Jets’ Bryan Little set to return from 11-game absence Tuesday vs. Rangers

Photo Credit: Bruce Fedyck/USA TODAY Sports

The Winnipeg Jets will get a major boost when they face the New York Rangers on Tuesday night with top-line centre Bryan Little set to make his return from an 11-game absence, the result of a still-undisclosed injury.

“The good thing is I’m going to have a lot of energy tonight,” Little told the media, via the Jets’ official team website. “I might be a little rusty with the puck but i’m going to go out there play hard and try and play with the puck as much as possible.”

Read on past the jump for more.

It’ll be interesting to see precisely how much Little plays on Tuesday night. Though Little is expected to centre Andrew Ladd and Michael Frolik on a line that could be Winnipeg’s secondary forward group as even-strength, according to DailyFaceoff.com. During his availability following Winnipeg’s morning skate on Tuesday though, Little vowed to ease his way into the lineup and keep his shifts short. Perhaps Jiri Tlusty, who is expected to play on the fourth-line on Tuesday night, will take a turn or two with Ladd and Frolik in Little’s stead.

The Jets have played well in Little’s absence, managing a 52 percent score adjusted shot attempt differential in the 11 games since Little left the lineup. Mark Scheifele and his line with Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford in particular stepped up their offensive output, and have been good enough that Paul Maurice will resist the urge to unite the usual Ladd, Little, Wheeler line. 

It’s a reasonable decision actually. After all in 11 games since Little was injured, the Stafford-Wheeler-Scheifele trio have combined for 23 even-strength points. 

As good as that group has been, they haven’t been able to match Little’s two-way game. The Tlusty, Frolik, Ladd line have held up somewhat better while Little watched games from the press box, but adding an occasionally dominant two-way centre of Little’s abilities to the lineup will be a major boon – even if he plays fewer than his customary 20 minutes on Tuesday night.