Player Discussion: Bryan Little

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Ippenator

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Those were just 2 examples there are plenty others.

Let's just pretend the Jets ditch their vets.... Little. Wheels, Myers Kuli, Buff and MP over the next 3 years.

O'connor-chef-Laine
Ehlers-roslo-appleton
Vesalainen-lowry-armia
Lemieux-copp-spacek

JoMo-Trouba
Niku-poolman
Stanely?-?

That's counting on a lot of young players hitting their ceilings.....

Personally I feel a lot better with buff and little in that line up
I do agree about Buff definitely, with the play that he has had for a while now already. He has been simply magnificent now that he has clearly concentrated more in playing steady defence and has been roaming less. I don’t even mind his occasional roaming when he does it in the more controlled and well timed way as he has been now doing.

He is still a bit expensive with his salary, although in fact if he can continue with this kind of steady play for some years, he has after all earned every dollar that he gets.

But Little is just really too bad offensively, especially as he really brings down everyones production whom plays with him. I don’t see other use with him with his play from this season than a 3rd line or 4th line center, which just simply is a way too small role for a center with his salary. I also don’t seriously believe that his play will be going anymore to any better direction. I think Roslovic, Petan or Appleton should really be taking over the 2nd and 3rd line center’s roles, if Little will continue to play like this with the salary that he has, and Little should really be freed to play somewhere else in that case.
 

10Ducky10

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Wow, Appleton hasn't played a game in the bigs and you have him ahead of Lowry already?
Let's wait to see if he makes the team before we give him a position.
 
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Ducky10

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Kesler and Chara have been always such defensive masterminds, that even when their decline has started they are much more valuable than most other veterans. And they both have a real special thing about them that age will not really affect much or at all. For Chara it is his size and reach combined with his excellent defensive skills and IQ and for Kesler it is the similar kind of excellent defensive skills and those combined with the leagues top class faceoff skills. They just are in the league of their own with their special skills, compared to Little or even Buff, and also compared to most of the veterans in the league.
It's not 2010 anymore, defensive masterminds? C'mon man, some inherent bias going on in this opinion. This isn't at all accurate, it's crazy how far you go to tear Littlw down. Really hard to take seriously.
 

Ducky10

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I do agree about Buff definitely, with the play that he has had for a while now already. He has been simply magnificent now that he has clearly concentrated more in playing steady defence and has been roaming less. I don’t even mind his occasional roaming when he does it in the more controlled and well timed way as he has been now doing.

He is still a bit expensive with his salary, although in fact if he can continue with this kind of steady play for some years, he has after all earned every dollar that he gets.

But Little is just really too bad offensively, especially as he really brings down everyones production whom plays with him. I don’t see other use with him with his play from this season than a 3rd line or 4th line center, which just simply is a way too small role for a center with his salary. I also don’t seriously believe that his play will be going anymore to any better direction. I think Roslovic, Petan or Appleton should really be taking over the 2nd and 3rd line center’s roles, if Little will continue to play like this with the salary that he has, and Little should really be freed to play somewhere else in that case.
Little is only slightly off his career norms, even struggling a bit he's put up 37 points. Writing off a player of Little's pedigree after such a short span of average play is crazy. If Little picks up his game a bit closer to what we've seen from him consistently, guess what? He's Paul Stastny.
 
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Ippenator

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It's not 2010 anymore, defensive masterminds? C'mon man, some inherent bias going on in this opinion. This isn't at all accurate, it's crazy how far you go to tear Littlw down. Really hard to take seriously.
Well, I find in fact very difficult to take seriously opinions that defend Little’s play as a number 2 center at the moment. Just very difficult to take seriously that kind of posting unfortunately.

Some serious denial to not be able to admit that he is a an offensive black hole who keeps dragging down the production of everyone that he plays with. And then as it happens some people just make up excuses after excuses why he is still good offensively. But in reality he is just not the hero anymore that he used to be in the past. Time to move on...
 
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Ducky10

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Well, I find in fact very difficult to take seriously opinions that defend Little’s play as a number 2 center at the moment. Just very difficult to take seriously that kind of posting unfortunately.

Some serious denial to not be able to admit that he is a an offensive black hole who keeps dsgging down everyone’s production that he plays with. And then as it happens some people just make up excuses after excuses why he is still good offensively. But in reality he is just not the hero anymore that he used to be in the past. Time to move on...
You should move on then. It's not about defending not producing as a #2 centre at the moment. It's about calling out the ridiculous claims you make about him being an offensive black hole for anyone he plays with. Your opinion of Little has no depth, it's a one track broken record.
 

