The season of National Lacrosse League blockbusters continues. This afternoon the New England Black Wolves and Calgary Roughnecks made a blockuster trade with former NLL MVP Shawn Evans being sent to New England in exchange for Tyler Digby and two first round draft picks. Digby was acquired from the Vancouver Stealth on Saturday by the Black Wolves in exchange for Garrett Billings.
“We just added arguably the best indoor lacrosse player in the world to our roster,” said Black Wolves co-owner Mike Frenchin a league press release. “We are not just adding Shawn’s physical ability and stats, but we are adding his leadership and locker room presence. Shawn changes this team in many ways. We are extremely excited to have him as part of the pack.”
Evans has split his 10 NLL seasons between Calgary and Rochester where the 29-year-old has become one of the most dominant offensive presences in the league.
“New England being a new team and the potential of the players they have there definitely sparked my interest,” Evans said on NLL.com. “I see a lot of young talent, a lot of potential and I see guys with a winning attitude. I’m just looking forward to the next step in my career, helping the Black Wolves win a championship.”
Digby was drafted by the Stealth where he became a regular part of their offense last season. His 74 points last season, a career high, helped bridge the offense after they lost Lewis Ratcliff and then traded Johnny Powless.
New England’s offense looks a lot different than it did at the end of last season. After trading Kevin Crowley to Toronto for Billings at last year’s trade deadline, Crowley is back in NE and Billings is gone. Now Evans is another strong offensive player to join Crowley and 2015 breakout players Kyle Buchanan and Pat Saunders.
