Ryan Lambert on Wheeler's deal.

I thought this perspective by Ryan Lambert was worth taking a look at. I agree with Lambert that the arbitrators are out of their mind awarding mediocre to good player’s multi million dollar deals. You’re also pretty much stuck with them once they sign their deal, see the Peter Schaffer mistake deal that the Bruins are still paying for. What ever happen to incentive laden deals that award players for meeting performance based numbers like scoring goals?

I think Wheeler is a perfectly good hockey player, not great or even that much above average, but good. And the fact that he's getting $2.2 million from an arbitrator rather than his team or another that slid him an offer sheet tells you that's roughly market value for comparable players. The Bruins will take that number for sure.

But think about that. He's getting $2.2 million. A raise of about 150 percent over the base salary of the two-year deal he signed when he came into the league. And for what? He was sensational his rookie year, don't get me wrong. But he declined in goals (by 14 percent) and assists (by 17 percent) last season, with no change in power-play goals despite an extra minute on the man advantage per game, and two extra minutes of ice time. And he's a ghost in the playoffs to the tune of 1-5-6, minus-6 in 21 career games. [Puck Daddy]

Again; I want to preface this that I am not a Wheeler hater by any stretch of the imagination. I am sure Blake Wheeler is a great guy and an awesome human being off of the ice but as a hockey player he is a _______ (rhymes with wussy). The man is 6’5’ 205 pounds and is so easily knocked off the puck by the opposition. At Wheeler’s size he should be laying people out and playing a more physical brand of hockey, Blake should also be getting to the dirty areas on the ice and scoring gritty goals.