Despite coming out of the the MTS Centre with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, the Winnipeg Jets suffered a major loss with the injury of centre Bryan Little. After a collision with Canes’ winger Bryan Bickell, Little went down with what appears to be a long term knee injury. There is no replacing what Little brings to the table. However, it is vital that the Jets find a plausible void filler if they want to make a serious run at the postseason.
Bryan Little Injury Solutions
Don’t increase Lowry’s playing time
Before getting into what they should do, we’ll look at what they shouldn’t. Giving Adam Lowry an increased role falls under this category. Immediately following Little’s injury, Lowry was double-shifted at centre and given first unit power play minutes. In a fast pace league where speed is of the utmost priority, the less we see of the slow-footed Lowry the better. His offensive abilities are far too inferior for him to be a reasonable replacement for Little.
Recall Andrew Copp
Lowry’s one-way contract stood in the way of the the fourth line centre role being taken from him. Many outperformed him in the pre-season, including the likes of Andrew Copp. From the outside looking in, it appears as though Copp was the victim of contractual circumstance. Still on his entry-level deal, Copp’s waiver exemption made him temporarily disposable. Throw contracts out the window though, and he is deserving of a bottom six centre role. Copp is defensively sound as well as a useful penalty killer. He has already played in 78 games under head coach Paul Maurice.
Marko Dano was another two-way contract victim, but being a winger likely excludes him from this conversation.
Moving Petan to third-line centre
The Jets could survive with Nic Petan entering the lineup. Mathieu Perreault is more than capable of being bumped up to handle second line centre duties. Petan would then be able to provide a plausible offensive spark out of the third line centre spot. As it stands, the third line wingers are Shawn Matthias and Nikolaj Ehlers. While Matthias as a middle-six forward may seem underwhelming, the prospect of a Petan/Ehlers tandem has “excitement” written all over it.
Enter Burmistrov
Alexander Burmistrov was naturally plugged into the Jets lineup this morning. The choice was obvious. Burmistrov can play centre and is far more talented than fellow healthy scratch Chris Thorburn. Don’t be surprised if Burmistrov is just a stopgap though. He’ll find himself in the lineup against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, but could be right back in the press box for the Patrik Laine/Auston Matthews showdown this Wednesday when the Jets take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at home. The Manitoba Moose are also hosting games on Tuesday and Thursday. It’s possible that the Jets assess potential replacements and make a convenient recall accordingly. Expect Petan, Copp, and even Chase De Leo to be under a microscope over the weekend.
Of course, Burmistrov has a chance to prove his worth as well. If assigned the right linemates, he has the ability to be a serviceable contributor in the lineup.
Closing Thoughts
The Bryan Little injury is detrimental to the Jets playoff hopes. However, it won’t be a total loss if a guy like Petan blossoms into a reputable middle six player. Ideally, he is awarded the third line centre role. He has the highest offensive ceiling of the bunch.
The Jets now need to hope that the injury-prone Perreault stays healthy. Another big blow down the middle could make qualifying for the postseason a pipe dream.
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