Ippenator

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Wow, Appleton hasn't played a game in the bigs and you have him ahead of Lowry already?
Let's wait to see if he makes the team before we give him a position.
Not yet, but in the future just as an option. Lowry is a great shutdown center, but I wouldn’t really count on getting too much of offensive production from him. I find it anyway difficult to see Appleton as a shutdown center. But sure 3rd and 4th lines might be also switched with their role and with their line number. That was really not the point. The point is that Little is on the decline and the Jets have some rising young center possibilities that I would rather soon see getting some chances to show what they are capable of, instead of using an overpaid and over the hill center blocking their way for giving the Jets some much needed energy and skill with a better price than Little can offer at the moment.
 
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Asiantuntija

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Nov 4, 2016
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Little has deeper issue than only points. He doesn't score them but besides that he doesn't do anything on offense just stand in front of goal waiting rebounds without creating any kind of offense or positioning himself free for passing opportunities. He knows defense i'll give him that but that's it at the moment. Hope he picks it up, but i don't feel too confident about it because his vision on offense seems to be absolutely terrible.

I'll respect what he has done in past but time moves on. I think Copp has potential to do everything Little does at the moment and maybe even more. He has great vision for game.
 
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Dayofthedogs

Bettman's hammer
Feb 20, 2016
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Little has deeper issue than only points. He doesn't score them but besides that he doesn't do anything on offense just stand in front of goal waiting rebounds without creating any kind of offense or positioning himself free for passing opportunities. He knows defense i'll give him that but that's it at the moment. Hope he picks it up, but i don't feel too confident about it because his vision on offense seems to be absolutely terrible.

I'll respect what he has done in past but time moves on. I think Copp has potential to do everything Little does at the moment and maybe even more. He has great vision for game.

You're comments seem to indicate you have a deeply biased and flawed opinion on what Little does....
 
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Ippenator

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You're comments seem to indicate you have a deeply biased and flawed opinion on what Little does....
Or maybe it’s exactly you whom is being biased about your long time hero? I understand that it can be hard to let go of some players that used to really be the best players of your whole team for years in the past. I have definitely experienced the same.

It was especially tough when players like S. Koivu and O.Jokinen started to make quite fast decline. It was just really painful to admit that they quickly became just shadows of theirselves from the past. It was so tough after those guys being at their best quite excellent NHL players and even better players in the best against best international tournaments. But it was then after all just time to move on and still keep the great memories of how good those guys were in their prime, and how much joy and hope they gave to the Finnish national team and the fans.

But that’s life. And we always get new heroes, at least when the young ones are given the chance to take those roles.
 
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Maukkis

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Mar 16, 2016
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I find it amusing how Laine's downfall in production seemed to mostly be due to Little centering him, but when Little's point totals are taking a dive, people casually ignore the fact that his linemates were of little help too.
 

Ippenator

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I find it amusing how Laine's downfall in production seemed to mostly be due to Little centering him, but when Little's point totals are taking a dive, people casually ignore the fact that his linemates were of little help too.
Well, it’s obvious that you don’t get it and that you didn’t see it. I know that for sure some people just don’t really value the meaning of good playmaking and quick and smart passing plays. Little for sure is not good with those things, at least nowadays. And very highly skilled offensively gifted players like Laine and Ehlers need exactly a center whom is capable of playing that way. It’s useless to think that those kind of players should be mostly creating their own offence. Sure it can be useful if they can sometimes even do it, but still it’s an absolutely horrible waste of talent and goalscoring potential to play them with a center like Little, as you should clearly want to give the kind of offensive stars as much of great scoring chances as it can ever be possible. Laine’s shot and Ehlers’s speed are just that phenomenal, that it’s pure stupidity to waste them instead of maximizing the use of them.

And in fact playing with Little is clearly ruining the production for the other offensively talented players that have been playing with him this season. He just can’t do enough of smart and quick passes that break defences. So he himself is really the most accountable for his linemates production stalling. If he would be so good offensively as some of you seriously seem to want to believe, he would be at least lifting up the production of some players that he has played with this season. But no - just doesn’t happen unfortunately.
 
