Yesterday was full of lacrosse news, including the NLL. Two trades went down in the matter of hours, but one really stood out. The Minnesota Swarm sent Kevin Ross to the Philadelphia Wings for a first round pick in the 2015 NLL draft. Today we will step back and look at what this trade really means to both sides.
The Philadelphia Wings showed flashes of brilliance last season, but at other times they faltered. Injuries hurt, and a lack of depth was really exposed at certain points in the season. In this trade the Wings pick up a guy who scored 28 goals and 31 assists last season. Only three players scored more points last season on the Wings, Dawson, Crowley, and Mundorf. By adding Ross the Wings add another scoring threat that really makes their offensive unit much more potent. The Wings also had a strong weakness on the left side of their offensive unit last season, and this helps eliminate that.
Right now, this is a loss for the Minnesota Swarm. You take a 59 point player out of your lineup and it obviously isn’t going to help you. However the Swarm have gotten very good at picking up draft picks in trades. This has led to the very promising young team that they currently have and having four draft picks in the first round this season. However, this pick is way in the future. It’ll be a while before this trade will really pay off for the Swarm. On the other hand, this may give some of those young players more time to play and spur their development.
Of course you have to factor in that Ross will now be playing closer to home, something that Owner John Arlotta mentioned in his statement. “I’d like to thank Kevin for his contributions both on and off the field during his time in Minnesota, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward in Philadelphia, where he will get the chance to play closer to home,” said Arlotta regarding Ross. Of course many players would prefer to play closer to home, its a topic that comes up frequently in the NLL.
Who won this trade? Right now its the Philadelphia Wings, who have really strengthened their offensive unit. Minnesota gets no direct benefits until 2015, two years down the road. It may eventually help them out, but right now its just losing your third highest scorer for no immediate gain.
What do you think about Ross’s move to the Wings? Who won this trade, if anybody? Make sure to comment below on your take on the second of two trades made yesterday in the NLL.
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