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Red Wings Forward Issues Unexpected Statement After Signing With The Organization In Free Agency
Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Image
Steve Yzerman, GM of the Detroit Red Wings, has managed to bring another Michigan State product to his roster, as former Spartan Mason Appleton is excited to bring his talents to Detroit.
Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings signed forward Mason Appleton, a former Michigan State Spartan, to a two-year deal.
The deal pays him $2.9 million AAV over the next two years after becoming a free agent, exiting the Winnipeg Jets organization.
Mason Appleton is no stranger to Michigan, and played college hockey with the Spartans from 2015-2017, so this is a sort of homecoming for him.
Needless to say, he was excited about the prospect of signing with the original-six club after a short stint in Seattle, and a long-term stay in Winnipeg as a depth forward.
«I thought Detroit was a great fit for me on the ice. And then off the ice, it made a lot of sense too with my wife and I being from Wisconsin, it's a lot closer than some other teams. It just seemed like the right fit. Free Agency kicks off, it's a stressful time, and things happen that you wouldn't expect but at the end of the day we were very happy to end up in Detroit. It's a team that I believe is right there to make the playoffs and just needs to keep pushing. Hopefully, I can be a piece that kind of gets us over that hump.»
In 71 regular-season games with the Winnipeg Jets, the depth forward scored 22 points (10-12) and would add 7 points (7 assists) in 13 Stanley Cup playoff games this year.
Appleton is a proven depth commodity in the NHL and has played 400 games in the NHL, scoring a total of 138 points (57-81), and 124 PIMs.
His career playoff totals are 32 games played with 12 points scored (1-11), and he was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets 168th overall in the 6th round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Now, he joins an original-six club with ambitions of reaching the promised land, but should focus on finding a spot in the playoffs first.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 9 | 127 ANSWERS Red Wings Forward Issues Unexpected Statement After Signing With The Organization In Free Agency Do you think signing forward Mason Appleton to a two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings was the best use of cap space by GM Steve Yzerman? | ||
| Yes | 71 | 55.9 % |
| No | 56 | 44.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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