2025 NLL Draft - Team Needs
We are just over a week out from the 2025 NLL Draft, and with the excitement ramping up, we wanted to take a look at what each team could be looking to accomplish through their respective classes.
With NLL Free Agency in limbo as it currently stands, it certainly looks as though we could be in a unique situation where teams are making their selections without having a clear idea of what their team will look like once they are able to add players in the open market later this off-season.
Let’s take a look through every team and what we consider to be some areas of need heading into the draft.
Geovanna Soler/Albany FireWolves
Oshawa/Ontario FireWolves
Needs - General Depth
Two years ago, the FireWolves had a breakout year that ended with them coming up just short of their first-ever NLL Championship. This past season, they came back down to earth, eventually missing the postseason after an up-and-down campaign.
The bounces just weren’t going for the FireWolves as frequently as the 2023 campaign. But the core of the team remains one of the best in the National Lacrosse League. Dyson Williams’ rookie campaign was as advertised, Alex Simmons and Tye Kurtz continued to be two of the best young forwards in the league, and the late-season additions of Kyle Jackson and Jonathan Peshko provided some added punch up front.
In net, Doug Jamieson remains one of the elite ball-stoppers in lacrosse, and the defence is as solid as ever. Will Johansen finally played a full year and was a shot in the arm in transition, while Zach Young and Nicholas Volkov stepped into full-time roles and helped provide some added depth.
While the move to Ontario from New York State will be a change, it won’t affect what the team does in the draft much — it’s more of a factor when it comes to what the team could do in free agency.
Without a pick until the third round this year, the FireWolves will be waiting to see who remains on the board. They’re likely in a position where they can add the best player available and continue to let this squad develop together in hopes of taking a step back into the playoff hunt this coming year.
Caroline Sherman/NLL
Buffalo Bandits
Needs - Nothing
It feels like we’ve had the same answer for the Bandits for at least the last three years. When you three-peat and manage to retain everyone, there’s not really a lot of need for tinkering. In Buffalo’s case, their off-season will be dictated by Matt Vinc and if he wants to call it a career or go for a seventh NLL championship. Kyle Buchanan will also turn 38 before the start of the season, so we’ll see what he decides to do after adding three straight titles to his name.
The Bandits have found a majority of their championship core through the draft. Steve Dietrich and Co do an incredible job of identifying talent that fits perfectly in Buffalo. In 2022, they took Dylan Robinson, Cam Wyers, and Zach Belter in the first round. All three have turned into everyday players for them over this run of excellence. Last year, they added some incredible depth in Lukas Nielsen, Luca Antongiovanni, and Taylor Dooley in the first round. They also got Trent Robertson in the second.
Buffalo has a pick in every round of this draft — they also have two picks in the fifth round. At this point, barring any shock exits from the team, it’s business as usual in Banditland. Draft the best player on the board with every pick.
Angela Burger/Calgary Roughnecks
Calgary Roughnecks
Needs - Righty defenders, Forward Depth
Calgary made the playoffs last year following the returns of franchise greats Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie and the acquisition of Nick Rose. Now, with Dobbie announcing his retirement and Rose likely headed back East as a UFA, the Roughnecks will look to re-stock.
Up front, they’re in an interesting spot. Curtis Dickson is still a star in the NLL, but he just turned 37. Captain Jesse King is a free agent, so the possibility of the Roughnecks losing two of their top lefties is a real possibility. Tanner Cook is projected to be an 80-90 point a year guy minimum for his career, but if Calgary loses King, they need to plan for the future.
They have good pieces in Brayden Mayea and Mauthieu Gautier, and Haiden Dickson and Tyler Pace are trusted vets who can produce. But with the names at forward in this draft — especially in the first round — they could use another top player in the mix.
Defensively, they could just use some extra depth on the right side. Eli Salama, Reece Callies, and Justin Inacio are all big parts of this unit. Griffin Hall is also a solid young defender. But having that assurance if injuries occur is always a good idea.
With the ninth and 11th picks in the first round, Calgary will be able to get a pair of solid players in quick succession to restock its cupboards.
Jack Dempsey/Colorado Mammoth
Colorado Mammoth
Needs - Righty Forward, Defence
After back-to-back championship appearances — with an NLL Cup victory in 2022 — the Mammoth have missed the postseason in two consecutive years. Zed Williams, Eli McLaughlin, and Connor Kelly all missed the final portion of the year, and despite getting Ryan Lee back from injury, the team finished 8-10.
