But what about when the blows are of a verbal nature, and the shots taken will determine your very worth? Blake Wheeler expected the Bruins to handle Tuesday’s arbitration hearing with complete professionalism, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous about what could transpire.
"Before the hearing, I was anxious, obviously," said Wheeler in a conference call Friday morning. "You hear all the horror stories of all the different things that go on in those rooms. But once you’re in there hearing both sides being argued, it was handled extremely professionally. There was nothing said in that room that I didn’t already know myself. There were no low blows or anything like that taken by either side. It was handled extremely well. When the hearing was over, I felt great about it, just was really happy to be through that part of the process."
And Wheeler was even happier when the Bruins accepted the $2.2 million award given to him to bring the big winger back for another season in Boston.
"I’m very excited to be back," said Wheeler, who added he never feared the contract impasse that led to arbitration would lead to a trade out of town.
"It never crossed my mind being with another team," said Wheeler. "I definitely wanted to be in Boston. I think we’re right on the cusp of getting to where we want to go. Last year certainly was heartbreaking, but there’s been a lot of excitement about the moves that have been made in this offseason. I’ve just been waiting for my chance to get back in the fold."
Wheeler, 23, was happy with the settlement, but admitted to not being satisfied with his own game at this point of his career. He has averaged nearly 20 goals a year in his first two pro seasons with 39-44-83 totals in 163 games, but believes he can produce even more.
"I’ve been working on my shot quite a bit this summer, trying to do whatever it takes to extend my range a bit," said Wheeler, who noted he had set up a tarp in his garage and fires pucks at it at every opportunity.
"It’s about getting comfortable with shooting farther away from the net," added Wheeler. "Any time you put a shot on net anywhere from the top of the circles in, it’s going to be a pretty good look. I think just getting that mentality and getting comfortable with letting the puck go like that is something that can really help me. I think I’ve been more of a passer in my first two years. I’d like to close the gap a little and start shooting a little more and working on that will definitely help."
Wheeler also wants to improve his play without the puck. Most importantly, he hopes to make better use of his 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame.
"I think for me, it’s all about just being more physical and being more of a presence, especially on the forecheck," said Wheeler. "I think I’ve been so focused on the offensive production and the numbers side of things, but I think there’s more ways to be a contributing factor on the ice. It’s all about understanding your areas of strength and your areas of weakness. I think if I can just assert myself more physically, then it’s going to create a lot more opportunities for myself and for the guys I’m playing with."
Those were shortcomings no doubt discussed by the Bruins during the hearing, but it’s a positive sign that Wheeler has seemingly taken the message to heart rather than sulking over any hurt feelings.
"It was all done in a very professional manner," said Wheeler. "I think after the hearing was done both sides were happy with how things went. I’m very happy with just getting the whole process over with and having a deal in place so my focus can now be on just getting myself in the best shape possible for this upcoming season."
The Bruins are equally happy to have Wheeler back for another season, even if it meant Peter Chiarelli had to go to arbitration for just the second time since taking over as general manager in 2006.
"It is never a pleasant experience for either side to go to arbitration," said Chiarelli in a statement. "However, as a manager, you know that the player will be under contract for the following year either way. We talked to Blake before and after the hearing and we are satisfied to have a good, young player under contract for another year."
