real cash with the transaction - even by eating 25% of Phaneuf contract. Suffice to say, I think this was the key to the deal.
All this shedding of money is important for one sole purpose: signing Erik Karlsson.
Karlsson will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of next season, but can be signed to an extension any time after July 1. It's quite clear that the reigning two-time Norris Trophy-winner will command at least $10 million per season, so the Senators will need to pinch every penny they have over the next little while if they are to get a deal done with their captain.
That's what makes what the Senators did on Tuesday that much more significant.
Lot of people seem to be making more of this trade than what it is. Ottawa is cutting costs. This will be a common theme, for better or worse, for next two weeks.
The Kings and Senators are two clubs clearly headed in different directions. The Kings are hoping to sneak into the playoffs, while the Senators have their eyes set on the future.
But whether it's for a boost to their roster or some extra pocket cash, it's quite clear the Phaneuf deal is exactly what each club needed.
Down 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues with a touch over 11 minutes left in the third period, the Predators' comeback was kick-started by Calle Jarnkrok and greatly aided by a pair of goals from Austin Watson.
There's a new team atop the Atlantic Division, for the time being at least.
After Tampa Bay's loss to Buffalo and Boston's win over Calgary, the Bruins now sit ahead of the Lightning by mere percentage points.
(Image courtesy: NHL.com)
The Lightning remain in first thanks to their 79 points through 57 games, while the Bruins are only one point back with two games in hand.
Both teams have played 32 games since Dec. 1, and since then, the Bruins hold a distinct advantage:
Boston: 24-4-4, 52 points
Tampa Bay: 21-10-1, 43 points
Keep in mind that under the NHL's playoff format, the division winner gets a wild-card team in the first round, while the second-place team draws the third-place team. At present, Toronto ranks third in the Eastern Conference with 73 points, meaning there's a big advantage to claiming the Atlantic crown.
The way things are going lately, the Bruins may very well rise to the top in points sooner rather than later. The Lightning, however, should never be counted out.
There's a new team atop the Atlantic Division, for the time being at least.
After Tampa Bay's loss to Buffalo and Boston's win over Calgary, the Bruins now sit ahead of the Lightning by mere percentage points.
(Image courtesy: NHL.com)
The Lightning remain in first thanks to their 79 points through 57 games, while the Bruins are only one point back with two games in hand.
Both teams have played 32 games since Dec. 1, and since then, the Bruins hold a distinct advantage:
Boston: 24-4-4, 52 points
Tampa Bay: 21-10-1, 43 points
Keep in mind that under the NHL's playoff format, the division winner gets a wild-card team in the first round, while the second-place team draws the third-place team. At present, Toronto ranks third in the Eastern Conference with 73 points, meaning there's a big advantage to claiming the Atlantic crown.
The way things are going lately, the Bruins may very well rise to the top in points sooner rather than later. The Lightning, however, should never be counted out.
The Winnipeg Jets center was a difference-maker in Tuesday's overtime win, recording two goals, one assist, and four shots in over 23 minutes of ice time against the Washington Capitals.
Scheifele's impact was felt most with the game on the line, as he scored his second of the night with 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
Fellow defenseman Dion Phaneuf was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, prompting immediate reactions from Karlsson and a few other Sens.
"It's an unfortunate part of the business," said Karlsson, per Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. "He's a good friend of mine and a good friend of everybody on this team."
"This is a tough day because they're real character guys and real pros," added head coach Guy Boucher, referring to Phaneuf and Nate Thompson, who was also sent to the Kings.
Karlsson and a couple other teammates took to Twitter to express their feelings:
It’s with a tear in my eye I say goodbye for now, to 2 good friends and true pros. I wish you nothing but the best @NateThompson44 and my dearest friend Dion.
Side note: For those wondering about the wording, Karlsson added a follow up:
Settle down people the “for now” means I’m not saying goodbye forever. We will still remain friends off the ice even though we’re not playing on the same team.
Never gets easier saying goodbye to teammates, especially great ones like @NateThompson44 and Dion... Can’t thank you two enough for welcoming me in this year the way you did. Thank you, and best of luck boys!
"Dion brings to our club a great deal of experience and leadership. He also plays with a physical edge which complements our lineup well," Blake said. "Nate has a good reputation of being a high-energy player on the ice. Both guys are also high character guys."
Heading out of L.A. are forwards Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore, who Blake thanked for their service.
"We also wish Marian and Nick well. Marian has enjoyed a tremendous career to date and has played an integral role with our team over the years including a Stanley Cup Championship. Nick is a hard worker who came up through our system and has developed into a solid NHL player."
Gaborik was a member of L.A.'s 2014 Stanley Cup-winning team, while Phaneuf helped Ottawa come within one goal of advancing to the finals a year ago.
Also going L.A.'s way is journeyman pivot Nate Thompson.
With Erik Karlsson taking his time rounding into form following offseason ankle surgery, Phaneuf has arguably been Ottawa's most reliable defenseman this year, registering three goals and 13 assists in just over 20 minutes of ice time per night.
As for Gaborik, the 36-year-old veteran has struggled to stay healthy over the last few years, playing only one full season since the 2011-12 campaign. Across 29 games this season, Gaborik tallied seven goals and seven assists.
Ottawa retains 25 percent of Phaneuf's whopping $7 million per season salary.
