Jets coach Paul Maurice said Friday that Little, 28, would be sidelined longer term and that they will know how long in a couple of weeks. Maurice said Little's absence leaves a big void in the Jets lineup.
"Experience and his versatility," Maurice said. "You can play just about any different type of winger with him and put him in either role. You can play him with different defensive guys against other teams' best.
"He's our most experienced [center], our strongest right-hand draw man, power play, penalty kill … so there isn't a piece of our game we won't miss him in."
Little played 2:48 before exiting the game. He assisted on Shawn Matthias' goal that gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 4:14 of the first period.
Alexander Burmistrov figures to enter the lineup when the Jets play at the Minnesota Wild on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, FS-N, FS-WI, NHL.TV).
Burmistrov was a healthy scratch for the season opener.
Last season, Little had 17 goals and 42 points but a neck injury limited him to 57 games. In his 10th NHL season, he has 386 points (163 goals, 223 assists) in 614 games, all with the Atlanta Thrashers/Jets franchise.
