The Calgary Roughnecks locked down one of their key young players on defence this week when they re-signed Dan McRae to a one-year deal.
McRae was Calgary’s sixth-overall pick in the 2010 NLL draft, their second of three first-round selections that year (they took Curtis Dickson with the third-overall pick and Brandon Ivey with the eighth-overall pick). He has been with the team ever since, averaging just a hair under five points per season to go along with an average of 63.2 loose balls and 16.4 caused turnovers per season.
His best season was 2014 when he recorded career highs in goals (seven), assists (eight), loosies (73) and caused turnovers (21). Although injuries limited him to just 11 games in the 2015 campaign, he still grabbed 68 LBs and improved on his career-best for caused turnovers with 23.
McRae is a dynamic defender with energy and good wheels. He can push the ball up the floor on transition and take it to the net when given a lane. He’s also a strong defender, as his loose ball and caused turnovers attest.
With Jeff Moleski gone back to the Vancouver Stealth after a one-year return to the Roughnecks, Geoff Snider most likely out of the picture after being released at the beginning of August, and team captain Andrew McBride still a question mark, it would appear that Calgary’s front office is moving towards a younger roster for the 2016 season—the oldest player they’ve re-signed during the current free agent period has been 31-year-old Mike Carnegie.
At age 27, McRae is right in the prime of his career and should figure prominently as part of a younger—but still veteran—defense. Along with the Carnegie and Harnett brothers (Jon Harnett is not yet re-signed), McRae will be expected to show the way for younger athletes like Tyson Roe, Garrett McIntosh, and Karsen Leung.
