Blake Wheeler is off to a slow start this year. He has one goal and two assists in seven games, prompting coach Claude Noel say that "he's not playing very well," following Tuesday's 3-0 loss to Montreal. Wheeler logged a season-low 15:19 of ice time and registered four shots in that match.

Blake Wheeler was the only player to beat a Dallas Stars goalie on Friday as his Winnipeg Jets lost 4-1. That was Wheeler's first goal of the 2013-14 season. Tobias Enstrom and Dustin Byfuglien collected their sixth assists of this young campaign, making fantasy owners cross their fingers that both can stay healthy all season long.

Blake Wheeler and the Winnipeg Jets want to be tougher to play against at home this season. "It's our home building. We're going to be getting the energy in the crowd," he said ahead of Thursday's home opener versus Los Angeles. "It's similar to playing in Montreal. The crowd is on their feet the first five minutes regardless, so you kind of have to weather that storm as an opposing team." The Jets have a vocal and lively crowd, but the team's record in their home arena last year stood at just 13-10-1.

Blake Wheeler returned to action on Tuesday October 1.

Blake Wheeler is still dealing with a minor injury, so coach Claude Noel has decided to keep him and Winnipeg's top line out of Thursday's exhibition match. "We need to see some other people play and determine where they fit in," said Noel. "I don't want a mix bag of players. I want the other groups to try and gain some chemistry. Ladd, Little and Wheeler will start the season together. This is a chance to get some other groups going."

Blake Wheeler didn't practice Sunday after getting banged up in Saturday's exhibition game against Minnesota. He is day-to-day but it sounds like the situation is one of those training camp ailments where he'll be OK shortly. "This is what you get this time in camp; you get guys who are fatigued a little bit," coach Claude Noel said. "We're trying to keep guys healthy right now... we have a day off coming soon, so that'll be good."

Blake Wheeler admitted that the possibility of playing for the United States at the Winter Olympics will be in the back of his mind once the regular season begins. "Obviously, all of us want to make this team," he said. "You're going to have that in the back of your head. But I really believe if you are focused on the right things and focused on trying to help your team win in Winnipeg, good things are going to happen. You've got to be playing your best hockey and, from there, just make it tough for the people in charge. When it comes down to making a team or getting picked for a team, that's really out of your hands."

Blake Wheeler may be the recipient of a six-year, $33.6-million contract from the Winnipeg Jets and he is the team's high-scoring player since its arrival in Canada, but there's no guarantee that he'll be part of the U.S. Olympic team that will play in Sochi, Russia in 2014. This is all that David Poile of the U.S. management team says about Wheeler: "An emerging young player with all the attributes we're looking for. Size and speed and very conditioned. We'll be watching a lot of Blake early in the season to see if he can swing into the mix to be a candidate for Sochi."

Forward Blake Wheeler had a few options when he entered restricted free agency this summer, but after signing a six-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets on Friday worth $33.6 million, the 26-year-old made it clear he never had any intention of leaving the team that acquired him from the Boston Bruins in a 2011 trade and immediately promoted him to its top line. "For me, it was virtually a no-brainer. I sat down with my agent this spring. I looked him in the eyes and said, 'This is where I want to be,'" Wheeler, the highest-scoring Jet since the team moved to Canada, said Saturday during a conference call. "I believe we have what it takes to get to the next level. This is just part of that process. I really, truly believe that great things are in store for this group."

Blake Wheeler has inked a six-year/$33.6 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Wheeler was a restricted free agent after completing his two-year/$5.1 million deal. He did have an arbitration date set for Monday, but now that's moot. He stepped up in 2011-12 with 64 points in 80 contests and then proved it wasn't a fluke by scoring 19 goals and 41 points in 48 games last season. With that in mind, this seems like a fair contract for the soon-to-be 27-year-old.