Now, the Mammoth have decided on a major shakeup, sending Williams to Rochester in exchange for a pair of picks. That leaves some questions to be answered on the righty side. Kelly will be the top righty in all likelihood. Lee is an elite talent, but he has dealt with injuries — including long-term ones — throughout his career to date. Tyson Gibson had a career-high 55 points in 2024 but finished with just 18 points in 10 games last year. Can he have a bounce back? And McDonald is a former second-rounder, but has only appeared in five games in each of his first two seasons. Can he step in and be a full-time guy for the Mammoth?
It’s an interesting conundrum the Mammoth will likely have. They could use a defender at five, with Damon Edwards and Robert Hope being pending free agents. Would someone like Connor Nock be enticing to Colorado? He won a Minto Cup with Pat Coyle in Coquitlam last summer. Assuming Vegas goes defence, could one or both of Saris and Marinier fall to Colorado at that spot? With some defensive-needy teams picking between five and ten.
Nock falling to 10 seems extremely unlikely, but could Colorado look to find a Zed replacement at five and hope for Levi Verch or Jaxon Fridge to be there with their other first-rounder? There are a couple of routes the Mammoth could go, making them likely the team to watch other than Toronto in the first round.
Victoria Adkins/Georgia Swarm
Georgia Swarm
Needs - Defence, Forward Depth
Georgia is a team that could also be looking at some big-time turnover this off-season. Both Miles and Jeremy Thompson, Captain Jordan MacIntosh, Joey Cupido, and John Ranagan are all pending free agents.
Jeremy is 38, MacIntosh will be 36 by training camp, Ranagan is 34, and Cupido is 35. The Swarm defence has been getting older, and they’ve needed to infuse some younger bodies for a while to help out their long-tenured players. Brendan Bomberry and Bryan Cole have both played transition previously, but each has spent a good chunk of the last few years as forwards for Georgia.
Lyle Thompson, Shayne Jackson, and Andrew Kew will keep the Swarm in every game, and Brett Dobson is a franchise goaltender. It’ll be a matter of bolstering the group around their core pieces.
2022 first-rounder Jacob Hickey debuted last year and impressed in a half season of action. Liam McGrath and Jeff Henrick are also former draftees who will be leaned on to take steps this year. 2024 third overall pick Michael Grace and 11th overall pick Alex Bean will also join the team this year.
Georgia is in a good spot in this draft, with the seventh and eighth overall picks, as well as a compensatory selection at the end of the first round. They also have multiple seconds. That’ll give them the chance to restock quickly. They could add a few defenders and an impact forward in the first round or opt to just add the best available on their board with all of those picks.
Trevor MacMillan/Halifax Thunderbirds
Halifax Thunderbirds
Needs - Defensive Depth
A first-time appearance in the Semi-Finals gave Halifax some playoff excitement for the first time since moving to the Maritimes. But they’ll have to continue to build out their roster to take the next step. That starts with the draft. The Thunderbirds hold two first-rounders this year. They acquired Ottawa’s 2025 first for the 10th overall pick in 2023 — that turned into Jake Stevens. Sitting at sixth overall, they’ll be able to get a solid talent that can impact their roster right away. They also hold the 12th overall pick, a position they’ve picked from in multiple years past.
Offensively, Halifax frequently had Cole Kirst and Jason Knox out of the lineup, so their depth is far from an issue. The emergence of Mike Robinson and the strong play of Thomas Hoggarth helped this team immensely last season.
In net, Warren Hill needs a new deal, but assuming he returns, he and Drew Hutchison will hold down the crease in The Nest. Halifax’s defence is also strong, but with some of the names on the back end in this class, it makes sense for the Thunderbirds to focus on the defence in the first round and in general.
Caroline Sherman/NLL
Las Vegas Desert Dogs
Needs - Defence
In their first three years in the National Lacrosse League, the Desert Dogs have not had a goal differential better than minus-40. Last year, that number ballooned to minus-67, with the team giving up a league-high 256 goals against.
Vegas has some really nice building blocks up front. Alongside the likes of Jonathan Donville, Holden Cattoni, and Jack Hannah, watch for Jackson Webster to have a big sophomore year after winning Major Series Lacrosse MVP this summer. But they need to shore up their troubles when it comes to keeping the ball out of their net if they want to take a step up this year.
