Last season when I spoke to Calgary Roughnecks general manager Mike Board, he was getting ready for his first ever NLL draft. When I talked to him earlier this week, he was preparing for his second with a season of NLL under his belt.
“The first step is to identify what our team needs are, both long term and short term.” says Board. “Then we rank players in the draft to come up with a list. With two first round picks, you expect those players to step in and contribute right away. A lot of our strategy will be predicated on what teams in front if us do, particularly Minnesota with three picks in the top four. There is always the option to trade a pick too.”
The Roughnecks have two first round picks, the sixth and seventh picks in the first round. Last season the Roughnecks drafted Travis Cornwall. Who will they look at for 2012?
“Location is one of the factors we look at when ranking players.” Board said. “You don’t want to pass up on a great player because of
where he lives but that does happen. The logistics for travel have to work for everyone.”
Board finishes up saying, “Once we have a list together we meet or call players we are interested in and feel we have a realistic chance of drafting. You have to do your research to see what the player is thinking, how his school or work might affect his lacrosse career. You also want to know if the player can relocate to your market.”
