The Atlanta Blaze took shape today as they grabbed the first pieces of their new team through the Expansion Draft. GM and Head Coach John Tucker came in with a great strategy to pilfer familiar players he has coached and ones that have been successful on playoff teams. Here is a look at the new Atlanta Blaze:
1. Adam Ghitelman, Goalie Boston- Not surprised Atlanta took a goalie, but am very surprised they took Ghitelman. He was third in terms of talent behind Scott Rodgers (Ohio) and Jordan Burke (Boston). Being the backbone of a team, getting a goalie is smart, but Rodgers should have been the choice here. Ironically, we will loop back with Rodgers later.
2. Brodie Merrill, Defender Boston- This may be the smartest pick of the draft. You get an elite defender and leader in the locker room. I was shocked Merrill was left unprotected, especially if he had no plans to retire. Merrill even as an elder statesmen is one of the best groundball guys and solid defender. He will be even more valuable serving as a captain and role model for the younger guys.
3. Ryan Tucker, Attack Boston- A no-brainer. Yes, he is John Tucker’s son. Yes, he is worthy of being the pick here. Tucker was a star in college and made an instant impact as a pro with the Cannons last season. Tucker’s ability to shoot from the outside gives Atlanta a unique young talent even if everyone knew he would be a member of the Blaze.
4. Justin Turri, Midfielder Rochester- A two-way middie in every sense gives Atlanta some versatility. Turri played both D-mid and O-mid in Denver and Rochester. After a great 2013 season, Turri struggled offensively last season. He was able to help the Rattlers on defense during their stretch run to the title game.
5. Randy Staats, Attack Rochester- Staats was drafted by the Georgia Swarm so when he was left available, it made sense for him to be with the Blaze. Although he has battled injuries over the last few years and will most likely concentrate on the NLL first, he is a dynamic scorer who can create offense on his own. Staats may emerge as the best player taken in this draft.
6. John Ranagan, Midfielder Rochester- Once a rising star in Rochester with the other “Big Boy” middies Dave Lawson and Justin Turri, Lawson struggled as the complexion of the Rattlers offense moved from middies dodging to attacking from X. Despite a rough season, Ranagan is still an outstanding big downhill dodger and if can return to the form of his rookie year, this is a great pick.
7. Henry Schoonmaker, Midfielder Chesapeake- Schoonmaker only saw action in two games as a rookie last year so Tucker is getting a fresh face he can mold. The Syracuse product poured in 55 goals as a senior last spring developing a pinpoint midrange shot and has the potential to be a first-line middie.
8. Chris Hipps, Defender Chesapeake- Interesting selection. Hipps is not well known yet, although he should be. After a standout career at Duke, Hipps transferred to SMU to play wide receiver for the 2014 football season. A big, physical, and athletic defender, Hipps played in 12 games for the Bayhawks last season with 20 groundballs as important part of a strong Chesapeake defense.
9. CJ Costabile, Defender Chesapeake- Costabile is a reliable veteran defender who can take face-offs and provide some scoring in transition. He has played LSM most of his career. He is most famous for his NCAA-championship-winning OT draw and fast break goal for Duke against Notre Dame in 2010.
10. Justin Pennington, Midfielder Denver- A very underrated two-way player, Pennington was a key member of the Outlaws 2014 MLL title team, even assisting on Drew Snider’s game-winning goal. Pennington is a smart player who can create mismatches and also provide solid defense.
11. Mark Matthews, Attack Rochester– Matthews is a great pick if he is committed to playing in the MLL. When he was on the field for the Rattlers he was a matchup nightmare for defenders as he could dodge to the cage or rifle a laser off a feed. His only issue is his commitment level. It seemed over the last few years his coaches in Rochester, New York, and Denver had no idea what they would get. Matthews can be elite if he wants to be.
12. Jeremy Noble, Midfielder Denver- He is another solid two way player as he played attack for Team Canada’s gold medal winning team then moved over to D middie later that summer during the Outlaws MLL title run. One of the smaller middies in the MLL at 5’8″ and 170 lbs, Noble quick first step can be lethal inverting from behind the cage.
13. Casey Ikeda, Defender Florida- Ikeda was stuck on an awful Launch defense last year so his numbers were not that impressive. He was a stud at Maryland as the 2015 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year leading the Terps to four straight Final Fours. Florida may regret giving up on him so quickly.
14. Dominque Alexander, Midfielder Ohio- I thought Alexander would have went earlier in the draft, but he did not remain with the Blaze long. The
Blaze shipped Alexander back to Ohio for midfielder Kevin Cooper and goalie Scott Rodgers. Atlanta also sent a sixth round draft pick in the upcoming
MLL Collegiate Draft. This ends up being a fantastic trade. Atlanta gets the best goalie available and more depth at midfield. Rodgers is ready to be
a full-time starter while Cooper has shown flashes to be a solid scorer, although Alexander would have been valuable covering opponents top middie.
15. Ryan Walsh, Attack New York- I don’t think anyone could see a scenario where Walsh was not scooped up by Atlanta. Walsh will be an all-star and just did not have a spot on the stacked Lizards attack. He did play some midfield and can be used there as well. Joe Spallina always talked about the matchup problems Walsh created with his size (6’4″ 235 lbs) and his ability to breakdown defenders. Spallina did not want to lose him, but also knew he didn’t have field time for him. Atlanta gets a huge offensive weapon to close the draft.
Atlanta went heavy on middies with many being able to play two ways. They also have a solid starting goalie in Rodgers and a solid defense to get started. The Blaze still need to address the face-off position and some field only attack as Matthews and Staats will not be full-time MLL players. Overall, this is an impressive group to build around.
Brendan McDaniels is a color analyst for the MLL Television broadcasts. Follow Brendan on Twitter @McDanielsSports.
