Red Wings Lose Key Depth Piece as Mason Appleton Sidelined with Lower-Body Injury
The Detroit Red Wings will be without winger Mason Appleton for the foreseeable future after he suffered a lower-body injury, head coach Todd McLellan confirmed Tuesday. It’s a tough break for a team that’s already juggling absences among its defensive-minded forwards - and Appleton’s absence removes one of the more quietly effective pieces from Detroit’s bottom six.
Appleton, 29, has posted three goals and six assists through 26 games this season. All three of those goals came early - in the first four games - and he’s now riding a 22-game goal drought. But even with the scoring slump, Appleton has chipped in offensively here and there, staying on track for a season in the 25-to-35-point range - right in line with his career norms.
What Appleton brings to the table, though, goes well beyond the scoresheet.
Detroit brought him in hoping to replicate the shutdown success he had with the Winnipeg Jets, where he formed one of the league’s most dependable checking lines alongside Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry. That trio made life miserable for opposing top lines and played a key role in Winnipeg’s playoff push last spring, with Appleton notching seven assists in 13 postseason games.
In Detroit, the fit has been a bit more complicated. The Red Wings have asked him to bring that same blend of forechecking, defensive poise, and secondary scoring to a forward group that’s still finding its rhythm.
Statistically, Appleton’s even-strength goal differential sits at -2 - not ideal on the surface - but that actually ranks fourth-best among Detroit forwards this season. It’s a reflection of the kind of player he is: not flashy, but effective in the margins.
He pressures puck carriers, breaks up plays, and helps his line stay afloat in tough matchups.
Now, without him in the lineup, Detroit loses one of its more dependable bottom-six options - a guy who can take defensive zone starts, kill penalties, and keep things steady when the game tilts the wrong way. His absence puts more pressure on the rest of the forward group to step up and fill those tough minutes.
The Red Wings have leaned heavily on their depth so far this season, and that depth will be tested again as they navigate another key injury. Until Appleton returns, it’ll be up to the rest of the lineup to tighten the screws defensively and keep things moving in the right direction.