PLL 2024

[Lax Mouse]

Almost certainly the last team I'll get to before the draft, but here's a look at the Whipsnakes:

Picking third this year are the Whipsnakes. They’re coming off of a 4-6 season in which they lost to the eventual runners-up Waterdogs, 15-12, in the opening round of the playoffs. The Whips were middle of the pack in total scores, but this was bolstered by their league leading 15 2pt goals. They scored the second fewest 1 pt goals in the league and were bottom half in assists and shooting percentage. They had the third fewest turnovers in the league but also caused the second fewest. A disciplined group, the Whipsnakes were the least penalized team in the league and were second in PP% at 55%, but they also had the lowest penalty kill %. They also had the fewest passes of any team in the league with over 300 fewer than the league leading Cannons.

While not as disastrous of a year as the first two teams previewed, a lack of ball movement and injuries limited the ceiling for the Whipsnakes. Tucker Dordevic delivered in his first pro season and tied for first in the league with 5 2pt goals. Offensively, the injury to Brad Smith (he only played in 5 games) and the hobbled nature of Matt Rambo’s season led to an offense that was a bit one dimensional. Rookie Wheaton Jackoboice also never saw the field due to injury. Dordevic ended up being the prime initiator at times and almost universally got the pole matchup, but other players simply were not beating their men on a consistent enough basis and the team lacked a proven distributor. Will Manny ended up with the most assists on the team at 16, and they brought in Jackson Morrill to help late in the season, sacrificing the 11th pick in this year’s draft to do so. Petey Lasalla was strong at the X and helped offset the season-long injury absence of Joe Nardella. A normally stout defense also had an off year, surrendering the second most scores against in the league (behind the Atlas). Ultimately, the Whipsnakes were a team that just seemed out of gas throughout much of the season, in no small part due to injuries and an aging roster (of still very capable players).

The roster is not in terrible shape heading into this season, but it could very much use an injection of youth at pole and someone with an eye for passing on offense. SSDM help should also be a priority. The attack brings back its full complement, with Rambo, Williams, Manny, and Morrill. The midfield sees the return of rookie of the year Tucker Dordevic, still flanked by Mike Chanenchuk (who very quietly had the second highest points on the team a year ago) and newly acquired Colin Heacock. Keegan Khan and Garrett return, and the former should have a bounce back year should the passing in this offense return to form. The d-mid position could use some work, as Roman Puglise would appear to be the top returning option. Bernhardt’s excellent career is likely soon coming to a close and Sallade proved a capable depth option, but neither seems like, at this point, they’re up for the task of being a season-long number 2 option. The retirement of Tyler Warner and departure of Connor Kirst have depleted the ranks here a bit. Ehrhardt’s retirement and Bryce Young’s move to the Cannons has split up the Terp, I mean Whips, defense as well. They’ve brought in Matt Rees, and Colin Squires and Brett Kennedy may be able to hold down the fort at LSM, but adding some extra options on the defensive end should be a priority. In net, Bernlohr returns, as does Brendan Krebs (whose save % was actually a touch higher). I’d look for them to maybe add one of the talented undrafted goalies through free-agency to add some competition.

The Whips can, more than any team, set the tone for this draft. Holding picks 3, 17, 22, and 27, they don’t possess the same number of top picks as some of their competitors, but their decision at #3 could move the draft in a range of directions. They also stand to capitalize on grabbing a number of players late who may end up sliding due to the draft’s depth. Ultimately, I imagine their pick at #3 comes down to Pat Kavanagh or Ajax Zappitello. They could go with Brower, but the UMD connection with the rest of the defense seems hard to ignore. If they take Zappitello (or any defender), I expect a run on defenders throughout the first two rounds, allowing for many talented offensive players to slide a bit. Offensively, Kavanagh is a tenacious rider, crafty scorer, initiator, and perhaps underrated passer. Kavanagh could very much help them improve their low Caused Turnover numbers due to his riding ability. While the Whipsnakes have proven options at attack, they lack an elite feeder and could stand to add some youth. Aside from Morrill, Williams is the youngest of the bunch at 29, Rambo is 29, and Manny is 32. They should be able to get a quality defender at #17, but other teams will likely be eying up depth at pole as well. The more I’ve looked into the players in this draft, I’ve noticed more depth at LSM and Pole. They would certainly have quality options if they go for Kavanaugh at #3. Zappitello has been a trendy pick at #3 in mock drafts, I had him there too, but Kavanagh does seem to possess all the traits that may help turn this offense around. In the later rounds, I’d expect the Whips to address SSDM (Hauss, Martin, Yager), defense or LSM if they don’t go with Zappitello, and players that can initiate from the midfield/take some pressure off Dordevic. I like Ross Scott out of the box for them, or players like Garrett Degnon, Scott Cole, Josh Zawada, Dalton Young, and Alex Vardaro if they’re available late.

