Mutta Bäckströmistä ja Littlestä ei samassa lauseessa pitäisi edes puhua, toinen on huippusentteri NHL:ssä ja toinen on, no ihan hyvä.
Pitkään Littleä myös puolustellut, mutta edellinen kausi ei kyllä kovin paljoa aihetta hurraukseen aiheuttanut, oli syy sitten Laineessa, Littlessä tai ketjun pelaamisessa kokonaisuudessaan. Athleticin kausiennakkossa oli aika osuvasti kirjoitettu ja mielestäni ihan syystäkin pelasi laiturina playoffeissa. Samasta seurasta kuitenkin löytyi 3. ketjuunkin parempi sentteri.
At centre, the issue really is the same as it’s been since the Jets became serious contenders: second line centre. There’s a reason it was at the top of the team’s wishlist at the past two trade deadlines; it’s become readily apparent that Bryan Little can no longer handle the role. Last season was a major step backwards for him.
For years, Little was as dependable as they came. For much of his career he scored at a high-end second line rate or low-end first line rate while also providing positive play-driving value. His 30s have not been kind to him, however, as his point rate has dropped to just under 1.6 in each of the last two seasons. That’s far from ideal for such a high octane offensive team. Worse yet was his ability to influence the team’s expected goals rate which dropped to a career low 44 percent last year, the third worst mark on the team. It translated to an actual goal rate of 44 percent. Getting outchanced and outscored is simply not going to cut it on a contending team’s second line, making Little a major liability. Last year he was worth zero wins and the modest bump for this year pales in comparison to what other teams can offer. The average second line centre from the league’s top 10 teams is a full two wins higher than Winnipeg’s.
The rest of the centre depth doesn’t appear to be a problem, as the other three appear to be quite strong. Behind Little, both Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp appear to bring more value, but that stems from their defensive abilities more than anything. Though they’re exceptional in their own zone and grade out as the team’s two best defensive forwards, they might not be able to keep up as well offensively in a top six role. Neither is a huge driver when it comes to their play with the puck, but then again, neither is Little.
Tasakentällisin Little on parempi kuin moni sanoo, mutta huonompi kuin suurin (Paten kannalta) toivoo. Varsinkin Laineen ja Ehlersin kanssa pelaaminen on kuitenkin valtava haaste senalle nuorukaisten pelitavasta johtuen. Homma helpottui heti, kun siinä oli Connor.
Toisaalta, jos ajattelun kääntää päinvastaiseksi niin ehkä joku peliätekevä sentteri antaisi enemmän tuommoiselle ketjulle, vaikka olisi huonompi puolustamaan. Parempi pelata vastustajan päädyssä, kuin omassa.
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