MLL announces rosters and protected lists

[adam]

The MLL announced its 20-man rosters and protected lists today--- among the unprotected include Mark Millon, AJ Haugen, Tom Marechek and John Grant, JR...

Click here to read the story and see the list. (http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?pagerid=2&news=fdetail&storyid=98846)

What do you all think?

[Rok629]

Not too surprising with those choices.

If I was the GM of one of the expansion franchises.I would start my team with Watson,Millon or Grant Jr. You want to put some curious bodies in those seats I would definetly go for one of those guys. Of course Defense wins championships but right now you wanna bring in fans as well. No expansion team will win the championship next season.

One team is going to get real lucky by picking up Scheer as their goalie he needs his chance to play again.

[mammothlacrosse]

i see the Denver team picking Prout since everyone knows him from the Mammoth

[OutBurst]

What's going on with Kevin O'Brien? Is he still a Cannon or what?

I am curious to see who picks up Jay Pfeifer and if he'll be designated as a starter.

Other than that, I am not surprised at the protected lists.

[GBaschski]

Baltimore's undefeatable attack is no longer the threesome that it was, and Long Island's stacked defensive line is only 2/3 now.
This should be interesting, though I would've liked to see more stars like Christmas, Gait and Jalbert be unprotected.

[Lax101]

I'm not surprised, but I'm pissed that the Cannons will be losing most of their core. Ugh. That really angers me. I think the Cannons were hurt the most here. Hiller always tried to mix up their lines and have their 2nd line guys get a lot of action. Byrnes, Millon, and Rotelli gone really pisses me off.

edit: Outburst, I think Obey will be sent on the supplemental draft wire as usual. Being a local guy, nobody will pick him, and the Cannons will re-sign him after it.

edit2: Also not a surprise, but Benson Erwin was not protected. I interviewed Benson after the championship game, and when I asked him about next season, he got pretty sad. He knew he wasn't going to be protected, and hes been living in Baltimore his entire life (Played at Friends Academy, then for JHU, and now the Bayhawks). Sad story.

[OutBurst]

edit: Outburst, I think Obey will be sent on the supplemental draft wire as usual. Being a local guy, nobody will pick him, and the Cannons will re-sign him after it.

I was thinking that. They always have a way of getting O'Brien no matter what. :clap:

[Lax101]

Yup. in all honesty O'Brien would have not played in the MLL at all if he wasnt a local Boston guy. He only started 1 year in his high school at goalie, and played in only one game at georgetown. He really isn't MLL calibre-so nobody would dare pick him. But its Obey, so we love him.

And plus, hes still better than Jay Pfeifer :lol:

[OutBurst]

And plus, hes still better than Jay Pfeifer :lol:

We do love him but why rag on Jay? Come on now, Jay was a Syracuse dude...

[Aussie_kid]

by Peter Inge not starting this year and losing his starting job, i think has made him end up on the unprotected list

[zippo30]

by Peter Inge not starting this year and losing his starting job, i think has made him end up on the unprotected list

That would make sense if Tim Byrnes wasn't on the unprotected list, too.

[Stopper22]

I see Grant being picked by one of the teams but not reporting, there is no way he will play for any of the teams out west, he only plays for Rochester cuz its close and hes so use to the city. The MLL isnt that important to him heck he left it for 3 years. Mollot and Glatzel being left unprotected should hurt Rochester and give a couple teams somme nice D players

[OutBurst]

Now that I am thinking about it, I am extremely happy that Gill is still with the Cannons. I got a Gill jersey and it would have sucked if he ended up going somewhere else only a few months after I laid down the $85 for the jersey. Woosh!

[Hooligan]

I have to say that I'm very surprised at some of the players left off the restricted lists. Looks like the MLL expects teams to help furnish the Western franchises with players of a high calibur. No better way of making your western expansion stick, than placing some of your most talented players out there to play.

[OutBurst]

While every MLL team this past season was overflowing with talent, do you feel that the MLL had any influence on who was left unrestricted in order to promote better growth and success in the West? Just think about it, the best attack line was just broken up. All these new goalies are to now be starters for 4 new teams. There are a tremendous amount of middies that are displaced.

If you ask me, an expansion was necessary because the league could no longer go on having such talent boasting a 2-10 record; especially with players like: Adam Doneger, Jesse Hubbard, Kyle Harrison, and Scott Schroeder. Teams need superstars and lowly-average players in order to stand out the most and create challenging obstacles that fans are interested in.

