National Lacrosse League free agency opened on Monday, and one of the first moves was a splash right away. The Georgia Swarm signed goaltender Mike Poulin to a three year deal, adding a former Goalie of the Year winner.
Poulin had been thought to be out in Calgary near the end of the season with the emergence of Frankie Scigliano and the drafting of Christian Del Bianco last season. Poulin was named the league’s Goalie of the Year in 2012, and was a part of a Calgary Roughnecks club that made it to the western conference finals this past year.
Poulin was fourth in the NLL with a goals against average of 11.46 in the 2016 season, splitting almost even time with Scigliano. The former Toronto and Boston goaltender has a career mark of 11.46, the same as this past season, and has played over 900 minutes in a season three times.
Last season, the Swarm’s first in Georgia, they played a tandem of Brodie MacDonald and Zach Higgins between the pipes. Higgins is a restricted free agent, while MacDonald was qualified and will return to the team. MacDonald had a 12.82 goals against average last season as the Swarm’s primary starter.
Goalies that remain free agents include Higgins, Tye Belanger, Tyler Carlson, and Tyler Richards. Richards is the only unrestricted free agent goaltender remaining. Nick Rose was a restricted free agent before he signed to return to Toronto. All four remaining free agents have experience as starters.
