With the NLL entry draft long behind us anticipation is rising to see if the amount of first-round draft picks that Minnesota had will be enough to lead them to the championship game this season.
Having four first-round draft picks, the Swarm have really added to the talent on their team. These top picks on their team are sure to lead them to greatness in the coming years.
As expected, Logan Schuss, an Ohio State graduate was the first pick made by Minnesota. For Ohio State, Schuss ranked number one for points (237), goals (146), and shots on goal (320). He made his MLL debut with the Ohio Machine during the 2013 season tallying 35 points. Pairing Schuss with the Swarm’s Callum Crawford (fourth in points for the 2013 NLL season) is going to keep the opposing teams’ defense on their toes. The statistics speak for themselves: Schuss is likely to be the most outstanding draftee this season.
Jason Noble, a defenseman out of Cornell University, was Minnesota’s second overall draft pick. Noble, playing for the Orangeville Northmen for his junior career, has three Minto Cups under his belt. He was one of the top collegiate defensive players in the nation, and was a three-time All-American at Cornell.
Schuss and Nobel fill spots on both ends of the field which is crucial for the developing team. After trading their all-time leading scorer, Ryan Benesch, and transition player Andrew Watt to Buffalo for first round draft picks in 2015 and 2016, it was important for Minnesota to acquire players that would be capable of taking over those spots on the field.
Having chosen a forward and a defensive player for their first two picks, Minnesota acquired the fourth first-round draft pick from Edmonton where they filled a transition spot with Cameron Flint of the University of Denver. Minnesota already has a strong transition line so it will be interesting to see if Flint will crack the lineup this season.
With a total of ten out of the 55 total picks in the entry draft this year, Minnesota is pretty well-off for the next few seasons in regards to having young talent. It is now just a matter of getting the team on the field to see how the old and new players will come together to form a potentially ruthless team.
Give Minnesota a season or two to get acclimated with each other and they will surely be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.