They have pieces on the back end that are intriguing. Captain Connor Kirst is a dog who can give the team punch in transition, Justin Sykes could prove to be a strong two-way threat if called on, and veterans like Drew Belgrave, Brandon Goodwin, and Dylan Hutchison are able to eat minutes. But they are in need of multiple defensive prospects to help them in the future.
That starts with the fourth pick. They should have the pick of a few names on defence, depending on who Toronto decides to scoop up off the top of the board. A player like Ben Trumble would be a great start for the Desert Dogs. Holding a compensatory pick at the end of the first round as well as an early second-rounder will also help Vegas get better through this draft.
Tim Austen/Ottawa Black Bears
Ottawa Black Bears
Needs - Lefty Defence, Defensive Depth
Ottawa is in a bit of a pickle in this draft. They don’t own their first- or second-round picks this year. Their first pick will be the final selection of the second round.
The Black Bears won’t have to worry about many free agents. Reilly O’Connor and Eric Fannell are their only pending FA’s. It’s hard to picture O’Connor, an assistant captain for Ottawa, leaving for another team.
Ottawa’s offence is strong, with Jeff Teat continuing to be one of the elite talents in lacrosse. O’Connor, Larson Sundown, and Teat have been a formidable trio for a few years now. Jacob Dunbar also had a breakout start to his year but cooled off towards the tail end of the 2024-25 season. Connor Kearnan has been a steady contributor throughout his whole NLL career.
Zach Higgins is an elite goaltender, but for the Black Bears to take another step, the group in front of him could use some help. They have some solid vets in John LaFontaine, Luc Magnan, Kevin Brownell, and Jay Thorimbert, along with younger guys in Callum Jones, Reed Kurtz, and Jake Stevens. To end last year, they had just three bodies on the lefty side of he defence. Brett Noseworthy and Matt Marinier are seasoned pros, but if there was an injury, their depth would be tested big time on that side.
It’ll be tough for them to add every day NLL players picking as late as they are. The Black Bears will have to hit on their selections to help this team try and make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Heather Barry/NLL
Philadelphia Wings
Needs - Defensive Depth, Lefty Defence, Forward Depth
What a truly odd year for the Wings. They went from buyers at the trade deadline to wondering what happened by the end of the regular season. Now, they head into free agency, where both Joe Resetarits and Mitch Jones are pending free agents, as are Shane Simpson, Mitch De Snoo, and Chris Corbeil.
Philadelphia could look a lot different come training camp. They have a solid duo in Brennan O’Neill and Blaze Riorden on the lefty side, but losing either Resetarits or Jones would be a critical hit to the Wings. They would have to replace two stars with other free agents, which is easier said than done.
Not holding their own first-rounder due to the trade deadline deal with Toronto, the Wings will instead pick at the end of the first round with a compensatory selection. They are in need of anything other than goaltending. Nick Damude is the man of the present and future. But the defence needs work, and if they have losses in the off-season up front, they’ll be in need of forward replacements.
A bit of a wait and see when it comes to the draft, it’ll be a crucial off-season overall for Paul Day and Co.
Micheline Veluvolu/Rochester Knighthawks
Rochester Knighthawks
Needs - Defensive Depth
Now that the Knighthawks are in Rochester for the long haul, it’s time for them to look ahead to the upcoming season. The team has made the playoffs in the last three years, and with a good mix of exciting offence and gritty defence, the future looks bright.
Connor Fields is the reigning NLL MVP, while Thomas McConvey, Ryan Smith, and Ryan Lanchbury are all stars on the front end. Ryland Rees, Matt Gilray, Dan Coates, and Chad Tutton are also leaders on the back end for this team.
With names like Brad McCulley and Austin Hasen finishing the year on the practice roster, the offensive depth looks alright heading into next season. Even with the likes of Jake Piseno and Taylor Jensen on the roster, you can never have too many good defenders. Currently slated with the 10th overall pick this year, Rochester could have a pick of a few names on the back end if they choose to go that route. They can also continue to bolster their forward group. It’ll depend on who remains on the board when that pick comes up.
