Waterdogs LC
Adam
- FO – Jake Withers
- A – Wes Berg
- A – Kieran McArdle
- A – Michael Kraus
- A – Ben Reeves
- M – Zack Currier
- M – Connor Kelly
- M – Ben McIntosh
- LSM – Ryland Rees
- LSM – Brian Karalunas
- D – BJ Grill
- D – Chris Sabia
- D – Brodie Merrill
- G – Matt DeLuca
Hutton
- FO – Jake Withers
- A – Kieran McArdle
- A – Michael Kraus
- M – Drew Snider
- M – Zack Currier
- M – Connor Kelly
- M – Ben McIntosh
- SSDM – Kyle McClancy
- SSDM – Steve DeNapoli
- LSM – Ryland Rees
- D – BJ Grill
- D – Chris Sabia
- D – Brodie Merrill
- G – Matt DeLuca
Military Exempt: Noah Richard (LSM/D)
Possible Departures: Brian Karalunas (LSM/D), Ben Reeves (A), Charlie Cipriano (G), Christian Cuccinello (A), Drew Simoneau (FO), Drew Snider (M), Kyle McClancy (SSDM), Ryan Conrad (M), Ryan Drenner (A), Steve DeNapoli (SSDM), Wes Berg (A)
Overview
The Waterdogs have a ton of options when it comes to their protected roster, but an area where we both agree the Waterdogs should retool is their offense. This means top offensive picks like Christian Cuccinello, Ryan Drenner and even Ben Reeves could enter the expansion draft once again. Those decisions were fairly easy.
A decision that wasn’t so easy for us was not protecting faceoff specialist Drew Simoneau, who had a another solid year at the stripe despite once again performing in a backup role, but who we just couldn’t seem to justify keeping given Jake Withers’ presence and the possibility of upgrading in the PLL Entry Draft. (Fun fact: Coach Andy Copelan targeted Max Adler last offseason prior to Adler’s decision to return to the Denver Outlaws in the MLL).
Adam
The Dawgs had a tough season one during the PLL Championship Series, but I think the foundation is there for success during their sophomore season. I left off notable expansion draftees from last year in Ryan Drenner and Christian Cuccinello. Instead, I sided to protect two guys that haven’t even suited up for Coach Andy Copelan in Michael Kraus and Brian Karalunas. You may recall that Kraus suited up in the pros last year for the Connecticut Hammerheads. Since he played in the MLL last year, Coach Copelan retains his rights, but will have to protect him. If I’m looking at upside, I’d rather take the versatile Kraus over Drenner or Cuccinello.
Hutton
If I’m being honest, no player from the Waterdogs attack, save for Kieran McArdle, played well enough in 2020 to deserve protection. Based on what I saw from Christian Cuccinello and Ryan Drenner last season (the latter who didn’t play in the Waterdogs’ final game), I decided to not waste a protected spot on either of them, and followed Adam’s lead in protecting Michael Kraus. The harder toss ups for me were Wes Berg and Ben Reeves, but with Reeves’s medical career plans prompting uncertainty around his pro lacrosse career and the talent coming from the MLL, I chose to leave the big-bodied Canadian and the former Tewaaraton winner unprotected (and will continue to second guess it until protected rosters are released).
While the Waterdogs were exposed on offense, their defense and wing play was a particular bright spot in 2020 and that is why I kept long-stick midfielder Ryland Rees, two-way threat Drew Snider and short-stick defenders Kyle McClancy and Steve DeNapoli over some of the offensive guys I mentioned. You can replace your attack with players in the PLL Entry Draft (expect the Waterdogs to select Randy Staats if he drops to them at #4). However, two-way and defensive talent at the midfield is much harder to find. (Fortunately, the Waterdogs also happen to have the best two-way guy on the planet right now in Zach Currier.) With the Waterdogs able to protect Noah Richard through military exemption, I chose to let the older Brian Karalunas test expansion.
