Thrashers, Predators Take Different Risks With Bryan Little, Patric Hornqvist

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Predators, Thrashers, NHL Economics

Atlanta's Bryan Little and Nashville's Patric Hornqvist signed very similar contracts over the past two days, and while the numbers aren't that far off, the two teams are taking two very different risks with their promising young players.

Little, a first-round pick by the Thrashers in 2006 (No. 12 overall), signed a three-year, $7.14 million contract on Monday that carries an annual cap hit of just under $2.4 million. The 22-year-old had a breakout season in 2008-09, scoring 31 goals, good enough for second-best on the team. Instead of building on that promising campaign, his goal production plummeted this past season, as he potted just 13 in 79 games for the Thrashers.

The risk: will Little bounce back from a disappointing season and return to the 30-goal potential he flashed two years ago, or will he be closer to the 13-goal player he was this past season? It's worth asking why he saw such a drop from one season to the next. To help with that, here's a breakdown of where -- and when -- he scored from each season.

 

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