Wheeler could be real deal

Rookie making good impression

DETROIT - On Thursday, the Bruins' fourth and final night in Halifax, coach Claude Julien offered his thoughts on setting up base camp in Nova Scotia to gauge his players and allow them to bond.

"I think it's been a very successful four days," said Julien, noting the friendly fans, the sights of the city, and the picture-perfect weather.

The stay was especially successful for Blake Wheeler, the winger who's made a significant impression during his first Boston camp.

"He's been making the right plays," said general manager Peter Chiarelli. "Defensively, he's been on the [penalty kill], so he's a smart, responsible player. And he's big. You saw him cycling. Very smart player."

Wheeler didn't accompany the team here last night, but the 6-foot-5-inch, 208-pound rookie could be in the lineup this afternoon when the Bruins host Washington in their first exhibition game at TD Banknorth Garden.

Through two games - a 4-3 loss to the Red Wings Thursday and an 8-3 win over Montreal last Monday - and a handful of practices, Wheeler has been the sharpest rookie in camp, just about guaranteed survival beyond today's expected third round of cuts. He's been a powerful, straight-line skater. He's been nimble around the net. He's showcased his soft hands. And while his dirty work in the corners and in front of the net hasn't been as surly as the style of Milan Lucic, for example, the Boston bosses believe that the rough-and-tumble game will come in time.

"Finally, I'm starting to learn that shielding the puck with my big body and creating scoring chances is very effective," Wheeler said. "You save some energy compared to just running around, turning the puck over, and skating up ice. Just have to go out there, work hard in the corners, protect the puck, you'll have scoring opportunities and find yourself on the plus side of things more often than not."

Just last year, management and the coaching staff saw another young big man make an impression in training camp when Lucic scrapped his way onto the roster.

So, while there is an immediate precedent for a power forward to push for employment out of camp, it's not as much of a surprise this time around. Wheeler, 22, is three years older than Lucic was when he made the team last year. Wheeler, who would have been a senior this year at the University of Minnesota, was selected fifth overall by Phoenix in the 2004 draft (Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin were the first two picks), an indication of his potential as an impact player.

"He's certainly been a major topic of discussion with the way he's played," Chiarelli said.

One drawback Wheeler faces, however, is his $2.825 million annual cap hit ($875,000 base salary). Lucic only carries an $850,000 number, allowing the Bruins to fit him under the ceiling last season. Given how tight they project to be against the $56.7 million ceiling this season, it might be more challenging for them to squeeze Wheeler into the lineup.

While Wheeler may start his pro career in Providence, he's already adjusted to skating against stars such as Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg.

"When you're coming into this for the first time, you have to take a couple deep breaths and remind yourself that you belong out there, play as hard as you can, play your game, and let the rest take care of itself," Wheeler said. "You start looking around at the Zetterbergs out there and the all-world players, you start thinking, 'Oh man, what am I doing out here?' It was great to be out there with guys like that. But at the same time, you've got to go out there like you belong."

Thumb's down

Manny Fernandez was scheduled to start last night against the Red Wings, but during warm-ups he suffered a bruised right thumb when he was hit by a puck. After the game, Fernandez had his thumb and middle finger taped.

"Not broken, X-rays show nothing," Julien said. "Major swelling, if you want to put it that way. He'll get it looked at again [today] to see how things are. But right now, it's just a swollen thumb from the shot."

Fernandez had been hoping for a lot of action to catch up after a lost season in 2007-08, but his latest injury has cost him at least one start. When asked whether Fernandez might need some regular starts in Providence, Chiarelli dismissed the notion, saying he needs to face NHL shots.

Bourque is back

Chris Bourque, son of Bruins legend Ray Bourque, is scheduled to be in the lineup this afternoon for the Capitals. The younger Bourque, who's entering his fourth year of pro hockey, is making a bid to make the Washington roster out of training camp. Bourque had a goal and an assist in Washington's 5-2 win over Carolina Thursday . . . Michael Ryder's first preseason goal was the winner last night as the Bruins earned a 2-1 decision at Joe Louis Arena. P.J. Axelsson scored the other goal for the Bruins, while Tuukka Rask (24 saves) got the win . . . Phil Kessel was scratched because of hip flexor stiffness. Peter Schaefer also had hip flexor discomfort and sat out the third period. "They're just a little stiff, and we're at a stage where we're not going to take any chances," Julien said. "We're pulling guys out instead of pushing them through those kinds of things. Just training camp stuff." . . . Rookie Jeff Penner, signed as a free agent March 29 after one season at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, had another solid outing, moving the puck effectively and playing tight defense. "He's been tremendous," Chiarelli said. "He's got good poise. He's still got some things to work on. He's got to get stronger, but he makes all the right plays." . . . Chiarelli said 27-30 players will go on the team-building trip to Stowe, Vt., tomorrow, meaning there will be 14-17 cuts today . . . NESN will carry today's game, as will WBZ Radio (1030).