Today’s roundtable features NLL analysts Marisa Ingemi, Scott Arnold, Jack Goods, Jim Flannery and Rocco Granato. The discussion? Who is the best GM in the NLL, right now? You tell us in the comments who you agree with.
Jack: Some teams certainly have a comparative advantage when it comes to getting players, like in Toronto and Buffalo. That can make certain GMs look even better because they have that edge. However, I think the best management has to go the Joe Sullivan, the Arlotta’s, and the entire Minnesota Swarm organization. It may not be noticable right now in the standings, but they’ve built up a non-historic market and absolutely stacked it with talent for the future. They’ve started a trend in the new faster NLL, and for there incredible stock piling of youth Minnesota gets my vote for best managed organization.
Marisa: I would say the best GM in the NLL is Terry Sanderson. The Rock compete every season, and while they have kept most of their roster the same, look at some pickups they’ve had. Scott Evans. Damon Edwards. Nick Rose, to name just a few. There are lots of good GMs in the league but hard not to go with Sanderson. Remember with the Swarm, not all these moves are Arlotta; some came when Marty O’Neill was there.
Scott: I’d have to say that Mike Board of the Calgary Roughnecks is the best General Manager in the National Lacrosse League. He entered the league in 2011 and made a splash right away by acquiring superstar Shawn Evans in a trade with the Rochester Knighthawks. Board gave up the 5th overall pick that year in which Rochester used to nab Johnny Powless and at the time many thought Calgary may have got rooked in the deal. However, here we are two seasons later and Evans is the league’s leading scorer with 72 points while Powless sits in 48th spot with just 23 points on the season. In that deal Calgary also received a first round draft pick for the following year and Board used it to scoop up Joe Resetarits who is averaging 2 points per game in his rookie season. I like the fact that Board has made some bold moves in his short tenure including last year when he traded away goalie Nick Rose in exchange for a first round pick in the 2014 draft. Rose is having an incredible season for the Toronto Rock and we’ll have to see if that trade pans out but I like a GM who is not afraid to make these gambles. In Board’s first season in Calgary the Roughnecks finished 12-4; not bad for a rookie GM. This year the Roughnecks are having a yo-yo type season but are still heavy favorites to win the Champion’s Cup. Calgary has always been a strong team but with Board at the helm it’s very likely that we could see the Roughnecks win their third Champion’s Cup since their inception in 2001. It’s amazing to think that Mike Board is only in his second season as a General Manager in the National Lacrosse League.
Rocco: My choice for GM of the year in the NLL is Doug Locker of the Washington Stealth. This is a team that in 2010 won the Champions Cup, then in 2011 returned to defend it, and then last year they did not reach 4 wins til the final game of the season. Fast forward to 2013 and without a first round pick they are 7-5 and in arms reach of returning to the playoffs. The two big contributors out of the draft are Kyle Buchanan (6th rd 48 overall) 3G/16A in 7 games and defenseman Tyler Garrison (2nd rd- 11th overall) 3G/8A 34lb. Locker has added the right combination of players, especially Athan Iannucci last season. You can see how well Athan gels with Ratcliff and Duch. Lets not forget Tyler Richards getting back to 2010 form. This is going to be a dangerous team as the playoffs gets closer. They are also 4-1 at home with 3 of their last 4 at home.
As much as you can say Toronto GM, there team is always stacked and near the top, Edmonton..#1 pick was slated to just what he is doing, and in Minnesota 4 first rounder this season and next, fantastic rebuilding, GM of the year maybe in 2014.
Jim: I’m going to go with Derek Keenan with the Edmonton Rush. The Rush had a mediocre regular season last year, but the pieces came together in the playoffs carrying them to the Champion’s Cup. A move that didn’t directly affect their 2012 season, but had a huge long-term impact was the mid-season deal sending hold-put Athan Iannucci to Washington for Paul Rabil and a first-round pick. Rabil decided he would rather sit out than play for a Canadian team, so it seemed at the time like a zero-sum move. That is, until Washington finished dead last in the NLL and the Rush got the first pick overall as a result. Getting their hands on Mark Matthews with that selection has completely changed the dynamic of the Rush’s offense and turned them into a legitimate contender in the long term. It also freed Keenan up to make a couple other moves. Sending Shawn Williams to Buffalo for a couple draft picks makes the Rush younger. They also traded Rabil’s rights to Rochester for Jarrett Davis, who already has matched his best output for points in a season with five games yet to play. Jeremy Thompson, acquired for Aaron Wilson, has done an excellent job on transition and in the faceoff circle and might be one of the fastest runners in the league. And Cory Conway, coming over from Calgary, is having yet another solid season as a secondary playmaker. The contributions of the newcomers have turned this team into a legitimate threat to get back to the Champion’s Cup once again and it’s a credit to Keenan’s work in the front office.
Rocco: Really not a bad choice anywhere….but my debate is look at this year…. Edmonton #1 pick…Matthews was expected to raise this team and he has. Minnesota 4 picks in round 1, no Suitor and they suffering some…Toronto always stacked and expected to be near the top
But you cant deny Washington. 4th win on last week of 2012. this year no pick til round 2 Tyler Garrison 3G/8A and a 6th rounder in Buchanan 3G/16A and sitting in first.
Scott: Doug Locker has definitely built a championship team; a few weeks ago I even said they’d win it all and I still think that. However, I don’t agree that they are a better team this year because of Locker. They have the same core of guys, the same goalie and essentially nothing has changed from last year. They just had a tough 2012 season and they’ve now found their groove.
Mike Board on the other hand has made some big trades in Calgary to make his team better. He’s only been in the NLL for two years and look at how dominant the Roughnecks remain. I love the fact that one of his first duties as GM was to make the huge move of trading his 5th overall draft pick (which Rochester used to scoop up Johnny Powless) to get Shawn Evans. Evy is the NLL’s leading scorer and he hasn’t even reached his prime yet. Evans will be this team’s leading scorer for years to come and it’s all because of the move made by former Peterborough Laker Mike Board. There are GM’s who have been in this league for years who don’t have the guts to make that kind of move and Board did it in year one and they are a better team today because it. I love guys who will gamble to make their team better and I love a GM who isn’t afraid to take risks.
If you want to stay current and ask what has he done lately? He drafted Joe Resetarits, the sleeper pick of the 2012 draft. Resetarits is an amazing field lacrosse player who is still fairly new to the box game. He will only get better and when he finds his way indoors, look out, he’ll be right behind Shawn Evans in the scoring race.
Mike Board has been an NLL GM for two years and he’s done more than a lot of GM’s have done in five; for that reason he is the best GM in the league.
(But I still say that Washington will win this year’s Champion’s Cup)
Rocco: Scott its best GM this season!! Look at what locker did a second round and a 6th rounder doing big things for the team…..no first round pick already known to win R.O.Y. he didn’t have 4 first round pics… he had ZERO FIRST ROUNDERS and 5 of his 7 picks this year have played at least 5 games and contributed Edmonton with Matthews is supposed to do what they doing, and Minnesota with 4 first rounders….if they somehow win the west it goes to MInny but without Suitor the rookies cant keep it up. Locker had very little to work with and did the best with 7 total pics Roughnecks are always a powerhouse, but this year there are some dents in the armour…and it seems they have a problem getting out of the first round of the post season.
