NLL Insider

Futures Report

Futures Report 101, Zack Greer and Daryl Veltman

Zack Greer

This first post in the NLLInsider.com’s Futures Report department is gonna be pretty simple. Nothing too flashy. No name dropping yet. Just a little Futures Report 101 to get you educated on what we got coming down the pipe.

The Futures Report’s main focus will be to breakdown the top studs entering the upcoming year’s pro draft. We’ll be talking to players, coaches, scouts, teammates and anyone else that knows these kids on the court/field.

We’ll be focusing on junior A & B players from across Canada and also looking at the NCAA prospects that are truly looking at giving the NLL a serious run. We’re talking real US branded field ballers that plan on showing up to camp if drafted.

Obviously we’ll be looking at players that are already playing senior ball and finishing up their college careers too. Basically, anyone that can get drafted into the pro ranks is gonna get some love from us. READ MORE »

Futures Report

Canadians, hockey, and the NLL Entry Draft

We Canadians have two somewhat annoying habits. One: when we are with American friends (or relatives), we feel the need to remind them of every entertainer or celebrity that is Canadian. For example, if a Canadian is watching a movie starring a Canadian we are compelled to say, “Hey did you know he’s Canadian?” and then we’ll go on to list off almost every Canadian in the entertainment business: Mike Meyers, Michael J. Fox, Jim Carrey, Keifer Sutherland, Elisha Cuthbert, Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams (she’s hot), William Shatner, Paul Shafer, Neil Young, Avril Lavigne, John Candy, Alex Trebek, Howie Mandell, and on and on. Usually we hope for an argument, so its best to say “that’s nice.”

The other Canadian habit is comparing everything to hockey. We are a hockey-crazed nation, so when we tell a parent that he should get his child into lacrosse, we usually tell them that it will toughen them up for hockey, keep them in shape for hockey, or improve their hand-eye coordination – for hockey. Then we will go on to list every NHL hockey player that ever played lacrosse: Brendan Shanahan, Joe Nieuwendyk, Adam Foote, Adam Oates, Joe Sakic, Wayne Gretzky, Stan Jonathon, John Ferguson and on and on.

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Futures Report

Revisiting the NLL entry draft

This fall’s NLL entry draft day was certainly eventful. At noon on draft day, the New York Titans were officially unveiled to the press at a rooftop restaurant across the street from Madison Square Garden. The actual draft was held at the Madison Square Garden theatre and was open to the public. Over 50 potential draftees traveled from locations in the US and Canada in hopes of being called to the podium by an NLL team. In the days leading up to the draft, a blockbuster deal moved the number one pick from New York to San Jose. As well, on the day before the draft came the news that potential superstar Athan Ianucci was denied his eligibility waiver by the NCAA and was therefore available to the NLL. Many felt that he could knock off Geoff Snider as the number one pick.

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