Another year, another expansion, another roster shuffle. A look at possible protected rosters.
Another year, another shuffling of PLL rosters. Expansion is exactly what the league needs right now, even before the PLL/MLL merger. There is just too much talent and not enough spots. Of course, that might be even more the case now, as literally over 150 players from the MLL will try to take a roster spot in the new unified PLL. As Marlo Stanfield said, we call that one of those good problems.
And then there’s the fact that the only way to prevent the Whipsnakes from winning another title is stripping players away via expansion. Regardless of why you like expansion, you like it. More teams is good. Keeping a piece of pro lacrosse history by bringing in Cannons LC is good. It’s time to get the ball rolling on 2021.
Teams now have to decide, for the second time in as many years, what players on their roster they will protect from the expansion draft. Teams can protect 14 players in total, at least one of which must be a goalie. The Cannons can pick no more than 3 players from any existing PLL team and will make 18 selections in the expansion draft. All unselected players return to their original club. Last year, teams selected in the college draft who didn’t make an active roster received an automatic protection for the team that drafted them. This year, that isn’t the case. Of course, coaches will have their own approach to this process, and some players may go unprotected for the second time. It’s noteworthy that the gigantic influx of talent is predominantly offensive players. The number of defenders and SSDMs that will be ready to step in and play immediately for a PLL club is much lower than the number of offensive players who can. Because of that, I’d expect, as Joe Keegan has also suggested, teams to focus on keeping their high-level defenders and shorties on the roster and be more open to losing some pieces of the offense they feel they can replace with college or MLL talent. The protected rosters are due on February 27, but let’s take a stab at who each club should protect.
ATLAS LC:
I am on record as being on Team Blow Up The Atlas. The Bulls finished at the bottom the league standings, despite being a loaded roster (on paper) and adding Rob Pannell, Bryan Costabile, Romar Dennis and Craig Chick. Pannell and other seasoned pros like Paul Rabil and Connor Buczek had summers to forgot, posting shooting percentages lower than their shoe size. Buczek has been productive and a Team USA caliber player every other year of his career, so this summer is likely just a blip. Rabil has shown he can still separate on the dodge and is worthy of remaining in the Top 50 as he did. That said, seeing things go full circle and have the Cannons take him would be magical. But back to the Bulls. The Atlas need to pick the guys they want to use to build a foundation, because running this group back again after the last two years of severe underachievement doesn’t make any sense to me. That’s how I’d approach my protected roster if I was the Atlas. Fresh faces, fresh start. In fact, it would seriously behoove them to take this opportunity to totally blow it up and invite guys to be taken by the Cannons. That said, I’m keeping:
Attack:
Eric Law
Midfield/Faceoff:
Bryan Costabile
John Crawley
Jake Richard
Trevor Baptiste
Defense:
Cade Van Raaphorst
Goalie:
Jack Concannon
That’s it. Seven guys. I don’t think you necessarily let all these other guys leave in expansion, you should absolutely try and trade some of them first, but this is the group I want as my core for the future. You’re probably asking, why not Rob Pannell? Well, that’s easy. The Atlas have the first pick in the college draft, and Michael Sowers is in the college draft. Done. Get younger and lock up the guy who would have gone AHEAD of Grant Ament last year to run your offense. You keep a veteran leader who is always going to be productive in Eric Law. Your best midfielder last year is on the list in Bryan Costabile. Jake Richard is an underrated two way middie, and the kind of player who’s skill set may be challenging to duplicate and replace as he can impact both ends and faceoff wings. John Crawley is as smart an offensive player as there is in the league, and his presence along with Law is almost a requirement if the plan is to run out a young team. Baptiste is a lock. Even on a down year last summer, he’s at worst going to be a top 3 faceoff man in the league this in 2021. CVR was the lone bright spot on the Atlas defense last summer, leading the league in caused turnovers, and was second in the league in ground balls among non faceoff specialists. Put him in front of Jack Concannon, who remains a steady and reliable backstop, and start the rebuild. Let’s be real, this won’t actually happen, and they’ll protect Rabil, Pannell, Ryan Brown, Romar Dennis, Tucker Durkin, and a couple others as well. The way the rules are written, teams *must* protect 14 guys, so my dream of Atlas shocking the world and protecting just a handful is just that. They can still wheel and deal in the trade market and get some serious return for deals they could make. But in my opinion, it’s rebuild time, and running all those stars out again is not a rebuild, it’s a repeat. An ugly one. I hope I’m wrong.
