NLL Insider

 It’s been a week since the NLL draft but that doesn’t mean that the excitement has worn off for the players drafted, the fans, and the club executives.  I don’t know if anyone enjoys the weekend more than the club GM’s who seem to revel in the gamesmanship that goes along with wheeling a dealing. I’ll try to share with you some of the inside news that came out of the weekend. Don’t believe it all. Some of the stories are second hand but even with the first hand information – don’t forget that every GM has his own reason to spin a story and it was one of them who called it the Meetings of the Liar’s Club.Who were the winners and losers over the draft weekend? Obviously you’ve got to like what San Jose and Minnesota did. With three picks each in the first round these teams were able to add potential stars to their lineup.  I would not declare anyone a loser on draft day. Do you criticize the GM/Coach who just won the NLL championship because he didn’t have an early pick, as was the case with Buffalo? I don’t think so

In fact I pick Darris  Kilgour  the winner of the weekend’s most honest GM. When you don’t have a pick until 35^th overall you don’t have to be too sneaky. Darris was never one to pull a punch anyhow and before the draft he told me that he needed to load up on toughness. In his own Kilgour way, Darris said it amused him that for many years Buffalo’s tough brand of lacrosse has been criticized by the NLL fraternity and now that the Bandits have one of the most skilled teams in the league other teams are adding heavyweights ( Troy Bonterre in Rochester, Paul Dawson in Boston and Tim O’Brien in Edmonton) to their rosters.  It should not be a surprise that his first pick, Eryn Jones of Six Nations was near the top the Junior A league in penalty minutes.

One club executive told me that there is no way that Calgary number one pick Curtis Manning will play in the NLL this season. Manning attends Simon Fraser University and according to him he is 100% committed to the University team for one more year. I won’t name the winner of the weekend’s most “dishonest GM” but word is that one GM purposely spread the rumour that Manning will play hoping that someone would “waste” a pick on him.  I’ll wait to see how this one turns out but even if Manning doesn’t play this season, the Roughnecks still have a good player for the future. I also really like what Toronto did.  Even though they didn’t pick until 17^th overall I agree with Tutka’s assessment the Rock really improved themselves with the additions of Stephen Hoar and Luke Wiles. I can tell you for a fact that Glen Clark and and Jim Veltman are very happy all offseason moves made by Mike Kloepher. Colorado GM Steve Govett told me he was thrilled to get Matt Danowski with the 7^th overall pick, especially since he had originally traded that pick to Edmonton for Chris Gill and a second round pick back in March.  A few days before the draft he got that pick back (from Calgary) by giving up both his second round picks. I have to agree with him that Danowski could be a superstar and after the pressure that the Duke team faced a through in the last couple of years Danowski should have little problem playing in front of huge frenzied crowds in Denver.

Of course a lot of the weekend buzz centered around another potential superstar Paul Rabil. I witnessed a few jaws dropping many times. While strength alone doesn’t make you a lacrosse player it was funny to watch Rabil hurl the medicine ball the width of the lacrosse floor in the strength test.  Even during the game he often looked like a man playing against the boys.   And if you think that San Jose drafted Paul Rabil or Kevin Huntley as trade bait (as I had suggested moments after they pick Huntley) the Stealth have assured me that they have picked both players to play. In past years the Stealth have drafted players Eastern based players that they were willing to relocate to San Jose. In the case of Paul Rabil and Kevin Huntley San Jose realizes that they have drafted two fly-in players and are ready to do whatever it takes to accommodate them.  It was simply a case of drafting the best players available and San Jose feels that they could not afford to pass up the chance of getting either player.  The same goes for Rhys Duch who will also fly-in yet he will be making the much easier hop from BC.  Don’t for a minute think that San Jose went into this draft blind. Although the combine weekend offers each team a chance to interview every player its more like speed dating service as the NLL gives them only 3 minutes per player.  The San Jose staff spoke with over 60 players weeks before the draft and in many cases (as with Rhys Duch) they had multiple conversations. He is ready and excited to be going to San Jose.  (Note as of Wenesday Sept 17:  I just was told by San Jose that Rhys Duch will actually relocate to San Jose for the season) I am not saying that it’s impossible for San Jose to deal any of these players  – but I am saying that it’s not in their plans. They realize that both Rabil and Huntley are huge names in the field lacrosse world and they expect all three draftees to be starters on the San Jose offence in 2009. And if Jeff Zwicki or Colin Doyle can help teach Paul Rabil a how to score in tight in the box game, teams are going to have a pretty difficult time matching up against him one on one.

One thing I would like to add before I go. I did see at least a few combine players who sat through the whole draft without being picked. I felt disheartened so I can only imagine how they felt. I spoke to a couple of players after combine day who admitted that they were not near peak condition.  The only advice I would give future players is this. If you do get an invite to the combine camp make sure to come down in the best shape of your life. I know it’s a few months before training camp but you know what they say about first impressions and you might not get a second chance.

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