Jacob Billington: Mason Appleton signs 3 year contract worth $6.5m, Jets avoid arbitration

Great signing! He’s a staple on that 3rd line RW spot. If they can trade one of their veteran dmen for another forward… Appleton can easily drop to the 4th line RW spot as well.

Great signing! He’s a staple on that 3rd line RW spot. If they can trade one of their veteran dmen for another forward… Appleton can easily drop to the 4th line RW spot as well.
- Kunit

He is a very "mediocre" bottom-six winger, which is really good to have. A lot of discourse on Twitter whether it is a great deal, or a bad deal, I personally think it is perfect. Very tradable, depending on the direction the team takes, good AAV for a 3RW, and he is very sound in his position. Big fan of the signing with some term.

Appleton still may have some upside.....

He is a very "mediocre" bottom-six winger, which is really good to have. A lot of discourse on Twitter whether it is a great deal, or a bad deal, I personally think it is perfect. Very tradable, depending on the direction the team takes, good AAV for a 3RW, and he is very sound in his position. Big fan of the signing with some term.
- Jacob Billington

I agree with you Jacob that Appleton is a mediocre 3rd/4th line player. He isn't physical and is not a threat to score but he's a safe player to have on the ice or killing penalties. The Jets have to change the type of player they have on the bottom 2 lines/ Do they want a scoring 3rd line or a bruising one? Its frustrating to see one skilled player playing with 2 dump and get off the ice ones. Its time to give the young draft and develop kids a fair chance.

I agree with you Jacob that Appleton is a mediocre 3rd/4th line player. He isn't physical and is not a threat to score but he's a safe player to have on the ice or killing penalties. The Jets have to change the type of player they have on the bottom 2 lines/ Do they want a scoring 3rd line or a bruising one? Its frustrating to see one skilled player playing with 2 dump and get off the ice ones. Its time to give the young draft and develop kids a fair chance.
- islansjet

I've read that Bowness uses his 4th line pretty consistently which is something the Jets recent coach's would rarely if ever do, will be interesting to see if he continues to do that here and what effect it has on the lineup overall, minutes, usage, production of lines, etc.

Having mismatched players on lines 3 and 4 has been a major issue for the Jets, killed a lot of offense for the Jets and probably killed a lot of guys chances of establishing themselves.

Gus is back !

Congrats to Dauphin product Myles Fee on becoming an assistant coach with Florida. Myles played his junior in Dauphin, went to university on an academic scholarship, spent some tiime on staff with the Rangers, Oilers, World Hockey Championships with Maurice, coached in Charlette (championship team) and most recently was video coach for the Sabres. Great hockey mind and an even better person.

I know Jacob and other though McGroaty was a good pick at 14th while I favoured Lekkerimaki and Kemell in my posts. Its still early but its not at all a good sign that Rutger didn't even make the cut for the USA team at WJC. Its highly likely that his skating is just not up to snuff. Lets hope he is as driven as they say or it might be a bust of a pick vs the those locks that went just after the Jets drafted......dohhhhh

I know Jacob and other though McGroaty was a good pick at 14th while I favoured Lekkerimaki and Kemell in my posts. Its still early but its not at all a good sign that Rutger didn't even make the cut for the USA team at WJC. Its highly likely that his skating is just not up to snuff. Lets hope he is as driven as they say or it might be a bust of a pick vs the those locks that went just after the Jets drafted......dohhhhh
- jetsnation

Cutter Gauthier (2022 5th overall) also didn't make it. It happens. I don't hold this against him, or anyone else who didn't make it

How many on here would not care if the Jetsa lost every game this season but got Connor Bedard in the draft next year ....( or maybe Michkov ) ?

Getting to see Bedard's insane talents in a Jets uniform for the next 6-8 year IMHO would be worth it !

Blackhawks are in full tank mode to get Bedard . Kane will be gone before training camp even hits. Jets have $6.3 MM in cap space. Could a Kane for Wheeler + prospect trade be in the cards ?

I know Jacob and other though McGroaty was a good pick at 14th while I favoured Lekkerimaki and Kemell in my posts. Its still early but its not at all a good sign that Rutger didn't even make the cut for the USA team at WJC. Its highly likely that his skating is just not up to snuff. Lets hope he is as driven as they say or it might be a bust of a pick vs the those locks that went just after the Jets drafted......dohhhhh
- jetsnation

Can't say I follow the kids headed to the draft overly much but I'd agree that Kemell and Lekkerimaki would probably of been better picks than McGroarty, will be interesting to see how they all work out in a few years.

If I remember correctly Kemell was being touted as a pretty early pick but his stock fell, reminds me of Raty in the 2021 draft who was ranked as a top pick but his stock fell and he slid to the middle of the 2nd round before the Isles grabbed him with the 52nd pick, the Jets took Chibrikov at 50th at that draft, hopefully thats not one we're regretting in a couple years.

McGroarty seems like a pick they felt they needed to make getting grit, physical, character over skill, hopefully he ends up being the right choice.

How many on here would not care if the Jetsa lost every game this season but got Connor Bedard in the draft next year ....( or maybe Michkov ) ?

Getting to see Bedard's insane talents in a Jets uniform for the next 6-8 year IMHO would be worth it !

Blackhawks are in full tank mode to get Bedard . Kane will be gone before training camp even hits. Jets have $6.3 MM in cap space. Could a Kane for Wheeler + prospect trade be in the cards ?
- jetsnation

Jets likely aren't bad enough to be in the Bedard sweepstakes, had they traded Scheifele, Dubois, Helle and a dman or two this offseason then they would be but they didn't. The Jets are a team that unless they get decimated by injuries are drafting somewhere from 10th to 24th.

