2024-25 NLL Mega Primer: Power Rankings & Preseason Awards

With opening week mere days away, the first iteration of the NLL’s Power Rankings are the product of a survey of the League’s Head Coaches and General Managers. With their guidance picking the order, Cooper Perkins expands upon each team’s preseason prospects by looking at some of the key factors at play for each club. As games are played and new data points pour in, Perkins will continue to write the NLL Power Rankings weekly during the season.

Power Rankings

8. Saskatchewan Rush

No team is more of a mystery than the Rush. Look for this to be the season in which Saskatchewan begins to clearly emerge from its rebuild and youth movement effort. Robert Church is as lethal of a scoring threat as any player in the league, and the youth around him will be a year older. Defensively, the Rush have all of the pieces to put together a faceless unit that pesters opposing offenses relentlessly. Jake Boudreau is as good as any young back-door player in the league and Reese Barnes is positioned to loudly announce his presence as a rookie. If goaltender Frank Scigliano can offer consistency intermixed with occasional brilliance, the Rush should be competitive in every game that they play. The added experience of a new year may be what helps them turn some of those close defeats into narrow victories. Bet on the Rush to make the playoffs, even if the pathway isn’t obvious.

7. Rochester Knighthawks

If Albany produced the story of the year a season ago, Rochester deserves a consolation nod for the team’s remarkable finish and furious push to make the playoffs in the season’s final week. Connor Fields and Ryan Smith will continue to be two of the most electrifying offensive talents in the league, paired with Thomas McConvey, who is now a year more seasoned in a professional setting. While the Knighthawks have been known for their scoring in recent years, the organization’s two most prominent acquisitions in the offseason are poised to boost their defense and transition efforts. Chad Tutton is a highly underrated defensive piece in the NLL, while Josh Medeiros is an under-the-radar difference maker for Rochester. Medeiros was absolutely sensational as a transition player two seasons ago before a regression to the mean last season. Should Medeiros re-capture his form from 2022-23, he could very well be a dark horse contender for the NLL’s Transition Player of the Year.

6. Vancouver Warriors

The first season of the Curt Malawsky era in Vancouver nearly produced a playoff team from a group that was near the basement of the league only a season prior. While some of Vancouver’s key pieces may now be on the older side, defensive linchpin Ryan Dilks illustrated a season ago that sometimes the finest performances are saved for later in a veteran’s career. While it took Keegan Bal half of last season to find his step under Malawsky, it’s reasonable to expect him to resume this season as one of the league’s elite offensive threats and point producers from Week 1. Adam Charalambides took a massive step forward a year ago and looks primed to continue to validate his draft position as he is the unquestioned top lefty for the Warriors. The biggest question for Vancouver is what they receive from defender and former top-five draft pick Reid Bowering. There is a very conceivable reality in which Bowering returns to his rookie season form and emerges as one of the NLL’s top overall defenders. It’s not impossible to imagine a scenario in which Bowering wins the league’s Defender of the Year alongside Payton Cormier claiming the circuit’s Rookie of the Year. Watch out for Vancouver.

5. San Diego Seals

For a team that has still yet to make an NLL final, the Seals have become a mainstay at or near the top of the Power Rankings in recent seasons. This year’s outfit is almost entirely different thanks to a laundry list of significant additions and subtractions. While the offense is likely the source of most skepticism this season after a wholesale shuffling of parts, this team is built to win on defense and in transition. The Seals have slowly become younger and more athletic on the back end the last few years. The addition of Zach Currier may prove to be the single most important personnel move of the offseason, as he completely changes the dynamic for San Diego. The offense, while explosive in recent seasons, looks primed to manufacture more consistency thanks to the additions of two veterans (Ben McIntosh and Ryan Benesch) who can fit into the flow of any structure without asserting a clunky ball dominance. Don’t discount Rob Hellyer’s role on this team as well. The Seals are right where they seem to be at the start of each season, but make no mistake, this unit is very different from past iterations.

