Spellcaster should have had cantrips (level 0 spells) per encounter

I think many people here in this forum, me among them, have found classes like  wizard too situational and boring to play because their main abilities are too limited. It is true that when a spellcaster fights with its full power, he/she pretty much dominates the battlefield, and it is actually cool to have this "hidden power" somewhat limited. Spells are way too powerful to be available on a per encounter base at earlier levels, and so I agree that their uses should be limited. However, when wizards are not casting spells, they are just an annoying, boring-to-play burden that drain xp from the party. In order to ammeliorate this problem, I believe cantrips (level 0 spells)  available per encounter should have been created for a wizard to maintain some semblance of usefullness during the battle. Simple spells like a weak ray of frost that deals little damage to anyone caught in the beam and a single target "stuck" spell (duration 6 seconds or other minor value) would greatly enhance the gameplay without removing the strategic mechanic of saving spells.

What do you people think?