Imagine having the best player in the world. Now imagine trading him away to a rival city. Sounds awfully familiar at first, especially when you are talking about Boston and New York. And yet, for New England lacrosse fans, this has become a reality. The Boston Cannons have traded away Paul Rabil, a 2016 4th-round draft pick, and Mike Stone in exchange for Max Seibald, a 2nd-round 2017 draft pick, and Brian Karalunas.
Off The Field
With stats, records, and talent aside, the Boston Cannons have lost more than one of the world’s best player’s. Rabil is, by far, one of the most recognizable icons on the lacrosse field. His endorsements are known throughout the sporting world and he continues to push out the sport on a near 24-hour schedule.
Paul Rabil was Boston Cannons lacrosse. Everything they have marketed as a team involved Paul Rabil. And there was no reason they shouldn’t have. Rabil helped the team win the Steinfeld Cup back in 2011. He is a two-time winner of the leagues MVP award and has won multiple Offensive Player of the Year awards. And he has achieved all of that with the, solely, Boston Cannons. The fans, and the Boston area, know his name and associate it with the growing sport of professional lacrosse.
As we enter 2015, the New England area is a growing lacrosse hot-bed. Surely the move in the National Lacrosse League, by moving a team to southern New England, has proven that. However, although lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country, it will hurt the team’s marketability severely without Rabil as their main endorsement.
On The Field
Since the team’s championship run in 2011, Boston has compiled a 20-22 overall record. The Cannons have even missed the playoffs 2 out of the last 3 years. Surely it is understandable that the team needed to make a move to be competitive once again. However, many would think that an asset like Paul Rabil would go untouched. Instead management has decided that it’s time to start again.
The Cannons will be going without Stephen Berger and Ryan Boyle as well, since the two have retired from the sport. This leaves, Massachusetts grad, Will Manny and Kevin Buchanan as the returning new stars on the field.
Manny contributed 52 points during the 2014 campaign with Boston, scoring 32 goals and 20 assists. Manny is also just in his early 20’s and has been with Rabil during many of his lacrosse campaigns.
Kevin Buchanan is also a name that is starting to come up more. With his return to the NLL, and now being a part of the New England Black Wolves, Buchanan is making a name for himself in Southern New England. Buchanan scored 41 points last year with Boston, off of 32 goals and 9 assists.
Summary
This is the official sign that the Cannon’s are entering a period of development. Fans of the team probably won’t expect much out of the town’s MLL club this season. But that won’t change the attendance of the team and it surely won’t change the development of the sport in the area. Paul Rabil’s work may not have been finished in Boston, but he lead the charge to make the sport more well known and respected.
Now he gets to spread his development and awareness for the sport just a few hundred miles west. Surely this just means that the awareness of the sport will grow even more.