4. Georgia Swarm

The pieces have been present for the Swarm to make a deep run each of the last few years. Andrew Kew and Lyle Thompson comprise one of the league’s most productive one-two punches, while the athletic defense in front of Brett Dobson needs to be more consistent. The back end is primed for TJ Comizio, Adam Wiedemann and Jordan MacIntosh to become one of the most fearsome threesomes in the league. McIntosh perpetually flies under the radar, despite being one of the league’s best on-ball defenders. Dobson’s presence between the pipes is Georgia’s wildcard. If Dobson takes a step forward, he’ll put them in a position to be competitive in each game, potentially stealing one or two on his own. The pieces are there for Georgia to make the playoffs.

3. Albany FireWolves

The FireWolves shocked the NLL landscape last season by racing all the way to the NLL Finals, where they ultimately were unable to overcome the Bandits. Alex Simmons and Tye Kurtz had sensational rookie seasons and now add another highly-anticipated rookie to the equation with former top pick and Rookie of the Year favorite Dyson Williams. Perhaps even more important than the exploits of the kids out the front door is the ferocious defense fielded by Glenn Clark and led by elite goaltender Doug Jamieson. Veteran Nick Chaykowsky is perennially the most underrated defender in the league, while Patrick Kaschalk emerged last season as one of the game’s bright stars out of the back door. Expectations should be tempered for this group after their astounding 2023-24 season, but all of the pieces are in place for Albany to ultimately make another return to the NLL Finals should things break the right way in the Capital Region.

What a season it was for the Toronto Rock 🏅 pic.twitter.com/48iFNa9xi3

— NLL (@NLL) April 23, 2024

2. Toronto Rock

One of the older, more experienced rosters in the league, Toronto was sublime last year in the regular season. Nick Rose took a massive step forward, leading a defense that was without superstar defender Latrell Harris. Should the defense stay healthy, Toronto will once again produce one of the two or three best units in the league. Offensively, what Mark Matthews brings to the table is a little bit more of a question mark. Matthews enjoyed stretches of brilliance last season, while also contending with the seemingly mandatory decline brought on by age. Keep in mind that Toronto dealt with as many injuries as any team in the league last year. Should the Rock stay healthy or simply be healthier this season, the squad will once again push for one of the top seeds in the postseason. The loss of TD Ierlan in preseason play certainly complicates the equation, but trust in Matt Sawyer and the Rock coaching staff to push the right buttons and steer this group to a spot near the top of the standings.

1. Buffalo Bandits

In any sporting context, barring massive turnover during the offseason, the winners of back-to-back league championships are going to claim their rightful place atop the preseason Power Rankings until otherwise displaced. The Bandits, able to avoid significant turnover or poor injury luck in the offseason, are well-positioned to extend their run of trips to the NLL Finals. Josh Byrne and Dhane Smith continue to seemingly get better annually, while Tehoka Nanticoke and Chris Cloutier help round out a wildly potent attack. The only notable questions entering the season for the Bandits are if the ageless wonders Matt Vinc and Steve Priolo continue to perform like top-five players at their positions. If the defense holds up and the injury bug stays away, the Bandits are the deserving top choice entering the season.

The Rest of the Group (No Particular Order)

Calgary Roughnecks

Calgary is turning back the clock with its offseason acquisitions of Dane Dobbie and Curtis Dickson. The goaltending situation leaves a major question to be answered, but with Dobbie and Dickson joining Jesse King and Tanner Cook out the front door, there is the possibility that Josh Sanderson’s offense could be explosive. Injury luck will be a big factor for Calgary’s prospects.

Colorado Mammoth

The Mammoth have all of the ingredients of a playoff team, but injury luck has been squarely against this group the last two years. The return of Ryan Lee to an offense that was already set to feature Eli McLaughlin and offseason acquisition Will Malcom makes for a potent group. Dillon Ward is coming off a turbulent season with quite a bit to prove. Keep an eye on Colorado out west.

