What the heck is Wheeler thinking?

Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney has got to be shaking his head on this one, because it doesn't make any sense to me either. Maybe it makes sense to someone else? You really have to wounder what is going through Wheeler's mind? When you're offered a contract/job personally I like the take the one where I am going to make more money, but maybe Wheeler didn't want to play for the Yotes. Per Brad Schlossman: If Blake Wheeler had signed with Phoenix Coyotes, he could have signed for $984,200 with a $295,260 signing bonus. Now, the most Wheeler can sign for is $875,000 with and a $87,500 signing bonus.

Seriously, you have to wonder if Blake learned anything during his time in college classes? I suppose there could be more to this and we aren't getting all of the details. You have to wonder what his agent/family advisor is thinking? Just for the record Blake Wheeler was drafted ahead of Travis Zajac and Drew Stafford.

Yotes losing Wheeler to free agency
by Dave Vest - May. 29, 2008 09:00 PM
The Arizona Republic
The Coyotes shocked the NHL community when they selected Blake Wheeler, a 17-year-old high school player from Minnesota, with the fifth overall pick of the 2004 draft.

Nearly four years later, Wheeler has shocked the Coyotes by deciding not to sign with them, thus becoming an unrestricted free agent.

"I'm actually quite stunned," Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney said Thursday. "Quite frankly, we made him an offer significantly better than any other contract he can get (right now). But that's his choice. I think (he's received) bad advice, and I think he's making a big mistake because of the commitment we've made to our young players and the young players we're prepared to invest in."

Matt Keator, Wheeler's agent, issued a statement Thursday in response to a news release that the Coyotes issued earlier in the day. It read: "We appreciate the Coyotes offering the maximum amount. There is no question that they wanted to sign Blake and made every effort to do so but there was more than money involved in this decision. Per the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, it is Blake's right to pursue Unrestricted Free Agency. Most players wait until their late 20s to become Unrestricted and choose where they will live and play. Blake now has the opportunity at age 21, which is the biggest reason for him pursuing this route at this point in his career."

In a later e-mail, Keator added: "I did not expect Don to be pleased with this decision but he is a veteran hockey man and I am sure he will move forward with his rebuilding of the franchise just fine without Blake. Most people find it refreshing in this case that a professional player is not chasing the money but instead exercising his right to choose where he wants to play for a living."

Keator said Wheeler would not comment publicly until he signs with another team.

Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky could not be reached, but Maloney said Gretzky recently phoned Keator.

"The last thing we want in our organization are people that don't want to be here, and the last thing we're going to do here is beg people to play for us," Maloney said.

"We are very happy with the compensatory pick we will receive for Blake not signing, which will be the fifth pick in the second round (of this year's draft). This is a very deep draft, and we now have five picks in the first two rounds, which is very exciting."