Red Wings Addition of Appleton Puzzling to Say The Least

There’s no other way to frame the move by the Detroit Red Wings to sign UFA Mason Appleton other than to call it a head-scratcher.

That’s not meant to be a knock against Appleton as a player. By all accounts, he’s an ideal teammate and is extremely coachable. He’ll do whatever is asked of him, fill his role with aplomb, no matter how unglamorous it might be. And defensively, he’s a gem.

Offensively, he’s going to be around the 10-12 goal range at best. So, here’s the question we’re asking, or perhaps the thought we’re pondering. Aren’t the Red Wings already suiting up a plethora of guys like that?

Andrew Copp. JT Compher. Michael Rasmussen. To name a few.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have signed forward Mason Appleton to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2,900,000. pic.twitter.com/yQO7G4t24d

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2025

Certainly, Appleton is an upgrade on the likes of Christian Fischer and Tyler Motte, but the Red Wings are paying handsomely for the privilege of that upgrade. He got two years with an AAV of $2.9 million. That’s nearly three times what they were paying to have Fischer and Motte on the roster. It’s a lot of dough for a guy who was still sitting there available on Day 2 of free agency.

Appleton is 29, so what you see is what you get. The sample size with him is not small. On top of everything else, he’s from Green Bay and is a huge Packers fan.

Also, though it says center in his bio, Appleton played all 71 games last season on right wing.

How Can Appleton Help Red Wings?

At season’s end, Appleton was expressing his desire to remain in Winnipeg. The Jets, the NHL’s best regular-season team in 2024-25, evidently weren’t sharing that feeling.

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman does seem to like to collect honest, 200-foot players who can play in his bottom six. But those aren’t guys who are going to be moving the needle.

Appleton was 12th on the Jets in scoring with 22 points. His 0.31 points per game average was third-worst among Winnipeg forwards who were playing at least 50 games. So no, he isn’t going to be making regular contributions to the offense. His plus-seven rating would’ve looked good on Detroit, but it was 18th overall on the Jets.

Jake Oettinger TOOK ONE AWAY from Mason Appleton 😵 pic.twitter.com/SgspQMh8Ap

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 18, 2025

Appleton is 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, so he does bring some size. Will he have an impact in making the Red Wings a heavier team that’s harder to play against? His numbers suggest no.

Appleton’s 4.3 hits per 60 minutes rated 17th on the Jets. His 1.65 blocked shots per 60 was tied for last on the team. Might he be providing a boost to Detroit’s moribund penalty hill? The evidence says no. Appleton saw just 45 seconds per game on the PK for Winnipeg. Six Jets forwards were logging more shorthanded ice time.

So, when you figure out how this move makes sense, let us know, because we’re completely puzzled by this decision. At first glance, this signing has all the earmarks of one that’s going to come back to bite the Red Wings.