Halifax Thunderbirds

Along with the Rush, the Thunderbirds are a constant subject of intrigue and enigmatic curiosity. Losing Ryan Benesch means that scoring production will have to come from elsewhere this season, but don’t bet against Randy Staats and Clarke Petterson when healthy. The addition of Jason Knox could prove to be one of the best of the offseason if he takes a major step forward.

Las Vegas Desert Dogs

The Desert Dogs feature a new look this year with Jonathan Donville likely to be the team’s maestro on offense. Should Donville’s health hold up, Vegas has some supplemental pieces around him that figure to benefit from the youngster’s tremendous passing. Kyle Killen is two years removed from a 40-goal season, Jack Hannah is fresh off a summer competing for Team USA, and Sean Westley is a year older. The play of goaltender Landon Kells may go a long way toward determining if Vegas can push for a playoff spot. Never count out an ascendant young goaltender with the tools that Kells boasts.

Ottawa Black Bears

Is this the season that superstar forward Jeff Teat finally gets into the playoffs? It certainly feels like it. Despite playing under a new moniker in a fresh market, don’t forget that there was a point last season where this group felt like one of the most dangerous, ascendant teams in the league. Keep an eye on young forward Jacob Dunbar alongside Teat and Connor Kearnan. Dunbar is a sneaky scoring threat that had been buried on San Diego’s veteran-heavy depth chart for the last three seasons. His performance on the summer circuit should serve as evidence of the threat he can be in the right situation—Dunbar is a breakout player that most league folks will become familiar with in short order. Defensively, upgrading the goaltender position was a massive offseason accomplishment. Zach Higgins is consistently the most underrated goaltender in the league and very well may be responsible for stealing two or three games for his new club. If the breaks fall in the right direction, Ottawa should be a dark horse contender to win the whole thing in May. Yeah, I said it.

Philadelphia Wings

Maybe the most compelling offseason addition of 2024 is top overall pick Brennan O’Neill. Fans will quickly become acquainted with one of the world’s brightest stars in the field game, but what are reasonable expectations for the best American prospect in years? It’s difficult to pinpoint. Callum Crawford’s late singing adds a much-needed scoring punch to the Wings’ offense. Nick Damude slides into the starting goalie position as one of the league’s most underrated net minders once again. If the defense in front of Damude settles in and the youngster takes a step forward for his third franchise, the Wings could make some serious noise.

Preseason Awards

These awards were voted on by League Head Coaches and General Managers.

Jeff Teat, Ottawa Black Bears
NLL MVP & Offensive Player of the Year

Entering his fourth NLL season, Ottawa Black Bears forward Jeff Teat is an undisputed box lacrosse superstar. The first pick in the 2020 draft has lived up to every one of the lofty expectations placed upon him, in the wake of an outstanding amateur career at Cornell University. Since joining the former New York Riptide, the Ivy Leaguer has combined athleticism, tenacity and a seemingly endless array of offensive imagination into a three-season stat line of 151 goals and 224 assists. During his 2022-2023 effort, the Brampton, Ontario native finished only one point shy of Dhane Smith’s all-time single season record. Teat is truly a team-first type of player, equally adept at setting up a colleague for a score, as compared to finding the back of the net due to his own volition. After spending the early portion of his NLL tenure playing home games on Long Island, Teat and his running mates now call Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre home. Coming off a campaign that saw the Riptide improve their record from 5-13 to 8-10, fans in Canada’s capital city are well positioned to witness the 27-year-old legislate his way into a season of individual affirmation, along with the possibility of the Black Bears making a Royal Assent into the playoffs.– JR

