The Winnipeg Jets have signed center Mason Appleton to a three-year contract with a $2.167M cap hit, avoiding arbitration with the deal.
Appleton was a restricted free agent, coming off a two-year deal with a $800,000 cap hit. This will be the first time he makes more than $1 million in salary in a season.
Originally a sixth round pick for the Jets, he spent four seasons with the team before the Seattle Kraken drafted him in their expansion draft. The Jets re-acquired him at the trade deadline for a fourth round pick.
Appleton had a bit of a step back in 2021-22, with eight goals, 13 assists and 21 points in 68 games, including just two goals, two assists and four points in 19 games in his return to Winnipeg. It wasn’t too far off his career year in 2020-21, which saw him score 12 goals, 13 assists and 25 points, but that came in just 56 games.
Appleton is about as average as they come in hockey, but that’s not a bad thing. While he’s not a needle mover on any particular line, he doesn’t hurt it either, so he’s a perfect complimentary piece, particularly in a bottom six role. That's evidenced by his relative numbers, as he has a +0.37 shot attempt share and +1.42 expected goal share relative to his teammates in the past three seasons at even strength.
With this deal, the Jets have a bit over $6 million left in cap space, with no big name restricted free agents left to worry about. They haven’t made any big additions this offseason, only signing Kevin Stenlund, Kyle Capobianco and David Rittich in free agency, but will probably need to do something bigger to improve on their 11th place finish last season.
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