While every MLL team this past season was overflowin' with talent, do you feel that t' MLL had any influence on who was port unrestricted in order t' promote better growth and success in t' West? Just think about it, t' best attack line was just broken up. All these new goalies be t' now be starters for 4 new teams. There be a tremendous amount o' middies that be displaced.

If you ask me, an expansion was necessary because t' league could no longer go on havin' such talent boastin' a 2-10 record; especially with players like: Adam Doneger, Jesse Hubbard, Kyle Harrison, and Scott Schroeder. Teams need superstars and lowly-average players in order t' stand out t' most and create challengin' obstacles that fans be interested in.

[Jarid]

I'm surprised that Boston is leaving Millon and Rotelli unprotected.

[Stopper22]

I have to say that I'm very surprised at some of the players left off the restricted lists. Looks like the MLL expects teams to help furnish the Western franchises with players of a high calibur. No better way of making your western expansion stick, than placing some of your most talented players out there to play.
You must remeber that the 10 players cant account for more then 51% of the teams salary cap so they couldnt keep all the best players they had to seperate some, every team lost some really good players

[philly_bloont]

What surprised me most is that the Lizards left Massey, AJ and Geottleman unprotected. Thats most of their offense. Rotelli, Staines and the Rochester D-Men all surprised me as well.

Glancing at the lists, my biggest question is what were the Pride thinking? They now don't have a goalie but still have the exact same attack. I was almost positive some changes would be made to their attack, cause their offense is changing quite a bit with all those O-middies, and Hubbard and Urick are getting old.

Goalies will be at a premium in the MLL, and I highly doubt that O'Brien is back with the cannons next year, unless he refuses to go anywhere else. His play in the MLL has proved he is a starting caliber goalie, and I think him, Scherr, Schroeder, Murtha and Pfeifer all have good chances at starting next year.

[laxattack662]

Im veryyy good friends (almost cousins) with pat mccabe and hes unprotected...a little disappointed because im afraid if he gets picked for somewhere like la he will retire

[Aussie_kid]

While every MLL team this past season was overflowin' with talent, do you feel that t' MLL had any influence on who was port unrestricted in order t' promote better growth and success in t' West? Just think about it, t' best attack line was just broken up. All these new goalies be t' now be starters for 4 new teams. There be a tremendous amount o' middies that be displaced.



i argee with you, i do believe the MLL had a say in who was restricted and who was not because otherwise Boston would have protected Million, but if you think of it from a MLL pov. What is better than having Mark Million as the franchise player at a new club, his name alone will bring people into the grounds to watch him.

[Hooligan]

There is a salary percentage that factors into this aswell.

cmm343ebh, meet Stopper22. He has the info you desire!

You must remeber that the 10 players cant account for more then 51% of the teams salary cap so they couldnt keep all the best players they had to seperate some, every team lost some really good players

[shiftylax]

Just because guys are on the unprotected list doesn't mean that they will be picked in the draft, some of the teams could work some deals to keep local guys (like MCabe) with the MLL front office and/or resign them after the other teams ahve their core players set. What I think everyone is missing is that geography plays a huge role in who is protected and not protected. Certain players already live and/or work out west - like Rotelli and Watson - so even though they are elite payers, they will be playing in their new hometowns. Even Scott Hiller left for geographical reasons to coach the Chicago team.

[Hooligan]

Don't forget that you could also see trades happening for some of these guys left out in the open.

ie: Rochester could trade some Powells to LA (where they live) in exchange for some players picked in the expansion draft that won't play in LA, but will play in Rochester.

This happens more in lacrosse than you all think.

[shiftylax]

Casey is the only one who lives out west now, Ryan works out of his hometown and Mikey is moving back soon from Denver.

I think that if anyone is going to get traded its going to be after or during the draft - the new teams need to know what they're looking at for talent too. The MLL has ot be careful not to water down their talent pool and they will need stars to keep the butts in the seats out west. Millon is the only name floating for now, but expect some more guys to move and for Watson to completely own once again.

[UNCdefense]

this is from a while back but
And plus, hes still better than Jay Pfeifer

^thats blasphemy, pfeifer is the man

back on topic, i was surprised LI left Tim out, & also i think if one of the new teams will do really well, obviously dont know who since they haven't done the draft but i think w/ a lot of new faces on a new team & maybe 2 or 3 highly experienced players or a great coach, one of the new teams will turn some heads

[Lax101]

Pfeifer sucks. Extremely overrated. Goaltending was never a strength at Cuse. Its hard to say he got any better over the years.

