The Winnipeg Jets and F Mason Appleton have agreed on a three-year deal. The first three-year deal is worth $2M and the next two seasons are worth $2.25M. By agreeing to this contract, Appleton and the Winnipeg Jets avoid arbitration.
Appleton had an interesting year. He was taken by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft and scored 17 points in 49 games for the Kraken. He was then traded back to the Jets in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. To finish off the season, he scored four points in 19 games.
Appleton is mainly used in a checking role in the bottom-six and used on the penalty kill. For first-year head coach, Rick Bowness fans should expect Appleton’s role to stay the same in this upcoming 2022-23 season.
Last season the Jets penalty kill was ranked 29th in the league at 75.0%. To put it in perspective of how bad that was, the Montreal Canadiens had a better penalty kill. It was tied with the Coyotes. That is simply not acceptable. If Kevin Cheveldayoff is looking to improve that area, this is certainly one of many areas he should improve on.
Currently, the center depth for the Jets includes Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mason Appleton, and Dominic Toninato. It’s not the best, but it’s also not the worst. If we look at the roster, the depth falls off past Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Suppose the Jets want to make a serious playoff push. In that case, you should expect them to be in on some of the big free agent players that headline the 2023 free agent class like Jonathan Toews, John Klingberg, or even J.T. Miller, especially when you consider that Connor Hellebuyck has only two years left on his contract.
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