This NLL offseason, we will be examining some of the trades that shaped the 2015 season.
The biggest blockbuster of the NLL season came at the draft. The Rochester Knighthawks, coming off of three championships in a row, decided to shake up their roster.
Johnny Powless, who has been in the NLL since he was 18 years old, had been an important piece for the Hawks but hadn’t been the star. Rochester’s roster was so deep they could afford to move one piece to improve for the future.
The Vancouver Stealth held the second overall pick in the NLL draft. That pick would turn out to be Jeremy Noble out of Denver University and the Oakville Rock.
Vancouver acquired Powless in exchange for that second pick, which the Hawks used to select Noble.
It is difficult to say who was the victor of the trade. Powless played with Vancouver for about half a season where he struggled. Lewis Ratcliff retired and that should have created more room for Powless and more touches. However, he never emerged as the guy they thought they traded for.
Vancouver traded Powless to the Minnesota Swarm in exchange for Logan Schuss, who was holding out at times and struggling to be able to play in Minnesota. Schuss has soared in Vancouver, playing in his home province. You can’t say Vancouver won the Rochester trade because of Schuss, since it was a different trade, but things have worked out for the Stealth.
Meanwhile, Noble did not report to Rochester and would not sign with the team. He wanted to be on the west coast, where he lived and worked. Eventually Rochester traded Noble to the Colorado Mammoth in exchange for two first round picks.
It’s hard to say who won Powless for Noble. It’ll be yet to be determined who wins the after effects of it. Schuss, or two first round picks?