[stupefied]

Thx Lmouse for write-ups on Outlaws and Whips . Always a good read . Gonna offer a a few thoughts/scenarios absent any absolutes. Outlaws with 1st pick will be making a pick for themselves and basically for Atlas as well who are in well positioned to fill several needs. I originally thought Shellenberger to Outlaws since Denver really needs a distributor, had Oneill headed to Atlas then Kavanuagh to Whips but now questioning myself after further considering . Wondering now if Outlaws just take Oneill and play the odds that either Brandau or Malone available are available at 9. If not, Denver would still land a good player at 9 and could add decent x in 4th or in udfa such as Angelus or Scott. As far as Whips, no lsm in draft or league is replacing Earhardt but whips have enuff options on team. Rees had a good season for Cannons and has a big shot , versatile Squires was very solid backup and Kennedy was a excellent ism before dropping to cd while Gash offers potential upside. Kennedy capable of cover speedy ones but beyond him, d agaisnt the speedsters appears to be greater need than ism and can't see that being Brower as suggested by Carcetera but rather Zappitello who better fits need and defensive grouping plus has Term ties. Still hard to pass on Kavanaugh whose overall impact will likely be as good as any. My long shot at #3 that would shock most is Brandau but his game and BL ties make him a slim possibility. Figure 2nd pick be Peterson if there . Getting back to Atlas, that team should be coming out of draft with a haul . See them holding off on Entenman till 11th and using fifth on either Brandau/Malone or a defender dependent how they plan to play Makar . Looking forward to tonight, fully expect some surprises . Tierney taking over Waterdogs intrigues and wonder if he'll add some Denver players that fit . Dogs good team but some needs at fogo 4th close defender, 4th attack man. Did a mock for myself and could offer something on each team but won't since hours away, tried to match players to needs but guessing picks after the first two rounds was not a easy exercise and keep revising until I said no more lol

[Lax Mouse]

Thx Lmouse for write-ups on Outlaws and Whips . Always a good read . Gonna offer a a few thoughts/scenarios absent any absolutes. Outlaws with 1st pick will be making a pick for themselves and basically for Atlas as well who are in well positioned to fill several needs. I originally thought Shellenberger to Outlaws since Denver really needs a distributor, had Oneill headed to Atlas then Kavanuagh to Whips but now questioning myself after further considering . Wondering now if Outlaws just take Oneill and play the odds that either Brandau or Malone available are available at 9. If not, Denver would still land a good player at 9 and could add decent x in 4th or in udfa such as Angelus or Scott. As far as Whips, no lsm in draft or league is replacing Earhardt but whips have enuff options on team. Rees had a good season for Cannons and has a big shot , versatile Squires was very solid backup and Kennedy was a excellent ism before dropping to cd while Gash offers potential upside. Kennedy capable of cover speedy ones but beyond him, d agaisnt the speedsters appears to be greater need than ism and can't see that being Brower as suggested by Carcetera but rather Zappitello who better fits need and defensive grouping plus has Term ties. Still hard to pass on Kavanaugh whose overall impact will likely be as good as any. My long shot at #3 that would shock most is Brandau but his game and BL ties make him a slim possibility. Figure 2nd pick be Peterson if there . Getting back to Atlas, that team should be coming out of draft with a haul . See them holding off on Entenman till 11th and using fifth on either Brandau/Malone or a defender dependent how they plan to play Makar . Looking forward to tonight, fully expect some surprises . Tierney taking over Waterdogs intrigues and wonder if he'll add some Denver players that fit . Dogs good team but some needs at fogo 4th close defender, 4th attack man. Did a mock for myself and could offer something on each team but won't since hours away, tried to match players to needs but guessing picks after the first two rounds was not a easy exercise and keep revising until I said no more lol

Some really good points!

