The NLL was a bit shaky heading into the 2014 season, with labor agreements on the fence. Luckily, they were reached and will be intact through 2020. This includes changes in roster sizes, along with format to the regular season and playoffs, and salary rules. Unfortunately, the seasons of both the NLL and MLL will conflict even more this year, making players choose between the two leagues.
One player that has dominated outdoor lacrosse and has made his mark in the indoor game is Casey Powell. He was given the franchise label by the Colorado Mammoth going into 2014, which came as a shock to many as he has primarily been an outdoor player.
In order to become franchised during the 2014 season, a team is allowed to mark one player, who must be at least 32 years old and also must have played in the NLL for at least six seasons and are allowed to deny and leave if they choose. In past years, two players were allowed to accept the franchise tag and were coerced to stay with their team.
Powell was franchised by the Rochester Knighthawks in 2010, when he won the NLL MVP as the first American to do so. In 2013, Casey underperformed to the programs like and was traded to Colorado in exchange for Jon Sullivan and a 2014 third round pick. He played in six games with the Mammoth, putting up nine goals and 23 assists, ten more points than he did with Rochester in the seven games he played with them before the trade deadline. From 2007-2011, Powell put up over 80 points a season. He took off in 2012 to commentate for the NLL, only to return to the field in 2013.
Casey is heading into his eleventh season in the NLL. Something that might keep Powell from dressing in a Mammoth uniform this season is the NLL forcing players to choose between the two leagues.
