A versatile depth forward has a new contract. Today Mason Appleton signs a shiny new deal with the Detroit Red Wings. This is a great business-as-usual type move, and provides the message that this team will make the moves to get things done.
The contract is for two seasons with a total value of $5.8 million. This works out to an average salary cap hit of $2.9 million and will run through the end of the 2026-27 season.
The #LGRW signed 29 y/o UFA F Mason Appleton to 2 year $2.9M Cap Hit Deal
Year 1 $3M
Year 2 $2.8MRep'd by Ritch Winter Raze
10G 22P in 71 GPhttps://t.co/sVPxiiUuhK
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 2, 2025
Forward Mason Appleton Signs a New Deal with the Detroit Red Wings
Appleton is 29 years old and this is a big contract rewarding his play. The Green Bay, Wisconsin product was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Appleton has only known two franchises throughout his NHL career to this point. He had left Winnipeg in 2021-22 for a brief 49-game stint with the Seattle Kraken. That was only to return to Winnipeg the same season. Furthermore, he’s an NHLer with 400 games of regular season experience. That includes appearance in five different postseasons. Last year, he notched ten goals and 12 assists in just under 15 minutes of ice time. Moreover, he carried with him a CF% Rel of -2.1. That’s not a totally unexpected metric for someone who occasionally kills penalties. But also, he is used in a primarily defensive role.
What It Means
Detroit continues to try and add forward depth throughout the lineup. Appleton could slot into the middle-six for a Red Wings that really wants to take the next step. The veteran forward is solid on the defensive end, which could help out this Detroit squad.
This deal for him personally, is great to see him through the next stage of his career. He can play up and down in the lineup, but we’ll see how he can do in Hockeytown. Detroit has been trying to get over the hump, but the pressure is on.
Main photo by: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images