ARCHERS LC
Archers are in an interesting spot. Coach Chris Bates clearly likes his two-goalie system with Adam Ghitelman and Drew Adams, and now is in the position where he can protect both players if he wants to. Last year he only got to protect one and was fortunate to maintain both his netminders. However, doing so means he will lose one of his field player slots on a team that has quite a few players they’ll want to keep around. The Archers looked like a title contender last summer, with an electric offense absolutely loaded with weapons and seeing eye passes. The defensive end saw Matt McMahon lead the league in caused turnovers (tied with CVR), new addition Eli Gobrecht settle in as a solid number 2 defender, and Scott Ratliff show off the transition game that has made him a household name at LSM. This is tough.
Attack:
Grant Ament
Marcus Holman
Will Manny
Midfield/Faceoff:
Tom Schreiber
Ryan Ambler
Christian Mazzone
Dominique Alexander
Josh Currier
Defense:
Matt McMahon
Scott Ratliff
Eli Gobrecht
Curtis Corley
Goalie:
Adam Ghitelman
Drew Adams
The thing about keeping 14 guys is, you can keep most of your bubble roster together. In the case of the Archers, they can keep their three headed monster at attack together. They have a first midfield line ready in Schreiber, Ambler, and some combination of Currier or Mazzone, plus whoever they look at adding in the draft. Alexander remains one of the top SSDMs in the league, and Mazzone again can contribute on the defensive end. The close defense stays intact, along with Scott Ratliff, and both goalies come back. The Archers could lose some depth in guys like Mike Simon, Joey Sankey, or Ian Mackay, but they should be able to replace those players with MLL or college draft talent. Recent college draft pick Jake Rapine also goes unprotected, but it’s tough to keep him ahead of any of the defenders on the list. The same goes for the faceoff spot. Unless a team has a truly dominant faceoff player, it probably makes sense to try and bring in a TD Ierlan, Kyle Gallagher, Gerard Arceri, or MLL player like Alex Woodall or Max Adler, and instead use a slot on a field player who has more value.
CHAOS LC:
The Chaos are also in a fascinating spot. They thought they had their leader and QB on offense after year one in Connor Fields, who was an MVP finalist and one of the league’s top offensive producers. In 2020, Fields had a summer to forget, with his production way down, leading to eventually being benched. To compound that, the Chaos offense absolutely took off with Fields OUT of the lineup. It’s likely he’ll be mentioned in trade rumors all offseason, and the Chaos likely could fetch decent return for him from a team looking for help at attack despite his value being probably as low as it will ever be. The Chaos also have an interesting decision at goalie. Blaze Riorden again was the Goalie of the Year in the PLL. His backup is Dillon Ward, who has a legit claim to being, at worst, the 2nd best goalie in the world. Between Ward and Fields, the Chaos have the chance to absolutely set the trade market on fire and return draft picks in a loaded college draft. What happens with Fields and Ward could set the tone for how this roster moves forward. I can’t imagine letting them go for nothing, and I also can’t imagine having both of them back on the roster to stand on the sideline.
Attack:
Curtis Dickson
Josh Byrne
Austin Staats
Midfield/Faceoff:
Sergio Salcido
Jake Froccaro
Dhane Smith
Mark Glicini
Pat Resch
Defense:
Jack Rowlett
Jarrod Neumann
Tyson Bell
Troy Reh
Jason Noble
Goalie:
Blaze Riorden
I’m leaving Fields and Ward among the unprotected because I think trades make sense for them. At attack, the Chaos can protect what should be their starting unit in 2021. They can also protect the midfield core of Froccaro, Salcido, and Dhane Smith who had a strong showing in 2020. Mark Glicini and Pat Resch also return at the midfield, but the Chaos should look to add some depth at the SSDM either via trade or draft following the retirement of Kevin Buchanan. Jack Rowlett had an excellent 2020 and is a no brainer. Jarrod Neumann didn’t produce as much as he did in year one, as teams keyed hard to find him over the midfield line and eliminate transition looks against the Chaos. Neumann is still a defender worth protecting, but I wonder if we’ll ever see a year of production from him like we did in year one. Reh is a all quality piece, and the defensive talent coming in the drafts is not as deep as the talent on offense, so it’s important to hold onto guys that are known quantities and can help you. Rees and Surdick are back on military exemption, I’d still use those spots on defensive end and hold onto Jason Noble and Tyson Bell. If you want to say let them go in favor of a player you know will be available for you, that is reasonable as well. Grab a Deemer Class or some more midfield depth with that spot, or even use it on Ward if you really love the idea of having the two best goalies in the world on the roster. Even though Blaze had to make more saves than anyone in the league and give up more goals than anyone in the league, I think it makes sense to keep these guys, then try and add a Ben Randall, Zach Goodrich, Michael Rexrode, or other piece that will compete and likely win a starting job. Tommy Kelly faced off at just 38% in 2020, and unless they feel good about a bounceback from him or Austin Henningsen having a major impact, they need to be in the market for a faceoff man.
