DETROIT — The Pink Wings are including some measurement to their backside six, signing winger Mason Appleton to a two-year cope with a $2.9 million common annual worth, league sources instructed The Athletic’s Chris Johnston on Wednesday.
Appleton had 10 objectives and 22 factors final season for the Jets however is just one yr faraway from a 14-goal, 36-point marketing campaign in 2023-24.
Detroit had been trying so as to add measurement and hardness to its lineup, and Appleton will assist with that as a 6-foot-2 winger with good territorial impacts.
How Appleton matches Detroit
Appleton profiles as a real third-liner and will slot in alongside fellow former Jet Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, or each in that position for Detroit. The Pink Wings have wanted a tougher aspect of their lineup, and Appleton seems to be like that model of position participant who can nonetheless chip in some secondary offense.
What’s attention-grabbing is that the transfer comes a day after the Pink Wings added James van Riemsdyk, who additionally would have been a logical third-line match. It’s doable each van Riemsdyk and Appleton might flank Copp or Compher on that line, with the opposite both enjoying up the lineup or centering the fourth line. It’s additionally doable the veteran van Riemsdyk might get a glance excessive within the lineup after a 16-goal marketing campaign final season. Neither of these choices would classify because the type of splashy top-line addition followers in Detroit have been hoping for, although.
It additionally stays to be seen if the Pink Wings are completed making strikes, as Detroit nonetheless has greater than $11 million in cap house. However in signing the 29-year-old Appleton to a reasonably cheap short-term deal, the Pink Wings have added to their depth and given themselves a veteran position participant. — Max Bultman, Pink Wings beat reporter
(Photograph: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Pictures)