I ended up putting a second mock draft together but won't be able to get it posted in the next few minutes.

Some last thoughts before the draft (acknowledging I'm a complete outsider and have no insider info):

I agree that I've become more convinced O'Neill will be the first pick. Shellenberger's skillset (though not quite his skill) can be found elsewhere in the draft.

I've softened a bit in Zappitello at #3, Kav offers a lot of what the Whips need (passing, CTs).

I feel like trades might be likely based off of coaches' comments, but they do seem to be asking for a lot in return.

Defense and LSM a bit deeper than I initially thought.

Can't forget that with such a tight knit lacrosse community, relationships and previous exposure to players and coaches always carry more weight. That may dictate some picks, especially in the later rounds.

I expect a lot of camp invites from the undrafted group.

Excited to see what the draft holds!

[Lax Mouse]

And it is, in fact, O'Neill at #1 to the Outlaws

[Lax Mouse]

1st commercial break after pick number four.

1. Outlaws - O'Neill
2. Atlas - Shellenberger
3. Whipsnakes - Zappitello
4. Chaos - Knobloch

[Lax Mouse]

And Atlas do indeed go with Entenmann at #5

[Lax Mouse]

Kav still available for Cannons, seems like a no brainer

[Lax Mouse]

And it is, he'll join his brother in Boston

[Lax Mouse]

And the Waterdogs go offense with Tierney's first pick, taking Brandau

[Lax Mouse]

Mason Woodward to Archers at #8

[Lax Mouse]

And that's a wrap on Round 1!

Will have thoughts afterwards but here's the first 8:

1. Outlaws - O'Neill
2. Atlas - Shellenberger
3. Whipsnakes - Zappitello
4. Chaos - Knobloch
5. Atlas - Entenmann
6. Cannons - Kavanagh
7. Waterdogs - Brandau
8. Archers - Woodward

[Lax Mouse]

Round 2 is done. Some surprises and TJ Malone still on the board going into round 3.

9. Outlaws - Jake Piseno
10. Atlas - Jake Stevens
11. Outlaws - Graham Bundy
12. Chaos - Eric Dobson
13. Archers - Beau Pederson
14. Cannons - Alex Vardaro
15. Waterdogs - Kenny Brower
16. Archers - Dyson Williams

[Lax Mouse]

Round 3 in the books. So many great players still on the board. Great value to be found in Round 4.

17. Whipsnakes - TJ Malone
18. Redwoods - Garret Degnon
19. Outlaws - Josh Zawada
20. Chaos - Ross Scott
21. Redwoods - Levi Anderson
22. Whipsnakes -Stephen Zupicich
23. Waterdogs - Marcus Hudgins
24. Archers - Colby Barsz

[Lax Mouse]

And that's it for the draft! Round 4 selections:

25. Outlaws - Luke Weirman
26. Atlas - Tyler Carpenter
27. Whipsnakes - Adam Poitras
28. Chaos - Dylan Hess (playing college football next year)
29. Redwoods - Chase Ierlan
30. Cannons - Scott Smith (might still have college eligibility)
31. Waterdogs - Michael Boehm
32. Redwoods (trade from Archers) - Cole Kastner (playing college basketball next year)

Lots to digest! Curious to everyone's thoughts!

[stupefied]

Lot to digest for sure , certainly some surprises

[Lax Mouse]

Will share some team draft/camp analysis over the next day or two.

