How 'Bout Dem Apples?

There's a running joke in Winnipeg that if you were a grinder or bottom-six player in Winnipeg and decide to move to a new team, the Jets will always make sure you have a place to play. Mason Appleton was one of the guys that general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff brought back a couple of years after the winger was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the Seattle expansion draft, and it seemed he would be a complementary piece on the third- or fourth-line thanks to his willingness to go to the dirty areas on the ice. Somewhere along the way, though, Appleton stopped going to the front of the net, stopped battling for pucks in the corners, and stopped fighting through checks with the tenacity he once showed. Today, the winger signed with the Detroit Red Wings as his second stint with the Jets came to a close.

Some may be thinking, "Teebz is gonna unload here," but it's not that Mason Appleton wasn't a good fit in Winnipeg. The 2015 sixth-round pick by the Jets hit double-digits in goals three times including the past two seasons, and it seemed like he could be building on his 2023-24 campaign when he notched 14 goals and 36 points alongside Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter. Could Appleton break out on the right side of the third line and be another go-to-the-net forward?

Somewhere along the way, this season seemed to be a step back as Appleton always seemed to be a step behind the offensive play and content to shoot from the perimeter rather than finding ways to cut the distance between him and the net. Watching him in the playoffs be non-present in the offensive zone made it hard to justify his name on the gameday roster, but I suppose there was hope that he could shake off whatever was holding him back. Except he didn't.

As Appleton headed towards free agency, there were fans who made it clear they wanted a change in that third-line right wing spot. Today, that wish was granted as Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman got Mason Appleton's signature on a two-year deal worth $2.9 million annually. That open roster spot can possibly be filled by another free agent that Cheveldayoff is considering or by one of the Moose players such as Nikita Chibrikov who has shown he likely deserves a better-than-good shot at making the Jets' roster.

To say that some in Detroit were baffled by Yzerman's free agent signing would be an understatement. DetroitHockeyNow.com's Bob Duff seemed very puzzled by the move, calling it "a head-scratcher" and wondering why he was being signed to a deal that was "nearly three times what they were paying to have Fischer and Motte". Detroit Free Press writer Helene St. James called the deal "a hefty price for a forward who topped out at 14 goals" while Winging It In Motown's Kyle WIIM wasn't sure "if Appleton will make Detroit a tougher team to play against," but he was intrigued.

It's hard to imagine that Appleton will be the kind of player who hits double-digits in goals in Detroit under Todd McLellan who has never once been shy about sitting underperforming players no matter what they were being paid. Unless Appleton comes in and shows the drive and resolve to get to the net where he can be effective, he may find himself watching from the bench or the pressbox in Detroit more than he likes. This isn't about playing with the right linemates or finding his role with Detroit, but it's simply a matter of where Appleton does his best work. That's not on the perimeter of the ice.

I'm not saying that Appleton cannot or will not be an effective defensive player or penalty-killer for the Detroit Red Wings. He could prove his worth by being a shutdown guy who goes all-out on the penalty kill for his two seasons in Detroit, but it's hard to justify nearly $3 million per season for a guy who may not hit ten goals or 30 points in either season. And if that's the market value for an average-skating forward who averaged ten goals per season over the last five seasons playing on one of the best third-lines ever assembled in hockey, I seem to have missed out on my higher calling.

How 'bout dem apples?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!