CHROME LC:
The Chromeback was real in 2020. This team came out of the gates red hot, and new head coach Tim Soudan had them playing solid, physical lacrosse with an edge. Chrome is in a tough position of needing to improve defensively but has to do it via drafts that aren’t as packed with defensive talent. The Chrome will get Joel White back at LSM this year after he opted out of playing in the bubble in 2020, and it can’t be overstated how big a help that will be for them. The offensive end has a few no brainers, but the Chrome will use all 14 slots to try and keep an offensive group that took a great leap forward intact. They also must decide if they want to try and get younger in net this year or keep Galloway or Queener in net for another year. This is a team with a lot to build on.
Attack:
Jordan Wolf
Justin Guterding
Matt Gaudet
Midfield/Faceoff:
John Ranagan
Will Haus
Ned Crotty
Jesse King
Jordan Macintosh
Connor Farrell
Defense:
Jesse Bernhardt
Reece Eddy
Joel White
Mike Manley
Goalie:
John Galloway
In the end, I think it makes sense to keep Galloway. He’s still a solid leader, especially with Bernhardt, of a defensive unit looking to raise it’s game in 2021, and his game in 2020 was a step up from 2019. Rookie LSM Reece Eddy had a great first campaign and pairing him with White should give the Chrome one of the better LSM groups in the league. They also get to hold onto one of the best defensive players in the 2020 college draft, Tom Rigney, due to military exemption. The attack group is also outstanding, with Wolf and Guterding continuing to pile up points as more ball dominant players, and Gaudet the perfect fit to play off of them. The first midfielder kept on this team should probably be Will Haus. Four points, nine groundballs, great wing play and defensive play, an athlete who can be a threat in transition and even stay on with the offense, Haus is not a guy you can easily replace in the drafts. Ranagan and Crotty are also no brainers as first line middies. Jesse King and Jordan Macintosh can play multiple spots on the offense, and Connor Farrell at faceoff is another must keep. The Chrome can add depth at all spots, but they aren’t all that far from being a real force to contend with.
REDWOODS LC:
The Woods might have overperformed in 2020 if we’re being honest. Losing Jules Heningburg before the Championship Series even started was a big blow, as it looked like they were searching for a replacement all throughout the summer. They even tried Brent Adams at attack. If not for Sergio Perkovic hitting a whole lot of twos in some big spots, the Woods might have really had a tough summer. The good news is that the defense is still an excellent group. The offense will have Heningburg back this year. The key spots for this team will be at the faceoff X, where they will still be looking to replace Greg Gurenlian. Peyton Smith and Greg Puskuldjian both faced off at sub 40% in the bubble, and a field tilted that severely is extremely hard to overcome in the PLL.
Attack:
Jules Heningburg
Ryder Garnsey
Matt Kavanagh
Clarke Petterson
Midfield/Faceoff:
Sergio Perkovic
Brent Adams
Myles Jones
Jack Near
Pat Harbeson
Defense:
Garrett Epple
Eddy Glazener
John Sexton
Finn Sullivan
Goalie:
Tim Troutner
I think it makes sense to hold onto Petterson for depth at attack, as the 2020 summer showed us just how important that is for the Redwoods, and one injury at that spot can monkey wrench them severely. If Landis is again unavailable despite protection via military exemption, the Woods should keep Finn Sullivan, who played well after coming over from the MLL. Epple, Glazener, and Sexton are also easy protected slots. The midfield defenders the Woods have are also must keeps. Near and Harbeson are among the best in the league. There were only two players in the league with more caused turnovers than Harbeson last year. Not just SSDMs, all players. Cade Van Raaphorst and Matt McMahon had more, and that’s it. The Woods would be foolish to let Harbeson go unprotected again. Near is just as important to them. The toughest losses here are Joe Walters and Kyle Harrison. To be honest it’s hard to imagine a team letting Harrison go, as even though his production isn’t what it once was, he’s as beloved in a locker room as anyone in the league. Walters had a strong statistical 2020, and to be honest it’s just the number of slots available that leaves him unprotected. If you want to make a case to drop Petterson and keep Walters, I think that’s reasonable. It’s definitely possible for the Woods to add some attack depth via the drafts. A player who can run out of the box and be a threat from two while not being ball dominant (stares intensely at Mac O’Keefe) would be a nice addition. One other thing to watch here is what happens with Jack Kelly. The Redwoods still have his rights. He hasn’t played yet in the PLL after dealing with injuries, but he’s a Team USA caliber goalie that could presumably get grabbed by another team.
