The NLL draft has come and gone so let’s take a look at the top 10 players that were drafted and the impact they will have on their future teams. At number 10 the Minnesota Swarm drafted stalwart defenseman Alex Crepinsek. Crepsinsek is a shutdown defenseman who can immediately help the Swarm on defense. Crepinsek is also good in transition and will add some speed to the Swarm’s back end.
At number 9 the Colorado Mammoth drafted Colton Clark. Clark adds more offense to a team that did not struggle to find the back of the net in 2012. Clark netted 20 goals and 12 assists with Bellarmine University and will be a great asset to the Mammoth as he provides them with great offensive depth. At number 8 the Edmonton Rush drafted Curtis Knight. Knight is a high scoring forward who will give the Rush the boost they need on offense. Knight had 41 goals and 54 assists with the Whitby Warriors and as he develops in the NLL he could become one of the premier goal scorers in the league. At number 7 the Calgary Roughnecks drafted Matthew Dinsdale who is a dynamic forward.
Dinsdale scored 38 goals and 57 assists with the JR A Coquitlam Adanacs. Dinsdale’s play making skills will help open up Calgary’s offense and add to an offense that scored 216 goals in 2012. At number 6 Calgary drafted Joe Resetarits who will be another young offensive gun for Calgary. Resetarits scored 18 goals and 10 assists with the Brampton Excelsior’s in 2012 and is a threat whenever he has the ball.
Now we reach the top 5 of the draft. At number 5 Buffalo selected Dhane Smith. Smith is an offensive dynamo that led JR A in scoring in 2012 as he had 38 goals and 69 assists for 107 points in just 18 games. Smith is an influx of young offensive talent that Buffalo needs and he can be mentored by some of the best like John Tavares. Expect Smith to have a great rookie year in the NLL.
At the fourth pick the Minnesota Swarm took over as they drafted fourth, third, and second. Their three picks were Shayne Jackson, Kiel Matisz and Brock Sorenson. Sorenson will be another great defensive player for the Swarm and he will compliment fellow first round pick Alex Crepinsek and make the Swarms defense one of the toughest to crack. On offense the Swarm also got better as they drafted talented scorers Shayne Jackson and Kiel Matisz. Shayne Jackson had a great season with the Langley Thunder and showed off his offensive skills as he helped the team reach the Mann Cup. Jackson had 18 goals and 20 assists. Jackson’s speed and ability to put the ball in the net will make him a great threat for the Swarm. Matisz is a big power forward who will give the Swarm size up front along with a goal scoring threat. Matisz and Jackson will put on a show in Minnesota this year.
Finally the number 1 draft pick by the Edmonton Rush was Mark Matthews. Matthews is the offensive leader the Rush need and he will help jump start the offense in 2013. Matthews had 87 points in his last season of box with Whitby in 2011. Matthews is a game changer who will help the Rush to win in 2013. Overall this was a very good draft class and it will be interesting to see how these picks work out.
