Photo courtesy of TheAHL.com

Fantasy Summary

While Shaw has significant offensive potential, knee injuries resulting in a lost season rarely work out perfectly, and his development may have taken a major hit. A full recovery from the injury could warrant middle-6 potential, but for now he’s got a bit of a hill to overcome.


Observations

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June 2023 – Shaw, at 24 years of age, has solidified himself as reliable depth NHL player after playing 59 games for the Minnesota Wild during the 2022-23 season posting 7 goals and 10 assists. After playing a couple seasons for the Iowa Wild, Shaw finally broke through to the NHL and is expected to be a mainstay for the next few years. Although he may not have top-six upside at the NHL level, Shaw can expect to be an important depth piece for Minnesota moving forward. Nathan Leblanc

January 2023 – Shaw has taken the initiative to secure a full-time spot in the NHL after spending parts of nearly four seasons seasoning at the AHL level. Last season in Iowa, Shaw had put up a strong season of 52 points in only 62 games, earning himself a couple of games for the Minnesota Wild. This season, Shaw has almost exclusively played for the Minnesota Wild, putting up great depth numbers of 11 points in 30 games. Shaw projects as a bottom 6 energy forward and can be a reliable option defensively. Nathan Leblanc

March 2021 – It looks like the ACL injuries that Mason Shaw has sustained over the years have not stopped him one bit, Mason is on fire with four points in four games in the AHL so far. Mason Shaw has flashed offensive skill which he uses to create chances in the offensive zone, and He possesses a good shot that he is not afraid to rip. Although his skating isn’t spectacular, he positions himself in dangerous spots on the ice to get high danger scoring chances. Shaw may not translate as a center in the NHL, rather a good middle-six winger upside.  Rayan Tubeec

May 2019 – Shaw was having a solid rookie year in the AHL with the Iowa Wild. His 33 points led all Wild rookies and he helped the team to the playoffs, where he scored a goal in three games, before disaster struck for the 20-year-old. He suffered an ACL injury on his left knee. Surgery was a success and the prognosis is a six-month recovery at a minimum. This is the second season of the last three that has been ended prematurely because of a knee injury. He tore his right ACL at the Wild’s Prospect tournament before the 2017-18 season. Shaw has never been an outstanding skater and this injury will test his patience and perseverance. While he has the tools to work his way into an NHL roster at some point, having significant injuries in both knees can disrupt his development and prevent him from taking the necessary steps towards the NHL over the next year, as the injury can reduce your speed and skating confidence. A return at some point next season, likely after the new year, will be more about him getting back into playing than about production. Tony Ferrari 

April 2019 – The 20-year-old forward has played across all three positions at times this season. His recovery and rehab from the knee injury went well and rather than returning to the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, he began the season in the AHL with Iowa. While not spectacular production, Shaw’s 33 points in 76 games have been a welcome sign in his return to play. The play-making forward has flashed offensive skill and ability to play in a top-six. With Iowa heading for the Calder Cup Playoffs, Shaw will be given ample opportunity to show off his offensive talent and build on a solid rookie professional season. While it’s unlikely Shaw breaks camp with the NHL club in the fall, a strong playoffs could go a long way to moving him up the depth chart and earn him a call-up next season at some point. The tools are there to be an assist-heavy fantasy performer, so he is definitely a player to keep an eye on. Tony Ferrari 

April 2018 – After missing the entirety of the season with an ugly ACL injury, Shaw managed to earn an ATO with Iowa, where he’s played one game, playing about 10 minutes registering a +1. Shaw has always been a crafty offensive player who needs to up his skating, and a knee injury such as this will clearly will have an impact on his development. It’s hard to gauge at this time where he ends up, but an overage season in the WHL appears the best bet. Look for him to torch the WHL next season assuming he fully returns to form after his surgery. Will Scouch

July 2017 – I’m a big fan of this pick in the fourth round. Shaw has some serious flaws in his game, but he’s undeniably skilled and talented. He was ranked firmly in my late second round, and picking him up at 97 is great return on value. Like Ivan Lodnia, he was a 2.5 primary point-per-hour player at even strength, and landed a primary point on a highly notable 60 per cent of his team’s goals while on the ice. The endorsement of Nolan Patrick as his most talented WHL opponent isn’t meaningless either. This is another pick with huge upside for the small, speedy, skilled center.

He will need to work on his intensity and puck-battling instincts if he is to make the jump, but he will be an interesting project to monitor as he develops. I’m not sold on NHL projectability, and he may end up a winger if his willingness to get a bit gritty increases, but the upside is there. Will Scouch

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 5.0
NHL Certainty 9.5
Country CAN
Position C
Roster Type NHL
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth November 3, 1998
Height 5‘10”
Weight 183 lbs
Drafted 2017 Round 4; Overall: 97

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2011-2012 Lloydminster Heat U15 AAAAEHL U1528 7 1926 42|Playoffs9 4 26
 2012-2013 Lloydminster Heat U15 AAAAEHL U1531 20 6686 66|Playoffs3 5 27 10 
  Team Northeast Alberta Cup5 2 24 8|        
 2013-2014 Team Alberta WCCC-164 2 02 2|        
  Lloydminster Lancers U18 AAAAEHL U1831 17 3350 42|        
 2014-2015 Team Red U17-Dev3 0 11 0|        
  Medicine Hat TigersWHL23 3 69 13|        
  Canada Red U17WHC-175 0 11 2|        
 2015-2016 Medicine Hat TigersWHL67 17 4360 72|        
  Canada U18WJC-187 1 67 8|        
 2016-2017 Medicine Hat TigersWHL71 27 6794 57|Playoffs11 0 1212 16 
  WHL All-StarsJr Super Series2 0 00 0|        
 2017-2018 Medicine Hat TigersWHL0 0 00 0|        
  Iowa WildAHL1 0 00 0|        
 2018-2019 Iowa WildAHL76 8 2533 43|Playoffs3 1 01
 2019-2020 Iowa WildAHL17 3 36 8|        
 2020-2021 Iowa WildAHL30 8 1422 39|        
 2021-2022 Minnesota WildNHL3 0 00 5|        
  Iowa WildAHL62 19 3352 106|        
 2022-2023 Minnesota WildNHL59 7 1017 79|        
  Iowa WildAHL2 1 01 4|        
 2023-2024 Iowa WildAHL9 4 37 13|        
  Minnesota WildNHL11 0 11 30|        

Highlights