Starting with the Cannons:

Boston Cannons

Draft Additions
Pat Kavanagh (A)
Alex Vardaro (A/M)
Scott Smith (D - might be unavailable in 2024)

Roster Spots: 28 filled spots after the draft (including Scott Smith)

Needs & Thoughts
The Cannons benefitted from teams filling other needs and got Pat Kavanagh with the 6th pick - allowing him to join his brother in Boston and for the Cannons to get younger on offense. With both Marcus Holman and Matt Kavanagh approaching the ends of their careers, Pat’s acquisition will allow them to continue slowly building a new and young talented core at attack. Should either retire soon, Asher Nolting and Pat Kavanagh will be ready to fully take the reins of the offense: a process that has already begun with Asher and that should continue this season. Vardaro in the second round may seem like a reach to some, and there were certainly many other talented offensive players on the board, but the Princeton/Georgetown product offers positional versatility that should meld well with the rest of the offense. The Cannons suddenly have surprising depth at midfield - a position that had been a concern for this team during Quirk’s tenure. A midfield core of Campbell, Donville, Vardaro, Drenner, Holman/Matt Kavanagh (probably the latter for now), Aslanian, and Kirst can beat teams in a multitude of ways and possess a team-first mindset. They’ll additionally have camp players like Adam Charalambides and Josh Stout competing for playing time. This midfield group has a balance of dodgers, shooters, and players that excel in the 2-man game, and most of them excel at more than one of those skills. The Cannons used their last pick on Scott Smith, a physical and aggressive defender out of Johns Hopkins. He may have eligibility left at JHU, but this is a smart long-term pick from Coach Holman. The Cannons have a crowded room at pole, with Rall and Chick cemented at the LSM spot. The defensive group contains newly acquired Garrett Epple and Bryce Young along with proven leaders in Jack Kielty and Cade van Raaphorst. They’ll also see experienced players competing for roles in Max Wayne and Jake Pulver. There’s not much room for more, but with some looming retirements in that group, Smith offers depth and talent in the future. The Cannons opted to forgo grabbing a FOGO, leaving Zac Tucci as the lone player there on the team. Holman made comments this week indicating they might stick with the non-traditional approach and rotate guys at the dot throughout the season. For a team with no glaring needs, this draft gave them depth as they looked to the future. They’ll have room to bring in 2-3 players via waivers for camp. If they do want to bring in someone for the FO, they can (Naso, Stathakis, and Kohn all went undrafted). They may also look to add some depth at d-mid for camp and maybe another goalie as they start thinking about Ghitelman’s eventual retirement at the backup spot.

[Lax Mouse]

California Redwoods

Draft Additions
Garrett Degnon (A/M)
Levi Anderson (A/M)
Chayse Ierlan (G)
Cole Kastner (D)

Roster Spots: 30 spots filled, but Kastner is likely unavailable this year and Cole, Grant, and Lee are on the PUP List.

Needs & Thoughts
The Redwoods traded out of their first and second round picks to acquire Chris Gray and Jared Conners this offseason. Those moves likely solidified the starting attack line as Pannell, Garnsey, and Gray while allowing Owen Grant, once healthy, to slide down to close defense with Cohen and some combination of Chris Fake and Holden Garlent. Conners and Ryan Kennedy would be a solid 1-2 punch at LSM, but they also brought in Malik Sparrow to compete there in camp as well. The Woods got their backup goalie of the present, and potential starter of the future, in Chayse Ierlan - a solid shot stopper with multiple years of experience who can command and coordinate defenses well. There’s been some debate around whether Ierlan or Will Mark from Syracuse should’ve been the goalie taken here (as pointed out on the Syracuse forum, some of Ierlan’s metrics are better than Marks, although Mark has seen more shots overall). Ultimately, choosing between the two involves a lot of splitting hairs, and if Nat St. Laurent felt this was the better player for the team, it’s hard to fault him for the choice. They added two attack/midfield hybrid players in the third round with Garrett Degnon and Levi Anderson. Both of these picks make a lot of sense, and St. Laurent has had good success taking players in later rounds. Anderson in some ways feels like a more dynamic Ryan Lee (a very good player in his own right, but one who has often been injured the last few years) and can initiate offense out of the box while also finishing from strong distributors like Pannell, Gray, and my sleeper pick for breakout player this season, Alex Simmons. Degnon offers a good changeup in offensive personnel for them. While all talented and offering various strengths, players like Berg, Lee, Simmons, Anderson, and to a smaller degree Bertrand are competing for similar roles in this offense. Montgomery is a two-way outlier and I have a hard time seeing Tierney making a game day roster this season barring injuries. Kirst, Dennis, and Degnon (and again, to an extent, Bertrand) offer something a little different for this offense. Degnon in particular can stretch a defense with his outside shooting (something this team currently lacks when Romar is off his game), but he’s also sneaky good at moving off-ball and finishing from more severe angles. Like many teams, there’s going to be a fierce battle on the offensive end for game-day roster spots. They’ve got around 13 rostered offensive players - teams usually dress around 7-8. The Woods are deep and have a fairly full roster already. Depending on injuries, they’ll have room to bring one, maybe two players to camp off waivers. Another pole for camp would be a good move.

