The start of the Free Agency period evokes a renewed sense of excitement for NLL fans, players, and teams, as each club fills out its roster and refines its needs heading into the Entry Draft on September 17th, 2020. Phone lines are buzzing with offers and counter-offers, text messages are dinging, and email inboxes are filling with formal proposals and signed contracts. Since the NLL is in the offseason, the Free Agency period gives us play-by-play action and gets us excited about what’s to come.
Starting on August 1st, players may speak with and sign with other teams. Those who have met the requirements of an Unrestricted Free Agent (30 years old or older and six or more seasons played) may freely sign with any team subject to the Franchise Designation. Each team may use one Franchise Designation at a time, which for players under 34 years old, prevents an Unrestricted Free Agent from signing elsewhere in exchange for the maximum salary total. Players 34 and older may reject the Franchise Designation at their option.
Restricted Free Agents may reach an agreement with another team; however, their previous team will have the opportunity to match the agreement to retain the player. To qualify for Restricted Free Agency, a player must have played in at least three seasons and 23 total games.
Teams retain the rights to players who have not attained either of these qualifications. Trades remain open during this time.
We have seen some pretty remarkable trades already happen in July 2020, so buckle up as the Free Agency period is going to be a wild ride!
*all updates as of September 16th, 2020. This does not reflect activity during the 2020 Entry Draft, which was held on September 17th, 2020.
Movement around the league:
- Buffalo Bandits signed Kyle Buchanan to a one-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits signed JP Kealey to a one-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits signed Vaughn Harris to a one-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits signed Frank Brown to a two-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits traded Brock Sorensen and a conditional second-round selection int he 2022 Entry Draft to the Philadelphia Wings in exchange for Liam Patten, Justin Guterding, and a conditional third-round selection int he 2022 Entry Draft.
- Buffalo Bandits signed Taylor Kauffeldt to a two-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits signed Liam Patten to a one-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits signed Marcus Minichiello to a two-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits signed Devlin Shanahan to a one-year agreement.
- Buffalo Bandits signed Nathaniel Kozevnikov to a two-year agreement.
- Calgary Roughnecks signed Dan Taylor to a one-year agreement.
- Calgary Roughnecks signed Zach Herreweyers to a one-year agreement.
- Calgary Roughnecks signed Marshal King and Nick Scott to one-year agreements.
- Calgary Roughnecks signed Tyson Kirkness to a one-year agreement.
- Calgary Roughnecks signed Nate Wade to a two-year agreement.
- Colorado Mammoth signed Erik Turner and Will Malcolm to two-year agreements.
- Colorado Mammoth signed Alec Tamas to a two-year agreement.
- Colorado Mammoth signed Patric O’Meara to a two-year agreement.
- Colorado Mammoth signed Chris Wardle to a one-year agreement.
- Colorado Mammoth signed Eli McLaughlin to a one-year agreement.
- Colorado Mammoth signed Warren Jeffrey, John Lintz, and Jeff Wittig to one-year agreements.
- Colorado Mammoth traded a 2020 second-round pick (26th overall) and a 2021first-round pick to the Saskatchewan Rush for Connor Robinson.
- Georgia Swarm signed Brendan Bomberry to a two-year agreement.
- Georgia Swarm signed TJ Comizio to a two-year agreement.
- Georgia Swarm signed Sean Tyrrell to a one-year agreement.
- Georgia Swarm signed Lukas Coote to a two-year agreement.
- Georgia Swarm traded Leo Stouros and a second-round selection in the 2021 Entry Draft to the New York Riptide in exchange for their first-round selection in the 2021 Entry Draft.
- Georgia Swarm signed Kevin Orleman to a one-year agreement.
- Georgia Swarm opted to receive the Toronto Rock’s 2020 first-round pick (10th overall) under the terms of the trade between Georgia and Toronto on July 6, 2020. The Buffalo Bandits receive the Toronto Rock’s 2022 first-round pick (August 31).
- Halifax Thunderbirds signed Graeme Hossack to a one-year agreement.
- Halifax Thunderbirds signed Stephan Leblanc to a one-year agreement.
- Halifax Thunderbirds signed Cody Jamieson to a one-year agreement.
