Edmonton Rush General Manager/Head Coach Derek Keenan announced today that the team is set to acquirethe No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2014 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft.
The Rush will acquire the first overall selection along with a second-round pick in the 2015 draft plus goaltender Tyler Carlson from the Minnesota Swarm in exchange for the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft and goaltender Brodie MacDonald. The third overall pick was the Rush’s via trade with Philadelphia. Edmonton’s third-overall selection was acquired from the Philadelphia Wings in the 2011 blockbuster trade involving Athan Iannucci and Brodie Merrill.
The trade will be formally submitted for league review at the opening of the league’s new calendar year on July 1, the first day trades are permitted for 2015 season.
The 2014 Draft will take place on Monday, September 22 at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (TRAC) in Oakville, Ontario.
Edmonton will go on the clock with the No. 1 pick when the NLL Entry Draft takes place at the end of September. The Rush also hold their own pick – No. 7 – in the first round.
“Firstly, the Edmonton Rush would like to thank Brodie MacDonald for three years of solid commitment and contribution to the success of the team,” said Keenan. “Brodie has been the consummate professional. In Tyler Carlson we get a goaltender who has played significant NLL minutes as a starter, and wit Aaron Bold, we think they will form an excellent tandem.
“Moving from No. 3 to No. 1 in the 2014 Entry Draft was key to the deal, and the second-round pick in 2015 could also turn out to be a good one given the depth of that draft class.”
As many as six players are in the hunt for the No. 1 selection spot in the 2014 draft including Miles Thompson, the younger brother of current Rush transition standout Jeremy Thompson.
Carlson appeared in 49 regular-season games for the Swarm, amassing an 11-15 record with an 11.44 goals-against average and .749 save-percentage. The Brampton, Ontario, product was 2-7 last season with the struggling Swarm. After playing in the NCAA with Seneca College, Carlson signed with Minnesota as a free agent in 2011, and in 2013, he set his career-high with a 48-save performance against Colorado.
The 26-year-old, who stands six-foot and 215 pounds, helped propel the Peterborough Lakers to the 2012 Mann Cup, going 10-1 in regular-season play with a 7.88 goals-against average and .786 save-percentage.
MacDonald, the largest player on the Rush roster standing six-foot-seven and 245 pounds, went 1-0 with an 8.03 goals-against average for Edmonton this season, picking up his lone victory in the Rush’s comeback win in Vancouver. MacDonald has played just 209 minutes over 48 games with a 2-2 record and a 9.44 GAA.
