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Mason Appleton

Jets Activate Mason Appleton, Place Dylan DeMelo On IR

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The Jets will welcome back one of their injured forwards tonight as they announced (Twitter link) that winger Mason Appleton will return to the lineup tonight against Chicago.  To make room for him on the active roster, defenseman Dylan DeMelo has been placed on injured reserve.

The 27-year-old had gotten off to a nice start to his season, picking up a goal and five assists in 14 games before suffering a wrist injury back in mid-November.  Appleton had been logging 16:34 per contest which was considerably above his career average of 13:00.  With his return, this will be pretty much as close to Winnipeg having their full complement of forwards with fourth liner David Gustafsson being the only one left on IR.

That is of particular importance to Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.  Not only does Appleton’s return give him a chance to assess what his full forward group looks like to help determine their needs heading into the trade deadline, it also has allowed them to get back to banking cap space.  At one point not that long ago, they were nearly in a spot where they had to dip into LTIR.  Now, per CapFriendly, their current roster sits about $2MM below the cap with Winnipeg projecting to have more than $9MM in cap room before next month’s trade deadline.  Not many buyers will have that type of financial flexibility to work with.

Meanwhile, although the Jets moved DeMelo to IR, he’s making progress in returning to the lineup, per Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun.  The veteran has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury but is skating on his own.  He won’t obviously play tonight but hasn’t been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest against Seattle.  Once DeMelo is cleared to return, Winnipeg will have to open up another roster spot and their only three waiver-exempt players are forwards Cole Perfetti and Morgan Barron along with blueliner Dylan Samberg.

Injury Notes: Matthews, Thompson, Jets

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It’s been over two weeks since Auston Matthews last suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, missing the last three games before the All-Star break with a knee sprain. Matthews told reporters today that he doesn’t know when he’ll be back in the lineup but will “take it day to day” as he rejoins his team for practice.

He may not be on his earth-shattering 60-plus goal pace from last season, but he’s still an elite number-one center on one of the best teams in the NHL. With 25 goals, 28 assists, and 53 points in 47 games, Matthews is on pace to have more assists than goals for the first time in his career, which he mentioned as a personal goal some seasons back. Matthews revealed the injury was sustained in warmups before a January 25 game against the New York Rangers, which he played. He said the injury “got worse throughout the game,” calling it “kind of fluky.”

  • There’s good news for Buffalo Sabres fans, who will need everything to go right for the rest of the season to maintain their position in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Head coach Don Granato said center Tage Thompson was “pretty much back to normal” today at practice, signaling a potential end to a brief injury absence that caused him to miss the 2023 All-Star Game last weekend. He could be ready to go on Saturday when Buffalo returns to play against the Calgary Flames. Thompson is just four goals shy of tying last season’s goal total of 38, which he set in 78 games.
  • Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness issued a variety of injury updates to reporters today, but most notably said that forward Mason Appleton is on track to play Saturday. The 27-year-old played 14 games this season before sustaining a wrist injury that has cost him much of the 2022-23 campaign. Appleton was off to a strong start with six points and elevated ice time before going down with the injury. Bowness also mentioned that forward David Gustafsson and defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who are both day-to-day, aren’t ready to rejoin full practice.

West Notes: Kraken, Appleton, Shore

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While it seems odd that Seattle won’t have a representative at the upcoming All-Star Game with Matty Beniers being replaced by Vegas center Chandler Stephenson, it appears the league did try to get a replacement representative from the Kraken.  GM Ron Francis told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times that another Seattle player was asked but declined in order to use the break to recuperate while most of the players had already left with their last game before the break coming on Saturday.  They will be the lone team at the event without a representative.

More from the Western Conference:

  • While the Jets didn’t have Mason Appleton back in the lineup tonight for their final game before the All-Star break, TSN’s John Lu relays (Twitter link) that the winger is expected to play in their first game back on February 11th. The 27-year-old has been out since mid-November with a wrist injury and has been limited to just 14 games this season where he has a goal and five assists.  Appleton’s eventual return will certainly bolster Winnipeg’s bottom six and will also open up some extra cap space heading to the deadline as they will have to move someone off the roster before they can activate him from IR.
  • Late Sunday, the Oilers announced (Twitter link) that they recalled forward Devin Shore from his conditioning stint with AHL Bakersfield. The 28-year-old last played with Edmonton nearly a month ago and has just three assists in 29 games so far this season.  After a slow start with the Condors, Shore picked up five points in his final three games with them so it will be interesting to see if the Oilers find a way to get him into the lineup.  The team also confirmed the release of emergency goaltender Matt Berlin.  Berlin briefly played late in Saturday’s victory over Chicago.

Winnipeg Jets Recall Ville Heinola

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Earlier this month, the agent for Ville Heinola told The Hockey News that his client deserved “a shot to play a run of games to show he can do it” at the NHL level. The young defenseman has been bounced up and down between leagues for his whole career so far, failing to get much consistency from the Winnipeg Jets organization. Perhaps now the squeaky wheel will get some grease. Heinola has been recalled to the Jets roster after they moved Mason Appleton to injured reserve.

