The Detroit Red Wings surged through the month of December, going 11-3-1 to catapult themselves to the top of the Eastern Conference. The household names of Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider all put together a great month to build on what is becoming very strong seasons for the trio, but not to be lost in it all was the return of Mason Appleton from injury.
Appleton was brought to Detroit during the offseason on Jul. 2, to a two-year $5.8 million contract after playing the majority of his previous seven years in Winnipeg. Prior to this season, Appleton had skated in 400 career games, with 351 of them coming in a Jets uniform.
Appleton was selected by Seattle in the expansion draft in 2021, but was traded that March back to the Jets, where he had been ever since. In over 432 career games played, Appleton posted 148 points.
Through 32 games played this season, Appleton has produced five goals and six assists, giving the Red Wings strong, consistent play to round out the bottom-six forward group. Appleton suffered a lower-body injury on Nov. 29, in Boston that caused him to miss 10 games before returning to the lineup Dec. 21, against Washington. Since returning from injury, the Red Wings are 4-1-1, and Appleton has recorded two points.
Of the five goals that Appleton has scored this season, two have been game-winners, and one was to tie the game in the third period, coming through in big moments for the Red Wings. Most recently was the game winner on New Year's Eve against the 29-year-old's former team, the Jets, which was a moment that felt great for the Green Bay, Wisconsin native.
“It feels good, it was obviously a funny goal on how it went in, but yeah, it feels good to score against your old team,” Appleton said.
Mason Appleton gives the Detroit Red Wings value in many ways
Back in the Red Wings’ third game of the regular season, Raymond suffered an injury that forced him to leave the game and miss the next two contests. Appleton was tasked with slotting in alongside Larkin and Emmitt Finnie on the Red Wings’ top line.
In the three games, Appleton scored a game-winning goal with 45 seconds left against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct.13, then added two goals against the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion, Florida Panthers.
The impact that Appleton has had on and off the ice since becoming a Red Wing in July has not been lost on head coach Todd McLellan. A veteran of 32 career playoff games, where the forward has totalled 12 points, Appleton is doing his part to try and break the nine-year playoff drought the Red Wings currently mired in.
“Appleton is an important part of our hockey club, and we missed him when he wasn’t in the lineup,” McLellan said. “You can tell that he’s been around winning teams, because he has winning habits.”