Ducky10
Searching for Mark Scheifele
- Nov 14, 2014
- 19,809
- 31,386
Player Discussion: Bryan Little
- Thread starter HPsauce
- Start date
- Status
tntkid
Fire Maurice & Chevy
Put him with Wheeler and/or MP and he'll start playing better, I think. It's a big change to go from players like Wheeler, MP and Ladd to Laine and Ehlers, and Little hasn't adapted well
Huffer
Registered User
- Jul 16, 2010
- 16,707
- 6,375
The unfortunate part of the start this year of ELL, is that people who have absolutely no clue about Little before this season, and probably hadn't seen any of his games are using a 20 game sample size to come up with their expert opinions on everything Little is as a player.
Especially when the team has had the best start in their existence, and Little is actually playing ok, just that his line isn't putting up many points.
Especially when the team has had the best start in their existence, and Little is actually playing ok, just that his line isn't putting up many points.
Man I had to dig through deep to find a thread about Little, but here were are months later. What do people think of his play this season?
I have trouble figuring out what to think of him this season. On the other hand my general feeling and eye-test find him mostly an offensive black hole this season no matter who he plays with - though for actual results, he still has 37 points in 67 games, which isn't that bad at all and ties him for 7th place in the team. And at this point with the offensive depth this team has, I feel that's pretty much where you expect him to slot in terms of production. On the positive side, his defensive game has been solid and excellent at times. So I'm thinking I might be underrating him because his style of play just doesn't gel with what my "eye-test" looks for in a good hockey player, yet I can't get over this feeling he's been fairly disappointing.
I have trouble figuring out what to think of him this season. On the other hand my general feeling and eye-test find him mostly an offensive black hole this season no matter who he plays with - though for actual results, he still has 37 points in 67 games, which isn't that bad at all and ties him for 7th place in the team. And at this point with the offensive depth this team has, I feel that's pretty much where you expect him to slot in terms of production. On the positive side, his defensive game has been solid and excellent at times. So I'm thinking I might be underrating him because his style of play just doesn't gel with what my "eye-test" looks for in a good hockey player, yet I can't get over this feeling he's been fairly disappointing.
Tom ServoMST3K
In search of a Steinbach Hero
cbcwpg
Registered User
Think he's been OK. The thing that really brings him to the front has been his faceoff percentages this season and last. 56.78% this season and 55.61% last season. These are career highs for him.
DeepFrickinValue
Formally Ruffus
- May 14, 2015
- 5,317
- 4,230
Seems his regular stats are a bit below career average as well. Nothing to concerning. No longer the alpha center on the team. Bambi is the new alpha.
Dayofthedogs
Bettman's hammer
If it makes you feel any better Bryan Little has been fine for the most part. He's just the new whipping boy around here. As far as I can tell his numbers are still pretty good as illustrated in the side by side comparison on the Statsny thread.
He's a 4.something million dollar player and Stats is a 7 million dollar player.
His possession numbers even strength are above 50% this year and keep in mind Laine and Ehlers were not playing anywhere near as good at the start of the year.
He's at 1.9 points per 60 all minutes and 1.6 points per 60 in even strength situations
Statsny was at 2.0 all minutes in St. Louis and 2.2 at even strength.
Lowry was at 1.6 all mins and even strength
These number are in line with a 2nd/3rd line center. Probably hope for a little more from him but it's not a catastrophe and I imagine he will bounce back.
Rumors of Little's demise have been greatly over exaggerated and the addition of Statsny has made recency bias rear it's ugly head.
Dayofthedogs
Bettman's hammer
But he isn't an offensive anchor.
That's why these numbers exist. Because people like you and I have a really hard time judging the overall impact of players based on any number of biases.
If you don't care about the numbers that's completely fine but you are wrong in your assessment of his overall play and offensive production.
Count me as someone who is also concerned with Little's contract. Sure would be nice if Chevy could undue that, and give that contract so Stastny.
Dayofthedogs
Bettman's hammer
So you want to pay a guy who is 2 years older 5 mil + per season for 5 years based on 5 games...
Never mind the fact at the time Stastny got traded him a little had remarkably similar on ice impacts.
Hey look over there! Its something shiney and new! Its the best shiney thing ever.... Its even shinier than the shiney thing I'm holding in my hand!
The only concern I have with Little is when he’s playing with Laine and Ehlers. Any other combination seems to be fine, imo.
When Little plays with Perreault and Roslovic, they seem effective. When he played with Perreault and Ehlers, that may have been our most effective line, at times this year. When he plays with Perreault and Laine, that group was getting better and more productive too.
He just doesn’t seem to fit with Ehlers and Laine, for whatever reason, but PoMo had them together a lot to try to build chemistry. It didn’t happen and their offensive production was effected.
Now, moving forward a year or two, who should Little play with? Unless things change, I wouldn’t want to see Ehlers-Little-Laine reunited. Stastny with those two seems to work pretty well, but he might be a luxury we can’t fit under the cap.
Lots of decisions in the future.
When Little plays with Perreault and Roslovic, they seem effective. When he played with Perreault and Ehlers, that may have been our most effective line, at times this year. When he plays with Perreault and Laine, that group was getting better and more productive too.
He just doesn’t seem to fit with Ehlers and Laine, for whatever reason, but PoMo had them together a lot to try to build chemistry. It didn’t happen and their offensive production was effected.
