If there’s anyone in the league who knows what it feels like to go through an extended rebuilding process, it’s Winnipeg’s Bryan Little. He was drafted in 2006 with the No. 12 overall pick by the Atlanta Thrashers, part of a group of guys like Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane who were the latest wave of another round of rebuilding by the floundering franchise.



Then Little patiently waited out Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s plan after the franchise moved north, as the forward signed a five-year contract in 2013 and re-upped with a six-year deal in September. Along the way, he’s only seen the playoffs once – putting up three points in four games.



That’s a full decade worth of patience and it wasn’t always easy, even when there eventually became a clear vision of how things might look.



“It doesn’t make it any easier at the time,” Little told The Athletic. “You want to make the playoffs...