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Maukkis

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Well, it’s obvious that you don’t get it and that you didn’t see it. I some people just don’t really value the meaning of good playmaking and quick and smart passing plays. Little for sure is not good with those things, at least nowadays. And very highly skilled offensively gifted players like Lsine and Ehlers need exactly a center whom is capable of playing that way. It’s useless to think that those kind of players should be mostly creating their own offence. Sure it can be useful if they can sometimes even do it, but still it’s an absolutely horrible waste of talent and goalscoring potential to play them with a center like Little.

And in fact it is clearly ruining the production for the other offensively talented players thst have been playing with Little this season. He just can’t do enough of smart and quick passes that break defences. So he himself is really the most accountable for his linemates production stalling. If he would be so good offensively as some of you seriously seem to want to believe, he would be at least lifting up the production of some players thst he has plsyed with this season. But no - just doesn’t happen unfortunately.
You missed the point by a country mile, but carry on.
 

Ippenator

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You missed the point by a country mile, but carry on.
Nope. It was you and only you whom exactly didn’t get the point here. But sure lets carry on then with something else, as we will never agree with our opinions about Little. That is definitely clear.
 

kelsier

Registered User
Aug 17, 2013
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I do agree about Buff definitely, with the play that he has had for a while now already. He has been simply magnificent now that he has clearly concentrated more in playing steady defence and has been roaming less. I don’t even mind his occasional roaming when he does it in the more controlled and well timed way as he has been now doing.

He is still a bit expensive with his salary, although in fact if he can continue with this kind of steady play for some years, he has after all earned every dollar that he gets.

But Little is just really too bad offensively, especially as he really brings down everyones production whom plays with him. I don’t see other use with him with his play from this season than a 3rd line or 4th line center, which just simply is a way too small role for a center with his salary. I also don’t seriously believe that his play will be going anymore to any better direction. I think Roslovic, Petan or Appleton should really be taking over the 2nd and 3rd line center’s roles, if Little will continue to play like this with the salary that he has, and Little should really be freed to play somewhere else in that case.

I actually agree about Little, he has been underwhelming this season. Even Wheelers didn't seem to be enough to bring him back to surface and I've heard the stories and even seen some myself, about how the two used to mesh well together. Granted, they just played together vs Flyers and that was only one game but it looked pretty awful. I don't understand the reaction of this board whenever he gets warranted criticism and how people jump on the poster rather than the post itself, but I guess that's allowed, I for sure can't tell. I also hope that Roslovic is ready for the second line duties as a center next year so that they have an emergency plan should Little not be able to regain his form. That's a scary contract though. Far too much for a third line center and this year he hasn't looked like a second line player even while having a lot of talent around him. Here's to hoping he gets his game going if not during the playoffs, then by working his a*** off during the summer and comes back with all his former glory. Players who've just turned 30 shouldn't be on a decline already.
 

Maukkis

EZ4ENCE
Mar 16, 2016
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Nope. It was you and only you whom exactly didn’t get the point here. But sure lets carry on then with something else, as we will never agree with the opinions about Little. That is definitely clear.
Why would I argue with someone who argues a point I never made? Jesus f***ing Christ.
 

YWGinYYZ

Registered User
Jul 3, 2011
28,480
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Toronto
Even Wheelers didn't seem to be enough to bring him back to surface and I've heard the stories and even seen some myself, about how the two used to mesh well together. Granted, they just played together vs Flyers and that was only one game but it looked pretty awful.

Yes, those one game samples are very telling, much more so than half a decade of evidence.

:sarcasm:
 

Ippenator

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Jan 6, 2016
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Why would I argue with someone who argues a point I never made? Jesus ****ing Christ.
I can for sure see that you didn’t even bother reading my post. Or if you after all did you exactly didn’t really understand it correctly. But as I already said, just carry on.
 

Dayofthedogs

Bettman's hammer
Feb 20, 2016
2,113
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Winnipeg
Or maybe it’s exactly you whom is being biased about your long time hero? I understand that it can be hard to let go of some players that used to really be the best players of your whole team for years in the past. I have definitely experienced the same.

It was especially tough when players like S. Koivu and O.Jokinen started to make quite fast decline. It was just really painful to admit that they quickly became just shadows of theirselves from the past. It was so tough after those guys being at their best quite excellent NHL players and even better players in the best against best international tournaments. But it was then after all just time to move on and still keep the great memories of how good those guys were in their prime, and how much joy and hope they gave to the Finnish national team and the fans.

