NLL Insider

Mike Accursi (Photo: Dave Sanders)

Although the National Lacrosse League  trade deadline may lack some of the sizzle (although not yesterday) or agonizingly & amazingly long full day marathon TSN devotes to the NHL cut-off, the NLL deadline has proved to be a bit of an event too.

Names like Mike Accursi, Dan Teat, Matt Disher, Josh Sanderson, and Lewis Ratcliff all got moved last year and have made major impacts on their current teams, with Accursi of course playing huge for the Buffalo Bandits during the post-season in 2008.

We’ve received a ton of emails from readers in regards to this year’s deadline, so after the jump, find out when this year’s deadline is, what first rounders are on the board for the much anticipated 2009 entry draft, plus a few other tidbits. Yeah, I said tidbits.

Well, the first questions is easy. The deadline this year will be on Tuesday March 17th (usually at 3PM EST).

And with everyone trying to figure out a way to draft the likes of Zack Greer, Garrett Billings, Sid Smith, Cliff Smith and potentially Cody Jamieson depending on what happens with him at Syracuse, here’s the breakdown of 2009’s first round of the entry draft (based on standings as of today)…

(1) Rochester Knighthawks (own Toronto’s pick via the Aaron Wilson/Stephen Hoar trade)
(2) Colorado Mammoth (own Rochester’s pick via the Gary Gait trade)
(3) Rochester Knighthawks (own Edmonton’s pick via the Mike Accursi trade)
(4) Toronto Rock (own San Jose’s pick via the Colin Doyle/Ryan Benesch trade)
(5) Minnesota Swarm
(6) Colorado Mammoth
(7) New York Titans
(8) Toronto Rock (own Edmonton’s pick which is actually Portland’s pick via the Ryan Benesch/Derek Suddons trade)
(9) Boston Blazers
(10) Calgary Roughnecks (this conditional pick may end up being Toronto’s via the Josh Sanderson/Lewis Ratcliff trade, but will more than likely be Calgary’s, with Toronto grabbing the Necks’ second rounder this year instead)
(11) Edmonton Rush (own Buffalo’s pick via the Mike Accursi/Dan Teat trade)
(12) San Jose Stealth (own Chicago’s pick via the Matt Roik/Anthony Cosmo trade, which will be the last pick of the round due to Chicago folding)

If our math is right, that’s what the first round looks like today. Those positions will no doubt move around based on the final regular season standings and how the playoffs play out, but just to give you an idea where everyone stands right now, the above is what we have presently. The Philadelphia Wings, at this point anyways, do not own a first round pick after dealing their first rounder to Chicago last year. Since the Shamrox franchise owns the pick, it will simply most likely be voided once the draft rolls around.

The rumour mill has already heated up too, even though we are still a couple weeks outside of the March 17th cut-off.

As we mentioned earlier this week, there have been a flurry of rumours that the Toronto Rock and Colorado Mammoth have a second part to last week’s deal that saw Curtis Palidwor moved to Toronto in exchange for a second rounder in 2010. Most Toronto based sources NLL Insider spoke to feel a trade will take place following this upcoming weekend’ s All-Star Game in Denver.

The other speculation in a lot of circles is that the San Jose Stealth might be moving unsigned first round pick Kevin Huntley before the deadline, with Philadelphia, as always, being the most talked about destination. Will the Stealth continue to hold onto all three of their keepers, Matt Roik, Aaron Bold and Tyler Richards, this season as well?

Depending on where teams sit in the standings and what their depth charts look like due to any injuries that may arise, there is a decent pool of unsigned free agents still out there, including the likes of Jason Clark, Chris Panos, Jonas Derks, Brock Boyle and Jamie Hanford, that very well could be signed come March 17th (free agent deadline is actually two days after the trade deadline).

Stay tuned to NLL Insider for more trade deadline day coverage over the coming weeks.

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