Now, moving forward a year or two, who should Little play with? Unless things change, I wouldn’t want to see Ehlers-Little-Laine reunited. Stastny with those two seems to work pretty well, but he might be a luxury we can’t fit under the cap.
Lots of decisions in the future.
I think it’s more about fit. Stastny seems to fit better with Ehlers and Laine, while Little didn’t.
Ehlers and Laine are going nowhere. And neither is Little, imo. But there may need to be some line juggling to have the right mix should Stastny not be resigned.
ELL was simply bad mix. They made 22 goals together and allowed 22 goals against over a huge period of time spanning to the last season. Their GF/60 was really low, though so did their GA/60. Every other Ehlers + center + Laine combination (ESL, ECL and ESLv2) has been much more efficient and with much better GF to GA ratio. Also Little has been better without Ehlers and Laine. Funny enough, Little with Ehlers + someone other than Laine has been working and Little with Laine + someone other than Ehlers has been working at least somewhat.
I will post some stats to the roster discussion thread about line combinations with Laine, including couple of Little -lines (on the very bottom on the list).
Dayofthedogs
Bettman's hammer
I absolutely agree about fit. Stastny looks to be a great player with those 2 but the post I was referring to wanted to go back and not do the Little deal for him.
I think that's a really short sighted take based on a very small sample size.
Little is not and has not been a bad player for us.
If this goes really really well and Stastny wants to be a Winnipeg Jet I imagine they find a way to make it work.
Depends what Stastny wants. Chevy would make it work. Probably cost us a Kyle Connor or Roslovic or JoMo or Trouba in the long term....
Guess it depends on what position we believe is most replaceable.
If you're happy running a really deep veteran center ice group and bringing in high level prospects on ELCs to fill the winger void.
Dano
Petan
Lemieux
Vesalainen
Appleton
Do we believe 2 of these guys can replace Connor and Roslo?
If so ride out Connor and Roslo's ELC's and trade them for 1st rounders + more picks and insert Vesa and Appleton.
The only issue I have with Little is that he's having a down year right before his 6 year extension kicks in. I'd be willing to give him benefit of the doubt, but his NMC kicks kick in July. The worst scenario I can see is that Jets end up with good 3rd center that is paid 5M. Not optimal, but makes him only overpaid by 1M so not a total disaster either.
Most of the hate is from Laine fanboys that want to see him crush records and feel Little is dragging him down (which he is).
Most of the hate is from Laine fanboys that want to see him crush records and feel Little is dragging him down (which he is).
I think guys like Perreault will be moved before Connor or Roslovic. Just based on age alone, with Vesalainen being Perreault’s replacement.
If they can sign Stastny for $5.5 mill/yr or less on a 4 year deal, that would be good. Though, by year 3 or 4, that deal may look like a bad investment. If they do well in the playoffs this year, but don’t win it, maybe they can sign him to a 1 year/$6 mill deal. That short term commitment on both sides might be the best situation. Though, if I was Stastny, would I do that?
If the Jets don’t win it all in the next two years, then difficult decisions on Wheeler, Buff and maybe Little would need to be made. If you’re close, short term deals for those older players might be the strategy. If they don’t get it done, then they may have to move them and go with the youth. Even staying with the youth will have them close to a cap team. The youth is that good and will get paid.
Lots can happen in 2 years.
Hulide
Registered User
- Jul 12, 2017
- 584
- 798
I can See how this thread Will go.. the same Will come to his defence like always and no matter what other say Little can do no wrong!! I miss last year Little..he was One of my favorite last year!!! he has been good 5-8 games this year when Scheifele was injured Thats all..
Dayofthedogs
Bettman's hammer
I would hate to have seen what you guys would have thought about Statsny's 7 million a year contract in St. Louis.
He signed that contract coming off of a 60 pt season in Colorado and proceeded to put up
46
49
40
40
For 175pts in 267games 0.65pts/game
Little over that same period
178pts in 253game 0.70pts/game
Stats was paid 160 000 per point
Little was paid 105 000 per point
He signed that contract coming off of a 60 pt season in Colorado and proceeded to put up
46
49
40
40
For 175pts in 267games 0.65pts/game
Little over that same period
178pts in 253game 0.70pts/game
Stats was paid 160 000 per point
Little was paid 105 000 per point
Jetfaninflorida
Southernmost Jet Fan
Little is a far better two way center than he gets credit for here. He has become the guy that people love to hate for no reason. When he makes a mistake during a game (everyone does once in a while), the board pounces on him. When he makes a great play - crickets. He will put up about 45 -50 points this year which is not too far off his typical year. He wins faceoffs. He takes very few penalties. He is strong defensively. He is smart on the ice and seldom out of position. He is putting up decent points. He has been loyal to this franchise. He can be trusted out there late in a close game.
It seems like now that we have some very flashy high skill or high speed forwards like Ehlers and Laine, or since Nickels has evolved into a premier center, some people cannot appreciate a not so flashy but solid north south quality two way player like Little. Show the guy some respect. Be objective. He has earned it.
It seems like now that we have some very flashy high skill or high speed forwards like Ehlers and Laine, or since Nickels has evolved into a premier center, some people cannot appreciate a not so flashy but solid north south quality two way player like Little. Show the guy some respect. Be objective. He has earned it.
Arthur Fonzarelli
"aaaaay"
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