- Halifax Thunderbirds signed Brooker Muir to a three-year agreement.
- Halifax Thunderbirds signed Cade Van Raaphorst to a two-year agreement.
- Halifax Thunderbirds signed Leland Powless to a one-year agreement.
- New York Riptide signed Dereck Downs to a one-year agreement.
- New York Riptide signed Steve Orleman to a two-year agreement.
- New York Riptide signed Braiden Davis to a one-year agreement.
- New York Riptide signed Callum Crawford to a two-year agreement.
- New York Riptide signed Brent Adams, Adam Perroni, and Carter Badour to one-year agreements.
- New York Riptide signed Jon Harnett to a two-year agreement.
- New York Riptide signed Leo Stouros to a two-year agreement.
- New York Riptide signed Nolan Clayton to a one-year agreement.
- New York Riptide traded Alex Buque to the New England Black Wolves in exchange for their fifth-round selection in the 2022 Entry Draft.
- New England Black Wolves signed Greg Downing to a one-year agreement.
- New England Black Wolves signed Tanner Thomson to a two-year agreement.
- New England Black Wolves matched the offer on Restricted Free Agent Doug Jamieson and retained the rights to the player as per the CBA 7.1.D.
- New England Black Wolves signed Brad Smith to a two-year agreement.
- New England Black Wolves signed Ryan Conrad to a two-year agreement.
- New England Black Wolves signed Jules Heningburg to a one-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Matt Marinier to a one-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Liam Byrnes to a two-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Kyle Marr to a one-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Corey Small to a one-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Alex Crepinsak to a two-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Angus Goodleaf to a one-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Dylan Maltz to a one-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Daryl Waud to a one-year agreement.
- Philadelphia Wings signed Trevor Baptiste to a two-year agreement.
- Rochester Knighthawks signed Kyle Dawson to a two-year agreement.
- Rochester Knighthawks signed Mitchell Gustavsen to a two-year agreement.
- Rochester Knighthawks signed Cam Milligan to a one-year agreement.
- Rochester Knighthawks signed Julian Garritano to a one-year agreement.
- Rochester Knighthawks signed Rowan Kelly to a two-year agreement.
- Saskatchewan Rush signed Adrian Sorichetti to a one-year agreement.
- San Diego Seals signed Jay Carlson and Noah Richard to two-year agreements.
- San Diego Seals signed Dylan Riley to a one-year agreement.
- San Diego Seals signed Rhys Duch to a one-year agreement.
- San Diego Seals signed Greg Harnett and Jake Bernhardt to one-year agreements.
- San Diego Seals signed Jeremy Noble to a two-year agreement.
- San Diego Seals signed Casey Jackson to a three-year agreement.
- San Diego Seals signed Max Adler to a one-year agreement.
- San Diego Seals signed Mark Glicini to a one-year agreement.
- San Diego Seals signed Connor Fields to a one-year agreement.
- Toronto Rock signed Brad Kri to a five-year agreement.
- Toronto Rock signed Troy Holowchuk to a one-year agreement.
- Toronto Rock signed Jamison Dilks to a two-year agreement.
- Toronto Rock signed Damon Edwards to a one-year agreement.
- Toronto Rock signed Zach Manns to a two-year agreement.
- Toronto Rock signed Aaron Foter and Josh Jubenville to two-year agreements.
- Toronto Rock traded Ryan Conrad to the New England Black Wolves in exchange for the 67th overall selection in the fourth round in the 2020 Entry Draft.
- Toronto Rock signed Tom Schreiber to a two-year agreement.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Owen Barker, Steve Fryer, and Joey Lucchesi to one-year agreements.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Garrett McIntosh and Colton Porter to two-year agreements.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Joel McCready to a one-year agreement.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Christian Mazzone to a one-year agreement.
- Vancouver Warriors released Nolan Clayton from the Active Roster.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Nik Bilic to a one-year agreement.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Mason Pynn to a two-year agreement.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Harrison Smith to a one-year agreement.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Dennon Armstrong to a one-year agreement.
- Vancouver Warriors signed Kyle Killen to a one-year agreement.
Note: The deadline for teams to use the Franchise Designation was July 31st, 2020. Click here for a recap of the July trades and transactions.