Chicago wouldn't want Wheeler and Kane waiving for Winnipeg is highly unlikely, getting a 50% retained Toews wouldn't be bad though, get another team to retain to bring his salary down to $2.625M, he's still a half point player and would be a great 3C to have for the playoffs if they make it.

Now for a Toews acquisition to be worthwhile they'd need to drop Lowry to 4C where he always should've been but imagine center depth of Scheifele, Dubois, Toews, Lowry, that's pretty damn solid. Now what would Chicago want for Toews Idk, would a 2nd and some B/C prospect be enough. Not sure what a team would want for $2.625M worth of retention though, at the TDL teams can get that retention for like a 4th or 5th round pick but before the season starts and especially this off-season it'd probably be pricier than that.

Having Toews at 3C and spreading the talent throughout the top 3 lines would make for a strong forward group where every line was a threat to score and not just waste time or hope to break even.

Not surprising, but interesting nevertheless...

Maurice hired Kompon as an assistant.....but not Huddy.

Not surprising, but interesting nevertheless...

Maurice hired Kompon as an assistant.....but not Huddy.
- bennythehat

And Lowry took an assistant coach job in Seattle.

With Pax hurt for the year in Carolina and Vegas now needing a goalie,

Jets should trade one of Shief or PLD to Carolina for a 1rst, top prospect and solid young roster player and ask for even more out of Vegas for Helle.

Tank for Bedard now. But at least have three first round picks in what is supposed to be a strong first round!!!

With Pax hurt for the year in Carolina and Vegas now needing a goalie,

Jets should trade one of Shief or PLD to Carolina for a 1rst, top prospect and solid young roster player and ask for even more out of Vegas for Helle.

Tank for Bedard now. But at least have three first round picks in what is supposed to be a strong first round!!!
- Ross77

Agree, but at the same time knowing its a pipe dream.

With Pax hurt for the year in Carolina and Vegas now needing a goalie,

Jets should trade one of Shief or PLD to Carolina for a 1rst, top prospect and solid young roster player and ask for even more out of Vegas for Helle.

Tank for Bedard now. But at least have three first round picks in what is supposed to be a strong first round!!!
- Ross77

Wow, would that be amazing! One can dream.

I don’t think that trading Scheifele or PLD for raffle tickets is a good idea. I think this team is a piece or 2 away from actually winning the cup. The biggest problem on this team is that Lowry is guaranteed the third line center spot even when he has been the 5th best center on the team.

Do not understand why my fellow Jets fans do not see that as being as the problem.

I don’t think that trading Scheifele or PLD for raffle tickets is a good idea. I think this team is a piece or 2 away from actually winning the cup. The biggest problem on this team is that Lowry is guaranteed the third line center spot even when he has been the 5th best center on the team.

Do not understand why my fellow Jets fans do not see that as being as the problem.
- TheUltimateJet

Not exactly our biggest problem......
Wheeler's captaincy ?
Schiefele's effort ?
Helly's puckhandling ?
Lack of a true Power play QB ?

I don’t think that trading Scheifele or PLD for raffle tickets is a good idea. I think this team is a piece or 2 away from actually winning the cup. The biggest problem on this team is that Lowry is guaranteed the third line center spot even when he has been the 5th best center on the team.

Do not understand why my fellow Jets fans do not see that as being as the problem.
- TheUltimateJet

I really do miss the line of Copp-Lowry- Tanev who would go for streaks of 15-18 games without giving up a goal and had a bit of offence to boot. Those were the days where the Jets were winning consistently and threatening for the cup.

I think Chevy feels that Appleton could be the type of guy to replace Tanev on that line but I don't think he has the tenacity or the speed to be first in and hard on the puck like Tanev could. Replacing Copp on that third line is a completely different story. Harkins is no Copp. Doubt Barron is either With the $6.2 MM in extra cap space that Chevy currently has, his best move might be to grab the two wingers he needs on that third line and let Appleton, Harkins, or Barron to the fourth line. Then I think this team would be pretty solid.

I really do miss the line of Copp-Lowry- Tanev who would go for streaks of 15-18 games without giving up a goal and had a bit of offence to boot. Those were the days where the Jets were winning consistently and threatening for the cup.

I think Chevy feels that Appleton could be the type of guy to replace Tanev on that line but I don't think he has the tenacity or the speed to be first in and hard on the puck like Tanev could. Replacing Copp on that third line is a completely different story. Harkins is no Copp. Doubt Barron is either With the $6.2 MM in extra cap space that Chevy currently has, his best move might be to grab the two wingers he needs on that third line and let Appleton, Harkins, or Barron to the fourth line. Then I think this team would be pretty solid.
- jetsnation

That line was terrible, they'd go 15-18 games without barely getting a point between the three of them, easily the most overrated thing of the Jets 2.0 has been the Lowry line.

Copp got better when he got away from Lowry, Tanev produced more once away from Lowry, aside from this past season when Montreal was terrible Armia was more productive once away from Lowry, Roslovic got better away from Lowry, Appleton and Sanford were very unproductive once they got to Winnipeg and put with Lowry. In Copps last game as a Jet he centered the 3rd line with Svechnikov and Harkins when Lowry was out in Covid protocol or something and all three guys got points together and Harkins got two goals, there's soooo much evidence that points to Lowry dragging down his linemates and being a big reason why the Jets bottom six is useless yet tons of Jets fans desire for the 'good ol days of Copp and Lowry', I don't get it.

The Jets only threatened for the cup for ONE year and Lowry only played about half the games that season, thats probably not a coincidence.

Can only pray Appleton and whoever else is on that line can get Lowry going over a full season, they've got their work cut out for themselves.