The National Lacrosse League season kicks off in just five days, but as training camp wraps up, we still have plenty of questions for the season. We bring you twenty of the most asked questions after the upcoming year.
Can Scott Evans Bounce Back?
Scott Evans struggled last season with the Edmonton Rush, with 47 points. But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was he didn’t play the last four games of the season or the playoffs before he was released. Toronto picked him up, and he scored seven pre season goals so far. How does he bounce back in 2013?
Are the Swarm Rookies Able to Carry Them?
The Swarm have four rookies who made their team; Brock Sorensen, Kiel Matisz, Shayne Jackson and Alex Crepisnek. Last season it was rookies like Evan Kirk and Jordan MacIntosh who led them, and this season they will be relying on young players again. Matisz and Jackson will be heavily relied on on offense while Crepisnek and Sorensen (on the PUP) will need to step up the defensive game.
Will Philly’s American Approach Work?
The Philadelphia Wings have 17 Americans, more than the 11 in the rest of the league. However, some say their roster is the weakest. They’ve added players like Paul Rabil, Kevin Buchanan, CJ Costabile and Kyle Hartzell. But is that roster good enough?
Are the Colorado Goalies Good Enough?
The Colorado Mammoth have two goaltenders set for this season in Chris Levis and Matt Roik. Roik struggled badly last season with Toronto while Levis is aging and had a bad pre season game against Calgary. With those two in the pipes, is it good enough?
Can Calgary Get Over That Hump?
The Roughnecks have had the best record in the league for the past two seasons but have not made it to the Championship. Dave Pym is out as coach and Curt Malwasky in, so we will see if that makes a difference. Their offense is loaded and defense full of studs, so can they get over the hump?
Will Edmonton Be Able to Score Enough?
Edmonton has lost Shawn Williams, their leading scorer, and also Aaron Wilson. The only real offensive threat added is rookie Mark Matthews. Is that enough to get the Rush back to the NLL Champions Cup?
How Do Buffalo and Washington Bounce Back?
Both these perennial power houses struggled last season with Washington missing the playoffs and Buffalo barely making it. The Stealth haven’t made a ton of roster changes, the most noticeable being the release of Jeff Zywicki. However, Buffalo replaced their GM and made moves for several players. Which is in better shape to return to form?
How Do Hold Out Players Return?
Paul Rabil, Casey Powell, Joel Dalgarno and Joel McCready are all making their returns to the NLL this season. Powell will play for the Rochester Knighthawks along with McCready, while Dalgarno returns to Colorado after taking a year off for fire fighting. Rabil, meanwhile, was sent to Philadelphia after not playing since the start of last season.
Can Rochester Have a Repeat Season?
The Knighthawks were 7-9 last season but they managed to get to the Championship. But can they get back with strong teams like Minnesota, Calgary and Toronto. However, their roster looks very strong after several moves, so can they repeat?
Is Nick Rose an NLL ?
Nick Rose became a starting goalie with Toronto last season after being traded away from Calgary, and he played very well. But this is going to be his first full season as a starting goalie in the NLL. Will he be able to sustain his quality of play for sixteen games?
Is Tyler Carlson an NLL Goalie?
Carlson struggled badly with the Peterborough Lakers this summer, so many are wondering how much he can handle in the NLL. Right now, he is the back up to Kirk in Minnesota, but how much time does he see?
Does Jeff Zywicki End Up With a Team?
Zywicki was hurt for a lot of last year with Washington and was just released by them. The play maker has had a strong NLL career, so does a team decide to sign him, or does he go to CLax?
How Well do the Stealth Share the Ball?
The Stealth last season shot the ball more than any team, with Lewis Ratcliff leading the league with 195 shots on goal. The next most in the league was 192 from the league MVP John Grant Jr, and after it was 158 from Cody Jamieson. Rhys Duch of the Stealth had 138, seventh in the league and Athan Iannucci is also a known shot taker.
Does John Grant Jr Have a Repeat Season?
John Grant Jr had one of the best season in NLL history leading the league with 116 points. Can he lead Colorado with another historic season like that?
How Many Points Can Luke Wiles Get in Buffalo?
Luke Wiles was third in the league with 39 goals for the Bandits last season. This season they picked up right handed shooter Aaron Wilson and rookie Dhane Smith, along with Shawn Williams. With only so much ball to go around, is Wiles able to have the same production?
Who Has the Top Defense?
The Toronto Rock always have an elite defense and they brought in Chris White from Buffalo this season. Rochester loses Pat McCready but adds Paul Dawson. Edmonton is bringing back Chris Corbeil and Kyle Rubisch, so who has the best defense in the NLL?
Is Mike Poulin An Elite Goalie?
Mike Poulin was the goaltender of the year last season, but their defense was incredibly strong. Will Poulin be able to have another strong season to join the elite class of NLL goaltenders? Poulin had the second best GAA in the league last season.
Will Stephan LeBlanc Bounce Back?
LeBlanc struggled with the Rock last season after having two great seasons to begin his NLL career. The Rock offense is always a strong one, but having LeBlanc at the top of his game would add a huge element to their team.
How Does Anthony Cosmo Fare?
Last season the Bandits were tied for the second worst goals against in the league with 204. They have Cosmo set for the full season as their starter, so how will he fare as a full time Bandit? Can he bring them back to playoff glory when he has never won an NLL playoff game?
How Do the Wings Replace Mundorf?
The Wings will struggle on their left side with Brendan Mundorf out until March. They brought in Kevin Ross and Kevin Buchanan to replace him and brought back Ned Crotty, but is it enough?
