NLL Trade Deadline

Forget the day long coverage where one can tune into a sports station and watch people discuss trades that will never come to pass. The trade deadline for the National Lacrosse League gets next to no mention in the media at all. If it wasn’t for John Tavares crediting lacrosse for his sick stick skills on the ice, TSN (Canada’s sports leader) would not even know the sport existed. Sportsnet is too busy showing poker to focus on anything sports related and The Score is busy covering CIS championships (thanks for this Score, no one else will let us see these fine events). This is about the only time that the lack of television coverage for Canada’s national sport is a good thing.

So without all the hoopla and fanfare, the NLL trade deadline will quietly pass by today at 3:00PM. Will there be anything big to report this year anyhow? There are some solid players sitting on the sidelines this year due to Chicago’s departure from the league but will any of them be called on to help a team reach the playoffs? I for one don’t think anything major will take place today but I am far from an expert. Here is my team by team analysis, it likely won’t be very accurate, but I am bored and need something to waste some time with. Please comment on the areas I went wrong or areas that need more discussion. It will be interesting to see if I get any of my predictions right.

Boston Blazers: This is a new team that is surprising a lot of the experts. I think they will finish the season with what they have, since they are the third best in the league, and will make a solid run. The game on April 4 against the Bandits should be a good test for this young team.

Buffalo Bandits: Currently number two overall they are fading somewhat from the start of the season where they looked unbeatable. Currently dealing with some injuries on the back end and their offence is not producing to their level. They have the pieces to defend their title this year but if the injuries are going to persist much longer they may look for some help in the back end. Darris will have this team playing back up to their level by this weekend.

Calgary Roughnecks: Sitting on top of the league this team is looking really sharp. They are getting great goaltending, solid defence and an offensive punch reminiscent of the 2005 Toronto Rock. Josh Sanderson leads the team in scoring (4th in the league) followed closely by team captain, Tracey Kelusky and sophomore Dane Dobbie. Calgary won’t be shopping today.

Colorado Mammoth: This team is just plain underachieving. They are a good team but just haven’t gone on a run this year. Some injuries have hurt them this year but they seem to be able to play with the top teams as they defeated Calgary on Valentine’s Day. A more consistent effort should result in better results. They might be looking for that one player to help them succeed in the playoffs.

Edmonton Rush: Their season is pretty much a wash even though they are only two games out of fourth in the west. They rebuilt almost the entire team this year and just can’t get things to go their way. If anything they may look to deal Teat or Quinlan. Lindsay Plunkett hasn’t played all year due to work commitments but perhaps he can be dealt to a team in the east to get Edmonton an extra body to use this year.

Minnesota Swarm: This team had a bit of a let down early in the season but has come back to .500 with three solid games against eastern teams. A trade with Rochester a couple weeks ago might have been the spark that was needed and the past three wins have given them their confidence back too. I think this team will stick with what they have at this point.

New York Titans: Are hurting without the services of Casey Powell but he will likely return to the lineup before too long. Having this weekend off will help. They seem to be a player or two away from the next level so if they want to make a serious push this year they may be shopping for some help.

Philadelphia Wings: This team has been hurt by injuries and inconsistent play all season. A trade may be what is needed here to shake up the team a bit. The goaltending is good but unless they play to their potential every minute of every game, the Wings won’t last long in the playoffs if they get there.

Portland Lumberjax: Another team playing surprisingly well. Not many people gave Portland a chance this year after losing Dan Dawson but they have come together as a team and performed well. I don’t see management messing with this team at this point.

Rochester Knighthawks: They are starting to play like they can and with this effort continuing the rest of the year, they may surprise a team or two in the playoffs. They already made a trade to get Craig Point and Dean Hill and both have helped immensely since coming over. They look to have all the pieces they need to compete now so they likely won't be in the market today.

San Jose: This is a very young team with several players trying to adapt to the indoor game. This year, although disappointing, is a learning year for this team. I think they will stick with what they have now and try to get their rookies as much game experience as possible so they can make a run again next year.

Toronto Rock: This team has been sinking since they traded away their true captain (Colin Doyle) a few years ago. They have hit rock bottom it seems and have made moves already to try to correct things. This team needs more consistent play from everyone including their goalie Bob Watson. They did play well in Boston last weekend so maybe they have turned a corner. They have a lot of players that could help other teams so if they get the right offer I can see them trading some offense for younger and quicker defence.