Jets don't anticipate buyout of backup netminder Mason

Steve Mason shouldn't be worried about another offseason move.

The Winnipeg Jets backup goaltender, who agreed a two-year, $8.2-million deal with the club last summer, enters the offseason following an injury-riddled campaign in which he lost the top job to young netminder Connor Hellebuyck.

Still, there appears to be a spot for Mason in the Manitoba capital.

"I don't sit here and anticipate that a buyout is a course of action I would take with Steve Mason," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff told reporters during Tuesday's season-ending press conference. "Steve Mason is a capable No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. He signed with us knowing - and we were very up front with him - that this was going to be about winning, whether it was him, or whether there was going to be competition to win."

In all, Mason appeared in just 13 games this season, as he battled two concussions before later suffering a knee injury. He finished the year with just five wins and a .906 save percentage.

Given Mason's heavy salary - particularly expensive given he spent the majority of the season on the bench - his future with the team was a little unclear. Adding to the uncertainty, the cap-challenged Jets have a handful of Mason's teammates up for extensions, including Hellebuyck, defensemen Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey, plus forwards Joel Armia and Paul Stastny.

But as Cheveldayoff alluded to, the Jets can benefit from added insurance between the pipes.

"Steve was a real pro. I've seen a shell of our scheduled next year; you're going to need some goaltending and need some people to back things up," Cheveldayoff added. "There's a lot left for (Mason) with respect to being a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL."

For those curious, a buyout of Mason would carry a $1.37-million cap penalty for each of the next two seasons, according to CapFriendly.

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