According to Bob McKenzie, unrestricted free agent and veteran goaltender Steve Mason will sign with the Winnipeg Jets today. The contract is for two-years with a $4.1 million cap hit. Mason most recently played for the Philadelphia Flyers.
G Steve Mason to WPG.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2017
Steve Mason Signs With Winnipeg Jets
Steve Mason has not had the best season last year. He has played in 58 games, going 26-21-8 with a goals average against of 2.66, a save percentage of just .908 and three shutouts. The Flyers missed the playoffs, finishing in 19th place in the entire National Hockey League and 6th place in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers are looking to get back in the Stanley Cup Playoff and have opted to go another direction with their goaltending, leaving Mason free to pursue other options.
Mason has spent nine seasons in the NHL, having played for the Columbus Blue Jackets (Drafted 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft) and the Flyers. During the 2012-13 season, Mason was sent to Philly from Columbus in a deal involving goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
Mason has had a decent career thus far, playing in a total of 463 games, going 200-177-63 with a save percentage of .911, a GAA of 2.68 and 33 career shutouts. Mason won the Calder Trophy with Columbus in 2009. He is now a member of the Jets and will be looking to reinvigorate his career and get things going again, trying to prove he is still an elite goaltender.
Mason will form a duo with young goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in the Jets crease. Goaltending has been the Jets Achilles heel for several years, but the team hopes that this tandem can bring them back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Main Photo: PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 21: Goalie Steve Mason #35 of the Philadelphia Flyers looks on against the St. Louis Blues in the first period at Wells Fargo Center on December 21, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