WATERDOGS
The Waterdogs need to do a lot this offseason to catch up to the contenders. They still have Zach Currier, who is absolutely a guy you can build a team around, but this team needs an X attackman, more midfield dodgers, and lots of help on defense. Even a field general like Brodie Merrill wasn’t able to cover the disorganization and mistakes of this defensive group. SSDM will also be a point to focus on for the Waterdogs, as they’ll need to add some more depth at that spot. There are some nice players in these groups, and maybe another year together will improve what looked like trust and communication issues on the defensive end. On offense there are some nice pieces as well, but the offense too often looked stagnant. How the Waterdogs approach these drafts, especially given the offensive talent available to add to their group, is critical if they want to contend.
Attack:
Kieran McArdle
Ryan Drenner
Ben Reeves
Christian Cuccinello
Midfield/Faceoff:
Jake Withers
Connor Kelly
Zach Currier
Ben McIntosh
Steve DeNapoli
Defense:
Brodie Merrill
Ryland Rees
Noah Richard
Chris Sabia
Goalie:
Matt DeLuca
The goalie spot may be a bit of a surprise, but I thought DeLuca was solid in relief and deserves a season to get the nod, assuming the Waterdogs don’t bring in anyone else at goalie. They also still have Tate Boyce on the roster. I also should be clear that just because I’d protect these guys doesn’t mean I want to just run this same group out there again. I don’t even expect this whole list to be starters or active roster guys by the time the season rolls around. Some are no brainers and should be part of the Waterdog core (Currier, Rees, Kelly, McArdle). Others are guys who at this point look like nice offensive pieces. A bright spot for the Waterdogs was at the faceoff X. Jake Withers had the third best faceoff percentage in the league last summer. Drew Simoneau had a great summer facing off for the Waterdogs as well, and I might even be convinced it makes sense to protect both faceoff specialists. DeNapoli had a good summer for the Waterdogs, and his experience as a Team USA SSDM is valuable. The Waterdogs, like the Atlas, are a team I could see not using all 14 of their spots in the event that they want to try and bring in a lot of fresh faces from college and the MLL. But this is a group that was thrown together last year and playing, chemistry wise, a year behind all the other teams in the league, so I’d give them at least another year to gel.
WHIPSNAKES:
Now we run into some tough decisions. The Whips are a juggernaut. It honestly didn’t look like the rest of the PLL was in the same league as them in 2020. They have arguably the best player in the league at almost every position on the field. At one point, Whipsnakes made up four of the top five odds on favorites for the MVP award. The Whips decided to protect their defense first the last time around, letting Connor Kelly, Ben Reeves, Drew Snider, and Ryan Drenner all go to the Waterdogs, and there was a concern about offensive production with them gone. Zed Williams and Brad Smith alleviated that concern and then some. This time the Whips can keep 14 guys, but even that leaves them making some tough calls.
Attack:
Matt Rambo
Zed Williams
Brad Smith
Jay Carlson
Midfield/Faceoff:
Joe Nardella
Jake Bernhardt
John Haus
Mike Chanenchuk
TJ Comizio
Defense:
Matt Dunn
Tim Muller
Michael Ehrhardt
Bryce Young
Goalie:
Kyle Bernlohr
I didn’t protect Tyler Warner because I’m assuming he’ll be unavailable as part of his med school career. If he’s available, I’m dropping Jay Carlson for him. That’s not easy to do, as Carlson is one of the best off ball players in the league and had a great scoring year for the Whips, but I just can’t see letting anyone else on the list go. Brad Smith stepped and was a threat from all over the field and can play from the midfield this year if the Whips are able to keep Carlson. The defense stays intact here, with TJ Comizio stepping into the role vacated Warner. Comizio is underappreciated as he gets lost in the shuffle of impact players on the Whips, and to be honest had a quiet 2020 to say the least. I still think he’s worth holding on to based just on his performances as an MLL player. He’s an SSDM who can start for most teams, you can’t let those go in this draft. I’d say John Haus and Mike Chanenchuk are must keeps, and it’s hard to imagine Jake Bernhardt being made available either. The retirement of Joe LoCascio makes things a little easier for the Whips. With this list, the Whips core is intact, and they’ll have the opportunity to add depth and role players in both loaded drafts. They do, however, unprotect both of there college draft players in Sean New and Matt Hubler.
And that’s how it goes. If this is the way things shake out, I’d expect the Cannons try and grab some defensive contributors and any SSDM of note from the unprotected list. They already know they have Lyle Thompson, as they have the first pick in the Entry Draft and there is no way they pass on him. They won’t need to grab a QB or offensive focal point, that pick has been made already.
EDIT: This has been updated to reflect the inclusion of certain players on the protected list via Military Exemption and the retirement of Kevin Buchanan.
