While signing RFAs in the NLL is a rarity, sometimes it happens and teams lose their top players. Teams this week qualified some of their studs to prevent them from becoming free agents.
Starting with the Vancouver Stealth, Rhys Duch and Tyler Ricahrds were given qualifying offers. Duch, a right handed shooter, makes up one of the top three Stealth scorers; Lewis Ratcliff was franchises while Athan Iannucci remains a free agent. Richards is the Stealth starting goaltender.
The Buffalo Bandits also qualified Ryan Benesch, Billy Dee Smith, Jay Thorimbert and Rory Smith. Benesch was acquired from the Minnesota Swarm this summer while Rory Smith was traded to Buffalo from Colorado. Andrew Watt was not yet qualified while Chad Culp was signed to a contract.
The Calgary Roughnecks signed their star scorer Curtis Dickson along with defenseman Peter McFetridge to qualifying offers this week. Jeff Shattler was extended for three years instead and Dane Dobbie for one year. Current unqualified players include Scott and Mike Carnegie.
The Minnesota Swarm have to qualify Mitch Belisle, Callum Crawford, and Jeff Gilbert while the Philadelphia Wings have Paul Rabil, Kevin Ross, Jordan Hall and Brendan Mundorf. Toronto also still has to qualify Stephan LeBlanc and Garrett Billings.
