Winnipeg Jets
Bryan Little – 3 Years, $5.3 Million (Cap Hit Per Year)
The problem with Little isn’t his play, but his health. He only played seven games in the 2019-20 season and he didn’t play once this year. Although the team can currently stick the contract into the Long-Term Injury Reserve, Little’s potential return in 2021-22 could cause some roster issues. After such a rough few years, it’s hard to imagine that Little returns as the same player. $5.3 million is quite the sum for a player with this much recent injury history.
A 3-year contract isn’t insane, but it certainly isn’t pretty on the books. If the Jets are looking to stay competitive next season, shipping away Little might be the best move to allow some malleability in the offseason. Yzerman got a second round draft pick for Marc Staal’s one year contract at $5.7 million, so a trade would have to include significantly more for the longer term. If traded to Detroit, Little’s contract would hypothetically expire at around the time the team starts getting truly competitive.