Latrell Harris, Toronto Rock
Defender of the Year

2023 Defender of the Year Latrell Harris missed the entire 2023-24 season rehabbing a torn ACL suffered during the summer PLL season. The former second round pick of the Rock has worked hard over the last 15 months to get back into form and might be in better shape than ever. He looked good during the Rock’s preseason games so there’s no reason to think he won’t just pick up where he left off once the regular season begins – and that is as a formidable player. He’s 6’0 and 215 pounds of bruising do-it-all defender that has also been in the conversation for Transition Player of the Year. Harris, who was still in high school when he was an NLL rookie, put up 30 points in 2023, collected 108 loose balls and caused 24 turnovers. Rock fans have had the joy of watching him turn into an elite defender over his six seasons. – AT

Zach Currier, San Diego Seals TIES Challen Rogers, Toronto Rock
Transition Player of the Year

Zach Currier is the best two-way player in lacrosse, so it’s no surprise that league coaches and GMs are of the opinion that he’ll take home his third Transition Player of the Year title. He previously won the award in 2022 and 2023. He didn’t have the best 2024, scoring only a single goal and seeing his point, loose ball and caused turnover totals dip, so a fresh start in San Diego might be just the ticket for Currier to rejuvenate himself this season. If he gets a good whiff of that ocean air, he might just be unstoppable.

But wait – there’s also Challen Rogers to consider. Rogers is also a former two-time winner of the TPOY award, taking the honours in 2019 and 2020. The Rock’s roster is stacked with transition players and Rogers is the crème of the crop. Limited to 12 games last season, Rogers contributed 29 points, 47 loose balls and 14 caused turnovers. His numbers aren’t the highest in the league but he’s an exciting player and a leader among his teammates.

Both Currier and Rogers are what you’d call the total package when it comes to what you want in a lacrosse player. – AT

Doug Jamieson, Albany FireWolves
Goaltender of the Year

Doug Jamieson is on a hot streak. He’s backstopped the Six Nations Chiefs to the last two Mann Cup Canadian championships and led the FireWolves to the NLL Finals last season. He’s a former Goaltender of the Year (2020) and, akin to Matt Vinc, is seeming to get better at his craft as he ages. Last season he played 978 minutes (the second-highest of his career) with a 10.12 goals against average and .800 save percentage, and he kept those numbers consistent throughout five playoff games. That’s a big bonus for a team to know exactly what their goaltender can offer game in and game out. – AT

Dyson Williams, Albany FireWolves
Rookie of the Year

Last season, the Albany FireWolves performed one the greatest and most unlikely turnarounds in NLL history, turning a disastrous 3-15 2022-2023 season into an 11-7 about-face and an appearance in the NLL Finals. Miraculously, the franchise built upon the foundation of young stars Alex Simmons, Tye Kurtz and Ethan Walker will be even more prosperous this season courtesy of the debut of 2023 first overall pick Dyson Williams. The son of Las Vegas Desert Dogs General Manager & Head Coach Shawn Williams arrives in New York’s Capital Region riding the wave of a sensational 78-game journey at Duke University where the ACC attacker posted 212 goals and 25 assists. Williams’ 212 connectors places him third all-time in NCAA history. The Oshawa, Ontario native and Hill Academy alum further flourished throughout Canada’s box lacrosse scene accumulating 253 career points for the Jr. A Whitby Warriors, while tallying 45 points for Major Series Lacrosse’s Brooklin Lacrosse Club. The future could not be brighter for this highly-talented forward. Dyson Williams will continue the tradition of wearing jersey number 51 in honor of his father Shawn and late brother, Tucker, who tragically succumbed to Burkitt’s Lymphoma in 2014. – JR

Curt Malawsky, Vancouver Warriors
Coach of the Year

Players love Curt Malawsky. They would go to war for him – or more accurately, with him, as Malawsky isn’t the wait in the tent kind of leader. He’s the full-steam ahead, leading his men into battle type of leader. The 2023 Coach of the Year took the struggling Vancouver Warriors almost to the playoffs last season. They put together a magical five-win run late in the season that convinced people the Warriors were becoming the real deal. Although they fell just short of their goal last season, expect the changes Malawsky has made to lead to the Warriors’ first playoff appearance since moving to downtown Vancouver. – AT