The Winnipeg Jets went into tonight knowing they would lose a player to the Seattle Kraken and that player was just revealed to the hockey world.
The Kraken got to pick one unprotected player from each franchise as part of their expansion draft as they begin to build their roster for their inaugural season. Seattle also takes the current terms of that selected player’s contract.
Although some of the results of the draft were leaked earlier in the day, it was still an interesting event to watch as Seattle started to piece together their roster with the help of some celebrity guest pickers.
The Seattle Kraken selected Mason Appleton from the Winnipeg Jets
When Winnipeg revealed their protected list, many people predicted that Seattle would pick Mason Appleton and that came to fruition tonight.
As we stated a couple of days ago, Appleton made complete and total sense to be the Jet to be taken by Seattle tonight. His contract is outstanding and was an absolute no-brainer for Seattle to take considering his low salary cap hit.
Appleton’s contract expires at the end of the 2021-2022 season and has an average annual value of $900,000.
Also, the twenty-five-year-old had a terrific season in 2021 and showed that he can be a consistent performer at the NHL level. This past season, Appleton had 12 goals, 13 assists, and a plus-11 plus/minus in 56 regular season games. He then had three points (one goal, two assists) in eight playoff games.
With picking Appleton, Seattle is getting a good centerman that is still growing to his full potential with a great contract. Appleton showed last season that he can give his team solid minutes and contribute both offensively and defensively.
You can find the full results of tonight’s expansion draft and find out who the Kraken drafted from each franchise by clicking the link here.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: What are your initial reactions to the Winnipeg Jets losing Mason Appleton in the draft? Leave your comments below!
*All Stats Provided by the NHL and All Contract Information Provided by Cap Friendly*