Of course, given that Appleton is a forward, this could just be more time in the press box for Heinola. The Jets have allowed the fewest goals in the league so far this season and already had seven defensemen on the roster. If he does get in, there’s certainly no guarantee he stays there, though his play in the minor leagues once again suggests he’s ready for a bigger role in the organization.

Since almost the moment he was drafted 20th overall in 2019, Heinola has been on the fringe of the NHL. He made the team out of camp just a few months after being picked, and recorded five points in eight games with the Jets as a rookie. He played another five games the year following, and 12 last season. Interspersed with those short NHL stints have been stretches in the AHL, where he has 45 points in 74 games, but that is sort of where the problem lies. Now in his fourth season in the organization, he has played just 99 regular season games in North America (plus 19 in Finland while leagues here were shut down).

It’s hard to know exactly what Heinola is at this point with such little playing time, though one thing you can be sure of is that he’s not a big, physical presence. As the league moves more and more toward length and reach on defense, some players like Heinola are left on the outside. None of the other seven Jets defensemen are under 6’0″, and the smallest one, Neal Pionk, might be the most physical.

There is definitely NHL upside in the 5’11” Heinola, but it remains to be seen whether the Jets will give him that “shot” he is looking for. At least he’ll be making the NHL portion of his contract for the duration of this latest recall.

Mason Appleton Expected To Miss 8-12 Weeks

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12:05 pm: Head coach Rick Bowness has confirmed wrist surgery for Appleton, and said he is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks.

10:40 am: Winnipeg Jets forward Mason Appleton was forced out of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Kraken early, and it sounds like he’s going to miss quite a while. Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun reports that Appleton will miss at least eight weeks with an upper-body injury that requires surgery.

Appleton, 26, has six points in 14 games and has actually seen time on the team’s first line this season, averaging more than 16 minutes a night. After losing him to Seattle for the first part of last season through the expansion draft, Winnipeg sent a fourth-round pick to get him back at the trade deadline. A versatile forward that can move up and down the lineup, he has ten points in 33 games since returning.

Now, with Appleton out for two months, the Jets would normally be in a bit of a pickle. Luckily, they had Nikolaj Ehlers back on the ice today, albeit in a solo session while donning a non-contact jersey. Ehlers’ return date is still unclear but when he does come back, he’ll be able to slot directly into the top six to give the team a bit more scoring punch.

The Jets still won that game against the Kraken, and now sit second in the Central Division with the best winning percentage in the group. Having only allowed 33 goals through 14 games, even a slight uptick in scoring would have them playing at an incredibly high level.

Winnipeg Jets Activate Mason Appleton

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As expected, the Winnipeg Jets have activated Mason Appleton in time for tonight’s season-opener. Dominic Toninato cleared waivers earlier today, and will likely be sent down once Axel Jonsson-Fjallby is activated from the non-roster list.

Appleton, 26, has had an interesting few years. After experiencing something of a breakout campaign in 2020-21, scoring 12 goals and 25 points in 56 games, he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. Eight months later, the Jets were able to get him back, sending a fourth-round pick to the Kraken after he played 49 games in Seattle.

Now, he figures to start on the third line with Morgan Barron and Adam Lowry, a big group that should be effective for the Jets. With just 21 points last season, there’s plenty of room for growth this time around as long as Appleton can stay healthy.

The Jets kick things off against the New York Rangers, a team that is already 2-0 on the year.

Dominic Toninato Clears Waivers

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Oct 14: Toninato has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Oct 13: The Winnipeg Jets are sending another player to the minor leagues ahead of opening night, placing Dominic Toninato on waivers for the purpose of reassignment. Toninato appeared to have won a job on the roster for the start of the year but that has apparently changed over the last few days.

The reason might be a combination of two things. Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet tweets that Mason Appleton could be activated ahead of tomorrow night’s game, while team reporter Mitchell Clinton adds that Axel Jonsson-Fjallby will be practicing with the group today. Jonsson-Fjallby was claimed off waivers from the Washington Capitals on Monday and was designated as a non-roster player this week.

With those two joining the group, there needed to be someone sent down, and Toninato is the odd man out. The 28-year-old forward played in 77 games for the Jets last season, scoring seven goals and 14 points. That was by far the most games of his career, having reached a previous high of 46 in 20219-20 with the Florida Panthers.

The bottom-six forward doesn’t offer much scoring upside, and will likely have no issue clearing waivers. Of course, that would have been even more likely before the games started and teams began suffering injuries. If cleared, he will be stashed in the minor leagues with the Manitoba Moose but could be the Jets first call-up, depending on how the season goes.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Mason Appleton, Avoid Arbitration

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Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets have avoided an arbitration hearing with forward Mason Appleton. He’s signed a three-year deal with the Jets worth a cap hit of $2.167MM. He’ll be paid $2MM in 2022-23 and receive $2.25MM in the following two seasons.