But that’s life. And we always get new heroes, at least when the young ones are given the chance to take those roles.

How am I the biased one?

I've provided plenty of relevant data from this season to illustrate my point of view....

Your side just keeps using an eye test and frankly after being on HF boards and reading some of the most ridiculous takes I've ever seen in the Laine thread about almost all of our players and mngmt including

Buff
Wheeler
Ehlers
PoMo
Chevy

Its easy to see the biases.... Are we surprised that our contingent of Laine fans have found a new whipping boy?

I'm not.... Its a theme here now sadly.
 
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Ducky10

Searching for Mark Scheifele
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I actually agree about Little, he has been underwhelming this season. Even Wheelers didn't seem to be enough to bring him back to surface and I've heard the stories and even seen some myself, about how the two used to mesh well together. Granted, they just played together vs Flyers and that was only one game but it looked pretty awful. I don't understand the reaction of this board whenever he gets warranted criticism and how people jump on the poster rather than the post itself, but I guess that's allowed, I for sure can't tell. I also hope that Roslovic is ready for the second line duties as a center next year so that they have an emergency plan should Little not be able to regain his form. That's a scary contract though. Far too much for a third line center and this year he hasn't looked like a second line player even while having a lot of talent around him. Here's to hoping he gets his game going if not during the playoffs, then by working his a*** off during the summer and comes back with all his former glory. Players who've just turned 30 shouldn't be on a decline already.
Nobody is jumping on the poster, when the posts are nothing but general opinions on a player and gross exaggerations, without any real facts or specific analysis of his game, people are left to just disagree with that opinion.

The funny part is Little isn't even that far off where he would normally be and has also been known to be a streaky scorer. While most posters agree that he is struggling, he has been nowhere near as bad as some have described and the suggestion that he's only going to get worse is nothing short of ridiculous. that's not an attack on a poster, that's an attack on an opinion.

Little is a far better hockey player than a lot of people are suggesting, thank goodness some people recognize that. I'll leave it there, this thread has degenerated much like the old Laine threads.
 

Ducky10

Searching for Mark Scheifele
Nov 14, 2014
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Well, it’s obvious that you don’t get it and that you didn’t see it. I know that for sure some people just don’t really value the meaning of good playmaking and quick and smart passing plays. Little for sure is not good with those things, at least nowadays. And very highly skilled offensively gifted players like Laine and Ehlers need exactly a center whom is capable of playing that way. It’s useless to think that those kind of players should be mostly creating their own offence. Sure it can be useful if they can sometimes even do it, but still it’s an absolutely horrible waste of talent and goalscoring potential to play them with a center like Little, as you should clearly want to give the kind of offensive stars as much of great scoring chances as it can ever be possible. Laine’s shot and Ehlers’s speed are just that phenomenal, that it’s pure stupidity to waste them instead of maximizing the use of them.

And in fact playing with Little is clearly ruining the production for the other offensively talented players that have been playing with him this season. He just can’t do enough of smart and quick passes that break defences. So he himself is really the most accountable for his linemates production stalling. If he would be so good offensively as some of you seriously seem to want to believe, he would be at least lifting up the production of some players that he has played with this season. But no - just doesn’t happen unfortunately.
Yes they do, there are a lot of deeply knowledgeable hockey people on this forum, who see many things that happen on the ice and have a very good understanding of good hockey and good hockey players. You don't do yourself any favours with dismissive comments like these.
 

sipowicz

The thrill is gone
Mar 16, 2011
31,330
40,262
Little has deeper issue than only points. He doesn't score them but besides that he doesn't do anything on offense just stand in front of goal waiting rebounds without creating any kind of offense or positioning himself free for passing opportunities. He knows defense i'll give him that but that's it at the moment. Hope he picks it up, but i don't feel too confident about it because his vision on offense seems to be absolutely terrible.

I'll respect what he has done in past but time moves on. I think Copp has potential to do everything Little does at the moment and maybe even more. He has great vision for game.


Copp?

BOLDED good one! LOL!:laugh:
 
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Adam da bomb

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May 1, 2016
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Nmc drive me insane because if your doing your job the team wont want to trade you. You don't need that claus unless you know you'll go downhill.
 

GaryPoppins

A broken clock is right twice in a day
Sep 10, 2016
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Haven't felt Little has hurt us this year... but he hasn't helped us enough for what we're paying him, IMO.

Potential to have this contract look REALLY bad in the next few years.....
 
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