Red Wings sign longtime former Jets center

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Mason Appleton to a two-year, $5.8M contract per PuckPedia. PuckPedia adds that Appleton will be due $3M of salary in the first year of the deal, and $2.8M in the second year. The deal will move Appleton away from his second stint with the Winnipeg Jets, which spanned the last four seasons.

Appleton has emerged as a reliable utility forward over the course of his seven years in the NHL. He contributed 10 goals, 22 points, 22 penalty minutes and a plus-seven through 71 games with the Jets this season, while operating out of a bottom-six role. He took a quiet step down in both minutes and impact this season, after posting a career-high 14 goals, 36 points, and plus-16 while also recording a career-high 16 minutes of average ice time last year. Even with that dock, Appleton has found strong footing in an everyday lineup role after missing half of the 2022-23 season with a wrist injury that required surgery.

At 29 years old, Appleton seems well glued to a hardy bottom-six role. He has recorded 57 goals, 138 points, a plus-35 and 124 penalty minutes through 400 career games in the NHL. Appleton also adds a notable amount of hits and blocked shots each year. Looking at all seven years of his pro career, Appleton has averaged 28 points, a plus-seven, 31 blocked shots, and 83 hits per 82 games played. He will offer stout depth behind Red Wings newcomer James van Riemsdyk, though may need to compete for a nightly role with Jonatan Berggren or Elmer Soderblom.