Kalea Vizmanos/San Diego Seals
San Diego Seals
Needs - Lefty Forwards, Depth
San Diego has been big game hunting essentially since they entered the league. That continued last year, with the team adding Rob Hellyer, Ben McIntosh, Ryan Benesch, and Zach Currier through free agency and trade. However, the Seals came up short of their ultimate goal, falling in the playoffs to Buffalo.
Currier was playing both ends during the season, spending a good chunk of time out the front gate. Benesch’s future is up in the air, while Trent DiCicco could be a full-time forward or be utilized as a transition threat. Dylan Watson will be leaned on to take another step in his development, as will Jake Govett.
Defensively, San Diego has some incredible talent. Currier is always in the MVP or Transition Player of the Year conversation with his stellar play. But they also have Kyle Rubisch, Cam Holding, Danny Logan, James Barclay, and Trevor Baptiste. Patrick Shoemay, Matt Wright, Cam Lumb, and Cam Acchione all ended the year on the PUP List or Injured Reserve as well.
The Seals have the final pick in the first round, as well as a second-rounder to add some of the better talents in this year’s draft. But knowing the way the team likes to acquire talent, these picks may just be the cherry on top of what San Diego will do to improve its roster heading into the 2025-26 campaign. Adding the best players available will only help one of the better rosters in the NLL.
Photo: Saskatchewan Rush
Saskatchewan Rush
Needs - General Depth
A storybook season for the Rush ended with a loss in Game 3 of the NLL Finals to Buffalo. Despite that, Saskatchewan looked reinvigorated with the team making the playoffs for the first time since pre-pandemic.
The play of Manns, Church, Keenan, and Shanks lifted the team on most nights, and the likes of Brock Haley and Levi Anderson bring excitement up front for the future. Frank Scigliano took home the league’s Goalie of the Year honours while Matt Hossack was named the NLL Defender of the Year in his first season back with the Rush.
Jake Boudreau also had his big breakout. Everything was coming up Saskatchewan last season. Now, it’s about maintaining that level to push for a title in 2025-26. The Rush have a great squad. They had nine draftees last year, and only Matt Acchione and Jake Naso made the final roster. With another five picks, the Rush can scoop up some more solid talent to help stock the cupboards for the future.
Photo: Ryan McCullough/Toronto Rock
Toronto Rock
Needs - Lefty Forward, Depth
We know that more than likely, the Rock will be taking lefty CJ Kirst off the top of the board. But do the Rock need some extra help on that side?
Mark Matthews will be coming off a major injury that kept him out almost the entirety of last year — he will also be 36 by the midway point of the season. Corey Small had a 50-point campaign, but he’s a pending free agent who’s 38. Dan Craig also had just 12 goals and 46 points last season. While not bad totals, it was a drop from 2022 and 2023, where he had 79- and 82-point campaigns, respectively. The team also just moved Brian Cameron to Colorado.
Toronto could very well run this group out with Kirst and have a big bounce-back year. But with all options on the table with those top three picks, it’s interesting to think about what Jamie Dawick and Co could look to do to the front end. Could a Will MacLeod or Owen Hiltz be in the cards for the Rock? Could they move one of their top three picks to move back in the first round and gather more assets?
The Rock really aren’t in need of back-end help. It’s hard to see a scenario where Nick Rose and Mitch De Snoo don’t return if they make it to free agency. Chris Corbeil is 37, so he could weigh his options ahead of the season. Toronto will likely be looking for the best player available outside of their top selections in this year’s draft.
Jordan Leigh/Vancouver Warriors
Vancouver Warriors
Needs - Lefty Forward, Depth
The Warriors were the story of the second half last season, making it to the NLL semi-finals, where Buffalo knocked them out.
Vancouver solved one of its long-term needs with the blockbuster addition of Christian Del Bianco. They did right by Aden Walsh, sending him to Calgary to give him a chance to start. They’ll likely have Connor O’Toole back up next season, but Del Bianco is the backbone of this squad. He led the way for the Warriors to turn their season on its head.
With the Warriors, they have been looking for stability from their lefties since trading Mitch Jones to Philadelphia, and while Adam Charalambides has been a breakout player for them, they could use another option there. A big second year from the 2023 fourth overall pick, Payton Cormier, would be a big help for Vancouver.
Past that, they have a defensive centrepiece in Owen Grant, along with some great veterans. But the overall depth could be addressed to help the end of the lineup.
Vancouver holds the first pick in the second round, so after the compensatory picks, they’ll have a chance to add their first prospect of the draft.