Michigan State Alum, Mason Appleton, Faces Massive Career Decision

This year, the Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season team. That honor, however, often comes with a curse. The last team to win the Cup after taking the Presidents’ Trophy was the 2012-13 Blackhawks, and Winnipeg followed that trend, falling to Dallas in six games in the second round.

Appleton was front and center in that loss.

With 8:30 left in Game 6 and the score tied 1-1, he was gifted a wide-open net off a slick pass from Adam Lowry. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was caught out of position. The go-ahead goal seemed inevitable.

Instead, Appleton shot it right into Oettinger’s sprawled body.

The game went to overtime, and Dallas sealed Winnipeg’s fate with a 2-1 win.

After the loss, Appleton described the miss as “kind of haunting, in a sense. Frustrating.”

His future in Winnipeg immediately came into question.

“Obviously, each side has to talk and stuff has to get figured out," Appleton said. "I love being a Winnipeg Jet. It’s all I’ve really known. I was in Seattle for a short while. I love it here, and I love this organization. If we could work it out, I’d be happy to be a Jet.”

Jets beat writer Murat Ates of The Athletic reported in March that he expected Winnipeg to try to re-sign him before July 1. But it all comes down to what Appleton wants — and he made it clear in his exit interview that term matters most to him.

That could complicate things. Appleton’s career high is 36 points, and it would be tough for Winnipeg to pay him more than captain Adam Lowry, who makes $3.25 million annually. Then again, the NHL salary cap is set to rise dramatically this offseason, which might open the door.

Appleton’s game is easy to appreciate — high motor, solid skating, physical when needed, and dependable on the penalty kill. But are his best years behind him?

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has long valued loyalty, but even loyalty has its limits.

Other teams with cap space will surely have interest. Appleton’s energy is contagious. He sets the tone in the room and plays a role that any contending team could use.

But Winnipeg has other players who bring similar value.

So it begs the question:

What does the future hold for Mason Appleton?

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