Wheeler takes 'responsibility' for Jets' disappointing season

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler shouldered the blame for his club's frustrating 2021-22 campaign.

"I certainly take the responsibility for where this team sits," he told reporters Thursday. "I'm hopeful that we have a locker room full of guys doing the same thing. Like I said, I've tried to build this into something we can be proud of, something that can be a championship level every year. And when you fall short of that, you've got to take responsibility for it."

The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention when the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Washington Capitals in overtime on Wednesday night, marking the first time since 2016-17 that the team failed to make the postseason.

Wheeler gave a grim outlook when comparing this year's club to past Winnipeg teams that missed the playoffs.

"(Before) it felt like we were building something. A lot of young players, a lot of guys that we really believed in that were going to get us to that next level, and that obviously came to fruition," he said. "Now it just kind of feels like we're searching for answers. Not really sure what happened."

The Jets entered the campaign with high expectations after bolstering its blue line with the offseason additions of Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt.

"There have been years in the past where the expectations were really low, and we had really good teams, and we were competing for championships," Wheeler said. "This year seemed like expectations were high, and we've obviously fallen well short."

Wheeler has remained productive this season with 55 points in 60 games, but his underlying numbers took a hit.

The 35-year-old has two more years remaining on his contract with an $8.25-million cap hit.