NLL Insider

Time to start getting your costumes ready NLL Fans because soon the rosters of the thirteen NLL teams will look so strange you will think you have landed permanently in Halloween. Over the next few weeks teams will start to trim their current rosters and make some serious changes, looking to fill the voids in hopes of giving them the best advantage going into training camp come November. We are already seeing teams drop players from last season’s rosters as well as some early free agent signings taking place.

You can check out the NLL transactions page to follow what your team has been up to and every so often you can find a move that makes you say, ‘WHAT!’ This happened to me the other day when I saw that the Wings signed former MSL stud and Albany Attack forward Nick Trudeau. Nick last played for the Rock in 2005 and is a player that still has a ton of raw talent within him. The guy took some flack back in the day for his attitude but what league doesn’t have a few odd eggs that people look down on? I think the Wings are in for a treat with Nick, he’s strong, has a nose for the goal and loves the game of lacrosse with a passion that will fit in nicely with the Wings fans!

Some other shake ups taking place have Wings 3^rd string goalie Jay Preece moving west to the Mile High city. I’ve known Jay since our Jr. Days in Victoria and he’s an absolute gem! You can read how much the Philly fans appreciate everything he did for them and I think the Mammoth fans will soon feel the same. I know some of the Wings faithful definitely said, ‘WHAT THE….!’ when he was released. Add to this move that Chris Levis has now signed with the Rush and the head shaking continues. Especially when you notice that the Rush now have more #1 calibre goaltenders on their roster than the Stealth (Steve Dietrich, Curtis Palidwor, Chris Levis and young Brandon Atherton).

One of the more surprising moves taking place this week was when Bob Hamley, who is definitely living up to his ‘hammer’ nick-name, released journeyman Dan Stroup from the Rush. Stroup has been a Rush fan favourite ever since he arrived in Edmonton and was consistently one of their best players. Dan is able to compete at this level but it looks as if he has found himself caught in a numbers game and unfortunately on the outside looking in. I know there are a few teams that could use his services so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Dan pop up at a western camp in a month’s time. And then THIS! What else is Hamley going to pull off?

Another point of note is the number of long term deals we are starting to see. With the new CBA that is now in place, the league has a bit of stability and players are starting to capitalize on it. Last year we saw a few multi year deals signed and that was something! The league had never before seen this because players weren’t sure there would even be a league the next season. But now, with a 7 year deal in place, a team signing multiple players to two, three and four year deals is becoming the norm.

With no lax being played right now, people are getting anxious and looking for things to discuss and fight over. Recently people have been giving Tutka hell because his Top 50 isn’t the same as theirs and others are wondering if a Titans fan will start another thread about his adoration for his team’s home game situation. So over the next little while keep your eyes fixed on NLLInsider.com and NLL.com for the latest wheelings and dealings transpiring across the league because the ‘WTF’ factor shows no signs of slowing down!

Rate This Story:

(13 votes, average: 4.15 out of 5)

 Loading ...