The Boston Cannons made headlines this week when they acquired top defender Brodie Merrill, midfielder Martin Cahil and traded away PT Ricci. They also traded away a top rookie from last season, Cam Flint. We spoke with Cannons GM Kevin Bareny about the moves.
1. Obviously, Merrill is a huge acquisition. Was there concern about the defense?
Anytime you have a chance to get arguable the greatest player to ever play at their position, you do it. At the end of last season, we had concerns about the roster as a whole. 5-9 was unacceptable and we have said since the season ended that change is going to happen. Now it’s a matter of if those changes occur through trade or draft. On Merrill, we are thrilled as an organization to bring him on board. Not just for his on the field talent, but his leadership in the locker room as well. Brodie is one of the most respected players in this league and he will bring a lot to our team.
2. What was the thinking with bringing Cahill back?
Marty showed last season that he can play in this league. He is a great shooter, he can be a 2-point threat, and he’s a local product, so we are excited to bring him back to Boston and look forward to building off his success from last year.
3. Is it tough to lose a player like Cam Flint?
It’s always tough to lose players. Cam was our first round pick last year and produced for us. He is going to be a talent in this league for a long time. Living in Denver, it was challenging for him to make the trip to the East Coast every weekend and to make the Friday night practices. Denver offered us great value in the #8 pick and Will Mangan, so we have someone in mangan who can help us right away and a draft pick for the future.
4. Was there reasoning for wanting to get another first round pick? Is there someone you are targeting?
It was more about getting value for Flint. He was a 1st round pick and definitely worth it. We haven’t gotten to the targeting stage yet. We’ll see how the next six weeks go as far as the Supplemental Draft and other possible trades. That will help determine who we go after in the draft.
5. Do you expect any more off season changes?
Lets just say I think the next six weeks will be interesting for every team in the league. With two drafts and the relocation of a team to Florida, it should be a busy time.
