PLL

As the PLL Settles Down, it Might Actually be Time for Growth…

by Drew Duffy 6/5/23

The burgeoning Premier Lacrosse League announced last week that they are moving to permanent locations for the 2024 season. The league announced the process of choosing 8 host sites for each team to call home, with fans having the chance to voice their desires through a fan voting process. What I am sure is already apparent for the league, is the need for at least one more team to find a home field for in the upcoming season. The talent in the game has arguably never been better, and it is one aspect of the game that excites all fans from every background. The collegiate draft for the PLL has become a great experience for both player and fan alike. The 4 round draft adds 32 players into the league, all of whom are coming off recent college performances from the spring prior. The appeal of the draft is widespread. All Americans from "blue-blood" programs are turning around after their collegiate careers wrap up and are strapping it up with some of the best in the world, in some cases less than a week after their final collegiate game. Arguably the more interesting and exciting aspect of the growth of the game is evidenced by the nontraditional schools who are being represented in the PLL, from every collegiate division. There has never been a better time for these elite players to prove the quality of their game on the national stage, and the PLL needs to accommodate the strong and growing talent wave that is knocking at the door. 

Simple Numbers:

According to the PLL Transaction Database, there were 10 players who have announced their retirements in 2023. If we assume that there are a handful more players who will be inactive for the season, we can round up to 20 “openings” on rosters across the league. Well, 32 draft picks fill these holes and then some. Then, there are the undrafted free agents coming out of college, many of whom deserve to be placed on rosters for teams. In short, there is enough talent that would necessitate the addition of at least one more team. The current rules dictate that teams are to have 25 players on the roster, with 19 making the game day list. This shows that there are at least another 30 or so guys that do not make the game day roster but are talented enough to compete at this level. Introducing another team would afford some of the fringe players to continue their growth and development while compiling a competitive team that would be sprinkled with some higher talent through another expansion draft. 

What about the skill?

Circling back to my point above, there is no lack of skill in the league and it is funny to dive into the quality of talent that is not currently rostered. With the end of the NLL season, there have been many moves by teams to make room for certain guys, which unfortunately drives some players into the “Player Pool”. Just in the last week, there have been 2 former all star selections released, a player with 39 points in 2 PLL seasons, a handful of rookies coming off their college seasons, and starting caliber players. It is incredible to see some of the accolades that these players have earned in their past and is even crazier to see that they don’t have a team to play with this weekend. But, as is the case for all things hoping to improve, competition drives innovation and excellence. This is surely the case for players aiming to make game day rosters, which would then open more opportunities for individuals with more team openings. 

What Does this New Team Look Like:

In 2021, the Cannons LC were tasked with choosing their 18 man roster through the expansion draft. While an expansion draft will be a neccessity for a balanced playing field, it is also interesting to note the skill that lies in the Player Pool as is, and would be a fun experiment to make two different teams based on both criteria. So here we go...

First, the current player pool only team (only 20 players):

A: Max Waldbaum (Jacksonville), Mark Cockerton (Virginia), Joe Robertson (Duke), John Piatelli (Cornell)

M: Kyle Long (Maryland), Quinn McCahon (Notre Dame), Brandon Galloway (Jacksonville), Luke Frankeny (Richmond)

D: Wilson Stephenson (Duke), Grant Ammann (High Point), Cade van Raaphorst (Duke), Brett Kennedy (Syracuse)
FO: Jerry Ragonese (RIT), Frankie Labetti (Fairfield)
SSDM: Brent Adams (Fairfield), Evan Zinn (Virginia), Mark McNeill (North Carolina)

LSM: Ryan McNulty (Loyola)

G: JD Colarusso (Albany), Matt Kilkeary (Delaware)

(Update: Brett Kennedy has been claimed by Whipsnakes LC)

While this team would by no means dominate a game, it would be interesting to see how a group of these players would fare if all assembled on the same team.

Next, a mock expansion team based on players who may or may not be protected by current clubs (18 players, based on prior expansion draft set up):

A: Xander Dickson (Virginia via Atlas), Adam Charalambides (Rutgers via Cannons), Jack Meyers (Ohio State via Chrome)

M: Ryan Aughavin (Brown via Archers), Ryan Ambler (Princeton via Archers), Kevin Rogers (High Point via Chrome), Charlie Bertrand (Virginia via Redwoods), Keegan Khan (Maryland via Whipsnakes)

D: Ben Randall (Ohio State via Waterdogs), Brett Kennedy (Syracuse via Whipsnakes), Matt Rahil (Maryland via Redwoods)
FO: Max Adler (Bentley via Chaos), 
SSDM: Zach Geddes (Georgetown via Chaos), Christian Scarpello (Rutgers via Waterdogs), 

LSM: Koby Smith (Towson via Atlas), Nick Grill (Maryland via Chrome)

G: Colin Kirst (Rutgers via Cannons), Tim Troutner (High Point via Redwoods)

The rest of the roster would be supplemented through the draft, trades, UDFA, and other players in the pool. This is just a quick and very nascent idea of what could potentially shake out if the draft were happening today. Obviously a lot will change between now and the next expansion draft, but it is a fun exercise to complete for fans out there who want to see another team or two enter the PLL soon. 

Final Thoughts:

As the top brass of the PLL starts narrowing their choices down for potential home markets for the 2024 season, I know they are going to be thinking about adding a 9th and maybe even a 10th market as well. The talent in the game warrants more opportunities for some of these players to find homes in the league and now is the perfect opportunity to bring this to fruition. Expanding the PLL with another team or two would provide opportunities for more talented players to showcase their skills at a professional level, attracting a larger fan base and increasing the overall competitiveness of the league for the future. Now is the time to take advantage of the momentum that the league and the sport has experienced and make sure that some of the game’s players are given the best opportunity to prove their abilities to the rest of the world. 

Feel free to leave comments or thoughts with me @DigestDuffy on Twitter or email me at duffydigest@gmail.com!

Thanks for reading!