{"id":2468,"date":"2016-10-14T21:46:49","date_gmt":"2016-10-15T01:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=2468"},"modified":"2016-10-14T21:46:49","modified_gmt":"2016-10-15T01:46:49","slug":"bryan-little-injury-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2016\/10\/14\/bryan-little-injury-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Bryan Little Injury Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite coming out of the the MTS Centre<\/strong> with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a><\/strong> on Thursday night,\u00a0the Winnipeg Jets<\/a><\/strong> suffered a major loss with the injury of centre Bryan Little<\/a><\/strong>. After\u00a0a collision with Canes’ winger Bryan Bickell<\/a><\/strong>, Little went down with what appears to be a long term\u00a0knee injury<\/a>. There is no replacing what Little brings to the table. However, it is vital that the\u00a0Jets find a plausible void filler if they want to make a serious run at the postseason.<\/p>\n

Bryan Little<\/a> Injury Solutions<\/h2>\n

Don’t increase Lowry’s playing time<\/h3>\n

Before getting into what they should do, we’ll look at what they\u00a0shouldn’t<\/em>. Giving\u00a0Adam Lowry<\/a><\/strong> 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\u00a0are far too inferior for him to be a\u00a0reasonable replacement for Little.<\/p>\n

Recall Andrew Copp<\/a><\/h3>\n

Lowry’s one-way contract stood in the way of the\u00a0the fourth line centre role being taken from him. Many outperformed him in the pre-season, including the likes of Andrew Copp<\/a><\/strong>. 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.\u00a0He\u00a0has already played in 78 games under head coach\u00a0Paul Maurice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marko Dano<\/a><\/strong> was another two-way contract victim, but being\u00a0a winger likely excludes him from this\u00a0conversation.<\/p>\n

Moving Petan to third-line centre<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0Jets could survive with Nic Petan<\/a><\/strong> entering the lineup. Mathieu Perreault<\/a><\/strong> 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\u00a0third line centre spot. As it stands, the third line wingers<\/a> are Shawn Matthias<\/a><\/strong> and Nikolaj Ehlers<\/a><\/strong>. While Matthias as a middle-six forward\u00a0may seem\u00a0underwhelming, the prospect of a Petan\/Ehlers tandem has “excitement” written all over it.<\/p>\n

Enter Burmistrov<\/h3>\n

Alexander Burmistrov<\/a><\/strong> 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<\/a><\/strong>. Don’t be surprised if Burmistrov\u00a0is just a stopgap though.\u00a0He’ll\u00a0find himself in the lineup against the Minnesota Wild<\/a><\/strong> on Saturday, but could be right back in the press box for the Patrik Laine<\/a><\/strong>\/Auston Matthews<\/a><\/strong> showdown this Wednesday\u00a0when the Jets take on the\u00a0Toronto Maple Leafs <\/a><\/strong>at home. The Manitoba Moose<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0are also hosting games on\u00a0Tuesday\u00a0and Thursday. It’s possible that the Jets assess potential replacements and make a convenient recall accordingly. Expect Petan, Copp, and even Chase De Leo<\/a><\/strong> to be under a microscope over the\u00a0weekend.<\/p>\n

Of course, Burmistrov has a chance to prove his worth as well. If assigned the right linemates, he\u00a0has the ability to be a serviceable contributor in the lineup.<\/p>\n

Closing Thoughts<\/h3>\n

The Bryan Little<\/a> injury is detrimental to the Jets playoff hopes. However, it\u00a0won’t be a total loss if a guy like Petan blossoms into a reputable middle six player. Ideally, he\u00a0is awarded\u00a0the third line centre role. He has the highest offensive ceiling of\u00a0the bunch.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Jets now need to hope\u00a0that the injury-prone Perreault stays healthy. Another big blow down the middle\u00a0could make qualifying for the\u00a0postseason a pipe dream.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n