Appleton developing into two-way NHL threat

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This article was published 06/02/2021 (1674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mason Appleton has shed any remnants of the ties that bound him to the American Hockey League.

The Winnipeg Jets forward has made the case 11 games into the 2021 season he’s an NHLer, through and through, and his last five contests on the third line have solidified the argument.

Appleton scored a pair of goals Thursday night — one owing to a strong net-front presence and the other into an empty cage with time winding down — to spark the hosts to a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.

The 25-year-old winger from Green Bay, Wis., now has seven points (one shy of his total through 46 games last season) and boasts a plus-six, while carving out a role as a proficient, two-way performer.

Veteran linemate Mathieu Perreault loves the skillset of the former standout at Michigan State University. Let him count the ways:

“He’s been awesome to play with, to be honest. He forechecks really hard, he’s a really fast player and he talks a lot on the ice,” said Perreault, following Thursday’s triumph. “He makes things easy for his linemates. He’s just a great player and I’ve been enjoying playing with him and (Adam) Lowry the last few games.”

Named the 2018 AHL rookie of the year after a splendid season with Manitoba, Appleton split the next two campaigns between the Moose and the parent NHL squad — and the injury list, sidelined for an extended period of time after suffering a foot injury while tossing a football prior to the 2019 Heritage Classic in Regina.

Under Moose head coach Pascal Vincent, he rounded out his game, becoming a far more complete player, and started gaining the trust of the Winnipeg coaching staff in ‘19-20.

Appleton’s speed and gritty forecheck was missed during the August playoff series with the Flames in the Edmonton bubble after he suffered a shoulder injury. But the 6-foot-2, 192-pound forward had plenty of time to recover and, from the outset of training camp, has been outstanding.

Appleton, drafted in the sixth round (168th overall) in 2015, agreed in October to a new two-year contract, with an average annual value of $900,000, thus avoiding arbitration.

This was the season to firmly establish himself, he said.

“It doesn’t happen overnight. You gain trust in a new staff every day by doing the right things and being consistent and working as hard as you can in both ends of the ice. For me this season, I think I’ve gotten off on the right foot and just continue to grow my game and be one of the hardest workers on the ice and do everything I can to help our team win,” Appleton said.

“You get confidence by playing, and when those opportunities arise you gotta do what you can to capitalize on it. Wherever I am in the lineup, my game doesn’t really change but obviously the opportunity can change within that role. Whether I’m playing second line, third line or fourth line, I just gotta stick with my keys and do what makes me successful because that’s when I’m a good player in this league.”

Unquestionably, the Lowry trio was the driver in a three-game set with the Flames, as Winnipeg (7-3-1) seized five of six points against its North Division rivals.

The Jets had Friday and Saturday off but return to the practise ice Sunday. The clubs meet again Tuesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Appleton’s contribution has not gone unnoticed by a critical set of eyes.

“So, (during Monday’s 4-3 shootout loss), he worked so hard and not one good thing went for him. He couldn’t get a break with the puck. He was just competing and (got) nothing good. Then he got a little bit better (Tuesday in a 3-2 Jets win), so a few things went for him. (Thursday) was almost a payoff from Game 1 because he played so darn hard,” said Maurice.

“He would get to this point at the end of each of his first few seasons, where in the last month-and-a-half, he would have his A-game going. He’d be fast, he’d be determined and he would be on the puck. So, credit to Mason, I thought he was really good in the bubble, but he figured out a way to use this time, so you could tell right from Day 1 of training camp he was really focused on a handful of things in his game.”

Not prone to making mistakes, Appleton coughed up the puck in the opening period at the Flames blue line but slammed on the brakes and raced back to eliminate an odd-man rush, effectively tying up Elias Lindholm in the slot.

Clearly, he’s taking cues from the likes of Lowry, his veteran centre, and Andrew Copp, another former U.S. college player who thinks the game at a high level.

“It’s interesting because I’ve always thought of Andrew Copp and Adam Lowry as a pair,” noted Maurice. “Now, I’m looking at Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton as a pair that really, really plays off each other very, very well.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell