The Winnipeg Jets have locked up their captain, signing Blake Wheeler to a five-year contract extension Tuesday morning to remove any doubt about his playing future heading into this upcoming season.
Wheeler, 32, will be paid $41.25 over the duration of the deal, for an annual average of $8.25 million. The right-winger from Plymouth, Minn., is entering the final year of his current contract, which pays him $5.6 million.
The new deal will make Wheeler the highest-paid player on the Jets — at least for now. Patrik Laine needs a new contract next year and the Finnish sniper could surpass it, given his penchant for putting pucks in the net.