The 2013 season saw the Colorado Mammoth fail to advance past the first round of playoffs for the second consecutive season. Moving forward the Mammoth will look to improve weaknesses in their roster by any means, including the NLL Entry Draft.
Colorado has benefited from a youthful resurgence of fresh faces into their line-up in recent years. This includes a core group of sophomores in Adam Jones, Jamie Lincoln, and Jordan Macbride, all of whom were 2011 draftees and have been prime contributors during their first two seasons. Additionally, Joey Cupido (another 2011 draftee) earned a spot on the NLL All-Rookie Team this past season after leading the Mammoth in both loose balls (101) as well as caused turnovers (20).
Colorado only had three picks in the last year’s draft. After selecting Colton Clark with their first round pick, the Mammoth chose Jaeden Gastaldo and Alex Demopoulos in the fifth and sixth round, respectively. Clark dressed in four games this season, while Gastaldo suited up in seven before being placed in the injured reserve.
In the upcoming draft the Mammoth have five draft picks, including the third overall selection. Colorado is scheduled to select third in every round except the third round, a pick that was traded to the Minnesota Swarm.
Colorado struggled offensively this past season. The Mammoth led the western division in scoring during the 2012 regular season with 217 goals for. However, the tables turned drastically in 2013 when Colorado finished the season with 185 goals for, the lowest out of any western division team. Despite a decrease in scoring this season, the Mammoth still maintain a solid core of offensive producers including franchise players John Grant Jr. and Gavin Prout. Casey Powell’s return will solidify a veteran offensive presence along with Grant and Prout, however whether Powell will return to the NLL next season has yet to be determined. With a steady mix of vets and youngsters on offense, the Mammoth’s recent offensive woes are based on lack of of performance and not an issue of personnel.
Defensively, the Mammoth were tied with the Minnesota Swarm for the second highest amount of goals allowed (202) in the western division. In what is a defense-heavy draft in terms of available prospects, Colorado could benefit from scooping up some up and coming defenders. Cameron Flint stands out as an ideal prospect for Colorado. Flint is an incredible athlete that has the ability to perform on both ends of the floor, providing Colorado with a dangerous transitional threat. Additionally, the fact that Flint was star midfielder at the University of Denver will make him an immediate fan favorite in Colorado. A projected top five draft pick, Flint would be a solid usage of Colorado’s third overall selection.
While the competitiveness of a nine team league inhibits the ability of draft picks to make an immediate impact, it is by no means impossible as players such as Jones, Lincoln, Macbride and Cupido have shown. Despite a consistently solid roster and arguably the league’s strongest fan-base supporting them, the club has failed to return to the Champion’s Cup final since hoisting their first and only title in 2006. Finding valuable prospects in the upcoming draft could potentially provide the added push to get the Mammoth back to the NLL championship game.
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