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UPDATE: Little Extended and Is the Jets line-up already set?

September 14, 2017, 8:58 AM ET [43 Comments]
Peter Tessier
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • RSSArchiveCONTACT
BREAKING:

It was just announced that Bryan Little has agreed on a contract extension with the Jets starting next season for 6 more years. The deals works to 6 years at an AAV of 5.291 million per year or 31.746 million over 6 years.

Little has been with the Jets and Thrashers since being drafted and is coming off 5 year 23.5 million deal. Remarkably undervalued by salary and reputation this next deal is almost the same with only a $500k raise in AAV. Little turns 30 this year and this deal will take him to age 36 by the time it expires. Therein lies the risk. The cap hit is not huge above what he's making and for a UFA like Little to re-sgin early is a telling tale of both the market and the player i.e. his belief in the Jets franchise.

There is no reason to believe that Little will not be the number two centre for 2-3 more years but is 5 million plus what some one wants to pay for a third line centre?

While this is not a bad deal for the Jets, in fact it's quite favourable the longer term implications will be interesting. Chevy gets an A for this.



The Jets Line Up- already set?


Perhaps this is a little premature but it seems to be what’s abuzz on social media right now as the NHL network tweeted out an image of their projected Winnipeg Jets starting forwards. Needless to say there were many opinion on the matter but surprisingly they were relatively positive. The surprise is not because it was the NHL network and fans were reacting positively, more precisely it’s because in general they agreed or approved with what they saw.

Here’s the lineup:

Untitled

The top line will get a lot of ‘oohing and awing’ from Jets fans but is it the most pragmatic line to start with? Furthermore, is Paul Maurice likely to even consider it? At first blush it seems almost silly to put the three best 2-way players in the forward group on one line, those being Perreault, Little and Wheeler. In the past Maurice has used Ehlers Scheifele Wheeler to great success and it might be surprising if he kept the captain, one the top RWs in the league, on the second line.

To expand on Wheeler’s value, putting him on the second line is to say that Patrik Laine is a better fit and player than Wheeler and that’s simply not true, at least right now. However that’s not to say that the trio of 27 55 and 29 did not see their fair share of ice together in fact it was just less than 27 55 and 26, and not by much at even strength or in all situations. As Maurice likes to use the blender with his lines it would make sense that the coach behaves has he has in the past and keeps what’s working together before making changes.

The second line of Perreault, Little and Wheeler is about as steady a line as the Jets have ever iced and that’s including the time with Michael Frolik. But when looking at positive possession play and the ‘200 foot game’ is it worth stacking one line? These three players had the top CF% on the team. They are responsible and move the puck up to and through the neutral zone so well, it seems almost a waste to keep them together when that talent could be used elsewhere.

The third line here was likely a celebration or a cause for concern depending on what you saw and what you like. Kyle Connor makes an appearance back in the line up where he started the season last year as does Nic Petan playing centre and then Joel Armia. This is a big leap from what many would suggest if they were thinking like Paul Maurice. Gone is long time third line centre Adam Lowry and in comes a fast and dynamic pairing in Petan and Connor offset by the solidly average with moments of brilliance Joel Armia. This line has the potential to be taken to the woodshed or wreak havoc depending on how it gels and is used. Maybe usage before chemistry.


The concerns here are real and revolve around a few issues. Are Connor and Petan ready to anchor a line? Will Maurice have the patience and trust to allow this to happen along with the forgiveness of inevitable mistakes? At even strength there is not a whole lot to be excited about with this trio but they only played 1348 combined minutes last year, about 150 than Mark Scheifele. This is the concern with Maurice, should he want to present a fast and dynamic third line- one that can score, he will have to allow for a learning curve and in the past his tendencies have been to be impatient with young players in those bottom roles. To do what the NHL network proposes would be very interesting and un-Maurice although that does not mean it should not happen.

At one point last season the line of Lowry Matthias and Armia was something the fans were taking a liking too. Big and physical they seemed to be an ‘energy line’ but with some results or at least talent. What is proposed here is a hybrid and while Andrew Copp’s ceiling may be a 3rd line player there’s more to him than simply a fourth line grinder. The same could be said about Adam Lowry, although almost too much has been said about him this off-season. Lowry much like Copp, has a ceiling and it’s lower than where some believe it is. Having Lowry on the fourth line is a simple allocation of skill and size to where it’s better suited.

Then there’s poor Marko Dano, the kid who can’t seem to catch a break and have a coach who wants to use him. Dano is a smart hockey player but he free wheels a bit which is probably going against the coach’s wishes. That’s a a bit of guess but the challenge with Dano is there is something about him that has made him expendable twice and in a ‘prove it to me’ situation in Winnipeg. It will be hard to prove much if he’s the last forward in the mix this year.

With all that thought is this a roster that Jets fans would be comfortable seeing start the season? There’s no significant change other than a redevelopment or envisioning of the bottom six group which is something many Jets fans and pundits have been wondering about for a few seasons. This line up is not without risk when looking at the bottom half but that concern is more about whether the coach is willing to take some risk. The fans certainly are and the many of the observers in media and beyond certainly feel that’s overdue as well.

The NHL network might not have it 100% correct but they struck a chord with the fans and that says something more about the past teams and usage than it does about the crystal ball at the NHL network.
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