While Detroit Red Wings top-line forward Lucas Raymond heals, Mason Appleton has the opportunity to thrive.
Appleton, who used his first goal for the Wings to secure two points, was promoted to play in Raymond’s spot while the latter heals from an upper-body injury. Raymond tested his injury during the morning skate on Wednesday, Oct. 15, an encouraging sign that he should be back soon.
In the meantime, the Wings need someone to play with Dylan Larkin and Emmitt Finnie, and looked to Appleton, a former Michigan State hockey star.
“He’s got some experience, he can play both ends of the rink, which is important,” coach Todd McLellan said. “That line takes on not only offensive responsibilities, but some defensive ones against the other team’s top players. We think he can give us something on both sides of the puck.”
Appleton, signed in the off-season for two years at $2.9 million per season, did well in the offensive end in the final minute of Monday’s game at Toronto, when he scored what stood as the winning goal in a 3-2 victory.
“To win the game to score the first with a new organization, it was an important goal for the team, an important goal for me,” Appleton said. “I felt real good and you know.
“We didn’t love a lot of that game, but at the end of the end of the season when you’re looking back and your point total, you don’t remember how that one went in Toronto. You just remember the two points.”
The Wings lost Raymond in the second period at Toronto when he absorbed a hit along the boards from Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev. Raymond left the game and did not return. After the game, McLellan said the hit was, “pretty innocent, actually.”
Appleton, 29, said it only took about a week to acclimate to his new team. He played the first two games on the fourth line, with Michael Rasmussen and either of Elmer Söderblom or Jonatan Berggren. Playing on Larkin’s line means more minutes, but the key for Appleton is to stick to what works for him – that is, being a grinder who is tough to play against and hounds pucks.
“It’s kind of tough to try to change your game too much,” he said. “I mean, maybe just little like a little tweak here and there but I am who I am as a player. I’m just gonna try to provide that and compliment those guys with my game.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lucas Raymond injury update: Forward day-to-day for Detroit Red Wings