The Jets already lost Appleton once, and they don’t seem intent on having it happen again. Left unprotected in the last offseason’s expansion draft, Appleton was an inaugural member of the Seattle Kraken before Winnipeg re-acquired him at the Trade Deadline. Across 68 games with Seattle and Winnipeg in 2021-22, Appleton scored eight goals, 13 assists (tying a career-high), and 21 points.

Appleton’s point production may not jump off the page, but he’s posted decent defensive analytics throughout his 206-game NHL career. 26 years old now, Appleton has produced a nice NHL career for a sixth-round pick. The native of Green Bay, Wisconsin will try to continue to prove his worth as a valuable bottom-six forward over the next three seasons in Manitoba.

For Winnipeg, their only remaining restricted free agent is 22-year-old David Gustafsson, who appeared in just two games for them last season.

2022 Arbitration Tracker

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The dates for the upcoming arbitration hearings have been set, with the first one scheduled for July 27. Hearings will continue through August 11 this year, with that being the busiest day of the schedule. It is important to note that the CBA agreement in 2020 changed the rules for arbitration so that once a hearing begins, teams are no longer allowed to negotiate with the player in question.

The full schedule is:

July 27
Isac Lundestrom (Anaheim Ducks) – Settled: 2 years, $1.8MM AAV

July 29
Jesse Puljujarvi (Edmonton Oilers) – Settled: 1 year, $3.0MM

July 30
Kasperi Kapanen (Pittsburgh Penguins) – Settled: 2 years, $3.2MM AAV
Matthew Phillips (Calgary Flames) – Settled: 1 year, $750K AAV (two-way contract)

August 1
Mathieu Joseph (Ottawa Senators) – Settled: 3 years, $2.95MM AAV
Steven Lorentz (San Jose Sharks) – Settled: 2 years, $1.05MM AAV

August 2
Yakov Trenin (Nashville Predators) – Awarded: 2 years, $1.7MM AAV

August 3
Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils) – Settled: 1 year, $5.45MM AAV

August 5
Andrew Mangiapane (Calgary Flames) – Settled: 3 years, $5.8MM AAV

August 6
Miles Wood (New Jersey Devils) – Settled: 1 year, $3.2MM AAV

August 7
Kailer Yamamoto (Edmonton Oilers) – Settled: 2 years, $3.1MM AAV

August 8
Ethan Bear (Carolina Hurricanes) – Settled: 1 year, $2.2MM
Lawson Crouse (Arizona Coyotes) – Settled: 5 years, $4.3MM AAV
Zack MacEwen (Philadelphia Flyers) – Settled: 1 year, $925K

August 9
Maxime Lajoie (Carolina Hurricanes) – Settled: 1 year, $750K (two-way contract)

August 10
Keegan Kolesar (Vegas Golden Knights) – Settled: 3 years, $1.4MM AAV
Oliver Kylington (Calgary Flames) – Settled: 2 years, $2.5MM AAV

August 11
Mason Appleton (Winnipeg Jets) – Settled: 3 years, $2.167MM AAV
Morgan Geekie (Seattle Kraken) – Settled: 1 year, $1.4MM AAV
Tyce Thompson (New Jersey Devils) – Settled: 2 years, $762.5K AAV (partial two-way)
Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) – Settled: 8 years, $9.5MM AAV
Jake Walman (Detroit Red Wings) – Settled: 1 year, $1.05MM
Pavel Zacha (Boston Bruins) – Settled: 1 year, $3.5MM

24 Players Elect Salary Arbitration

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The National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) announced that 24 players have filed for player-elected salary arbitration, the deadline for which came this afternoon. This list is not necessarily the final and complete list of players headed for arbitration, with clubs now eligible to elect salary arbitration until tomorrow, July 18th at 5:00 pm ET.

Mason Appleton (WPG)

Ethan Bear (CAR)

Jesper Bratt (NJD)

Lawson Crouse (ARI)

Morgan Geekie (SEA)

Mathieu Joseph (OTT)

Kaapo Kahkonen (SJS)

Kasperi Kapanen (PIT)

Keegan Kolesar (VGK)

Oliver Kylington (CGY)

Maxime Lajoie (CAR)

Steven Lorentz (SJS)

Isac Lundestrom (ANA)

Zack MacEwen (PHI)

Niko Mikkola (STL)

Andrew Mangiapane (CGY)

Matthew Phillips (CGY)

Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM)

Tyce Thompson (NJD)

Yakov Trenin (NSH)

Vitek Vanecek (NJD)

Jake Walman (DET)

Kailer Yamamoto (EDM)

Pavel Zacha (BOS)

Notably out of this list, Mikkola had previously filed for arbitration, but the two sides were able to settle on a one-year, $1.9MM contract that will leave the defenseman an UFA after next season.

A key distinction to add is that any player who has filed for arbitration is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet, effectively taking the players on this list off the market. Three notable names that did not file for arbitration are Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine. Though contract talks have been quiet on Dubois and Tkachuck, word of amicable discussions between Laine’s camp and Columbus has been made known. Once tomorrow’s club-elected salary arbitration deadline passes, teams and players will have time to prepare their cases before hearings begin, running from July 27th through August 11th.

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