On January 13th the coaches of the PLL’s 6 original clubs will be required to submit a list of protected players (10 field players, 1 goalie) for the upcoming expansion draft. Here’s six notable players (1 from each club) that new Waterdogs skipper Andy Copelan may look to snag in said draft (Quick Note- I AM SPECULATING, I have no insider information):
Archers: Adam Ghitelman/Drew Adams
Yes, I’m cheating right off the bat, but with good reason. The Archers had two starting caliber goalies on their roster last season and made a point to utilize both. Archers LC coach Chris Bates can only protect one goalie, leaving the other for the Waterdogs to pick up. Adams was arguably the best keeper on the planet in his younger years, making him the better choice in my mind despite being on the older side. The younger and more energetic Ghitelman is still a good option, so Bates can’t really go that wrong with either. It’s fair to predict that one of these two will be starting in cage for the Dogs during their first game of 2020.
Atlas: Joel Tinney
It’s hard to predict what new Atlas coach Ben Rubeor will do with his chance to rebuild Atlas, but I don’t think that Joel Tinney will be on his protected player list come January 13th. The quick Canadian lefty took a back seat to John Crawley later in the 2019 season and was a part of an Atlas offense that lead the league in turnovers. A fresh start may be in order.
Starting in 2020 the PLL will have 18 man active game day rosters (a reduction from 20 man rosters), which could change how squads build their midfield units, placing more importance on 2-way players. While at Johns Hopkins Tinney established himself as a “do it all” guy with a motor unlike few in the country. If a coach can sell the lightning quick Tinney on becoming a more dedicated 2 way middie, they may have a star on their hands.
Chaos: Kyle McClancy
Andy Towers loves his D-middies (the guy loves all of his players), but he won’t be able to protect all of them. McClancy is very good and well respected, but the scene-stealing Mark Glicini will probably take precedent if Towers is forced to protect only 1 of his top 2 SSDMs. The Waterdogs will need a solid hard hat guy to add to their squad and McClancy is more than capable of being a club’s top short-stick defender if he is left unprotected.
Chrome: BJ Grill
BJ Grill did not have the 2019 season he wanted to have. After only dressing a handful of games during 2019 Grill was left at home most of the season. Why? No idea. The Chrome dressed 10 (10!) different poles throughout 2019, so I’m just going to chalk it up to poor decision making by a coaching staff that has since been overhauled. Grill was one of the top cover guys of a top tier MLL team just a couple years ago and offers a solution to cover some of the quick ball dominant attackmen in the league. Players like Jordan Wolf, Ryder Garnsey, and Connor Fields may have a tougher time with the smaller (Grill stands 5’ 5”, but don’t let that fool you) and quicker Grill than they would with the larger defenders typical of pro rosters. Cover-men are hard to find, and Grill would be looking for revenge, something the Waterdogs will like.
Redwoods: Brian Karalunas
The methodical take away artist that is veteran LSM Brian Karalunas established himself as the perfect compliment to John Sexton’s athletic and more dynamic play in 2019. Nat St. Laurent will want to protect his defense’s Notre Dame core, likely leaving Karalunas free for the taking. Copelan will need a starting caliber LSM and Karalunas will probably be the best available. If paired with another young & athletic LSM Karalunas could continue to pick apart unsuspecting O-middies, only in Waterdogs purple instead of Redwoods green.
Whipsnakes: Ben Reeves
Jim Stagnitta is a fantastic coach (Duh). He’s such good coach that he realized that he didn’t need the 2018 Tewaaraton winner (Ben Reeves) to win the PLL’s first crown because he already had the 2017 winner (Matt Rambo) on his roster. As good as Reeves is, he and Rambo simply can’t coexist. Both lefties are quarterbacks and operate in the same area of the field. Plugging in Connor Kelly in lieu of Reeves was Jim Stagnitta finally accepting this reality… or so he thought. It will be Stagnitta realizing he shouldn’t protect Ben Reeves during the expansion draft that will finalize this acceptance. Andy Copelan’s squad will need a QB and Ben Reeves will likely be his best option in 2020.
***Side note: Ben Reeves going to the Waterdogs is not some new novel idea, many have said it before me. However, people do not seem to be talking too much about the fact that Reeves is an aspiring doctor applying to medical schools. Whether or not Reeves will be able to continue to play while in school remains to be seen. This could obviously change Andy Copelan’s decision making.
LAX Talker 