And in the MLL he just plain sucks. 43% save percentage. I don't care if its his first year in the league-most players don't need a whole transition period to play well.

[mmlaxplaya17]

baltimore is such an amazing team as of right now i really dont see them losing their dominance over the next couple of years but mabey when they lose gait

[Formerlaxdemon]

Arrr.... with Captain Gait gone the way of the walrus tis the end of things me hearties like the dead albatross.

[creaseattack]

barrage still holden on to cromwell hes comin back next season, I cant believe prossner was supposed to replace him his position went from Cromwell 30+ points to Prossner less then 10 points he was boyles right hand man in 04 and when he comes back philly will rock the mll once again also who ever released millon, marechek, and rotelli are retarded also NJ doesnt want either of their goalies ahahaha.

[Jarid]

Just because guys are on the unprotected list doesn't mean that they will be picked in the draft, some of the teams could work some deals to keep local guys (like MCabe) with the MLL front office and/or resign them after the other teams ahve their core players set. What I think everyone is missing is that geography plays a huge role in who is protected and not protected. Certain players already live and/or work out west - like Rotelli and Watson - so even though they are elite payers, they will be playing in their new hometowns. Even Scott Hiller left for geographical reasons to coach the Chicago team.


Those are very good points.

[Stopper22]

I think keeping Gait by Balitmore was a bad move. He's getting very old how many years does he really have left? is it really worht having him for a year or 2 at most or having a young player they will have for years. I'd have to go with the young player.

[Nbenn]

Too bad Benson Erwin's unprotected--He's my favorite player and I'll be sad to see him leave B-more. Question--what are the chances of an unprotected player actually staying w/ their current team?

[Cornell79]

Keep in mind that the original 6 teams can protect an additional player once 3 of their unprotected players have been taken in the draft, and then protect one more after losing a 4th and 5th player. So, I think there was more than a little strategy involved in deciding who to protect. To me, that's why almost no D-middies were protected. Important as they are, the new teams aren't going to be built around them, so they won't be among the first 3 taken.

[philly_bloont]

Boston and Baltimore will enjoy that rule the most. Boston will get one of Watson, Staines, Regan, and Rotelli back and they still have solid d-middies and poles left. Baltimore will get one of Curry, Cook, and Scherr back and still have good d-middies like Pfar and Cocchi to chose from. Rochester and LI will probably resign poles to round out their D's.

I would not be surprised if some huge trades happened soon after the draft too. Hubbard and Casey Powell are the biggest names that I expect will be getting attention- Powell because he lives in LA and Hubbard because the Pride are completely rebuilding. With Harrison, Doneger, and Hajj, they don't need their attack to be shooters who demand the ball, and Hubbard's time in NJ has sort of run out. I think change would be good for both him and the Pride, and NJ could get some nice picks/players in return for him. Hubbard will draw fans to games, and expansion teams need those types of players.

[Mr. Big]

Is anyone besides me surprised the Rattlers didn't protect John Grant, Jr.?

[uelax22]

I was kinnda surprised by Grant not being proteted but it's time the rattlers get some new blood Casey Powell basicly carried thire team last year durring the 5 game win streak

[mmlaxplaya17]

[QUOTE=Stopper22]I think keeping Gait by Balitmore was a bad move. He's getting very old how many years does he really have left? is it really worht having him for a year or 2 at most or having a young player they will have for years. I'd have to go with the young player.[/QUOTE
y is it bad he is the league mvp has the most goals and points he is amazing player dispite his old age whichis why hes my hero

[philly_bloont]

There is no evidence to support this, but considering Grant lives in Canada and plays for Rochester in the NLL, I wonder if the LA team (if they believed they could get Powell in a trade) would take Grant and then send him back to the Rattlers in a trade.

[Lax101]

I think keeping Gait by Balitmore was a bad move. He's getting very old how many years does he really have left? is it really worht having him for a year or 2 at most or having a young player they will have for years. I'd have to go with the young player.
Hes the coach too. What are they going to do if they trade their coach? They lose their best player and their head coach. And keep in mind that once Gait is retired, he will still coach the Bayhawks.