[Lax Mouse]

Carolina Chaos

Draft Additions
Shane Knobloch (M)
Eric Dobson (M)
Ross Scott (A/M)
Dylan Hess (SSDM - unavailable in 2024)

Roster Spots: 29 spots filled post-draft, but Dylan Hess is likely unavailable in 2024


Needs & Thoughts
The Chaos identity going into 2024 is a bit of a mystery as Andy Towers has alluded to the likely schematic shift away from the Canadian/Box approach. What is less of an uncertainty is that this team needed help at the midfield, and they got the top two offensive midfielders in the draft with Shane Knobloch and Eric Dobson. Couple those additions with the drafting of Ross Scott, the acquisition of Jules Heningburg and Sergio Perkovic (though how Towers will use him remains to be seen), and Chris Cloutier and Dhane and Ryan Smith heading to the holdout list - and this offense is sure to resemble something quite different this year. The drafting of Hess is a bet on his future availability and the acknowledgement that, while a stable group this season, the cohort of SSDM that Towers has assembled will likely lose some members in a season or two. With offensive players like Byrne, Heningburg, Kurtz, Scott, Dobson, Knobloch, Jackson, and Minicus, this should be a fun offense to watch if things come together. Coholan, Perry, and Rogers should add some competition at camp, but it may be tough making the game day roster with a reloaded offense. They’ll be able to bring in 1-2 players off waivers to camp, and while SSDM and pole are pretty solidified, they could look for some extra depth there, at the FO stripe, or, like the Cannons, another goalie as they eye up a future replacement for Kaut at the backup position.

[lorin]

Carolina Chaos

Draft Additions
Shane Knobloch (M)
Eric Dobson (M)
Ross Scott (A/M)
Dylan Hess (SSDM - unavailable in 2024)

Roster Spots: 29 spots filled post-draft, but Dylan Hess is likely unavailable in 2024


Needs & Thoughts
The Chaos identity going into 2024 is a bit of a mystery as Andy Towers has alluded to the likely schematic shift away from the Canadian/Box approach. What is less of an uncertainty is that this team needed help at the midfield, and they got the top two offensive midfielders in the draft with Shane Knobloch and Eric Dobson. Couple those additions with the drafting of Ross Scott, the acquisition of Jules Heningburg and Sergio Perkovic (though how Towers will use him remains to be seen), and Chris Cloutier and Dhane and Ryan Smith heading to the holdout list - and this offense is sure to resemble something quite different this year. The drafting of Hess is a bet on his future availability and the acknowledgement that, while a stable group this season, the cohort of SSDM that Towers has assembled will likely lose some members in a season or two. With offensive players like Byrne, Heningburg, Kurtz, Scott, Dobson, Knobloch, Jackson, and Minicus, this should be a fun offense to watch if things come together. Coholan, Perry, and Rogers should add some competition at camp, but it may be tough making the game day roster with a reloaded offense. They’ll be able to bring in 1-2 players off waivers to camp, and while SSDM and pole are pretty solidified, they could look for some extra depth there, at the FO stripe, or, like the Cannons, another goalie as they eye up a future replacement for Kaut at the backup position.

I think next year we will get back to normal with the draft, this year if you look at the top 16 drafted you had kids from 2019,2020,2021 classes.

[Lax Mouse]

I think next year we will get back to normal with the draft, this year if you look at the top 16 drafted you had kids from 2019,2020,2021 classes.

It was truly a loaded draft class. There were some players who went undrafted this year that may have been at least round 2 picks in previous years.