The NLL season is finally here, and as the season gets into full swing, be sure to check back to uslaxmagazine.com for Jack Goods' weekly NLL content. To conclude our season preview, here's a look at the San Diego Seals, who open their season on Saturday against Buffalo.
San Diego Seals
Head coach: Patrick Merrill (second season)
2018-19 record: 10-8 (second in West Division)
Playoff finish: Lost in division semifinals
Overview
Year 1 was an enormous success for the San Diego Seals franchise, which proved teams can win right away in the Nick Sakiewicz era of National Lacrosse League expansion. Backed by some veterans looking to prove they’ve still got it and a superstar rookie, the Seals did more than just earn a postseason berth. They hosted a home playoff game.
The roster for the team’s sophomore campaign looks rather different, as Austin Staats is injured and many of the vets opted to go in other directions. Patrick Merrill showed he knows how to build a roster, but we’ll have to see if his series of moves prove fruitful for a second straight year.
What’s new
The Seals made arguably the biggest move of the offseason when they pried Wes Berg out of Calgary following his season-long holdout from the Roughnecks. He accounted for 86 points on 37 goals and 49 assists in 2018.
Also new to the offense are Jeremy Noble and Zack Greer, acquired for draft picks in an offseason trade with the Colorado Mammoth. Noble is coming off a down season, setting a career-low for points with 31. He recorded 82 the year prior, though, so maybe this is an opportunity for him to rebound.
Greer was coaxed out of a one-year retirement. He last accounted for 41 points in 15 games with the Mammoth in 2018.
The Seals signed veteran defender Mike Carnegie after 12 seasons spent with Calgary. American Mark Glicini is looking to make his NLL debut following an impressive Premier Lacrosse League season with Chaos.
What’s gone
There’s some heavy turnover for the Seals, starting at the top of the scoring chart. Dan Dawson, who showed he still has some gas in the tank by leading the team in points, opted to move back east when he signed with the Toronto Rock as a free agent. Garrett Billings, who finished second on the team in points, is currently a free agent.
The Seals have been hit hard by injury, most notably Staats went down late last year with a torn ACL. As the face of the franchise, that could prove to be a devastating blow. The Seals also start the season without Casey Jackson, who is on the physically unable to perform list.
The New York Riptide took Connor Kelly, and Rochester snagged Rylan Hartley in the expansion draft. Paul Dawson and Turner Evans both signed with the Knighthawks as free agents. Adrian Sorichetti begins the year on the Hold Out List.
What’s the same
Captain Brodie Merrill remains as a stabilizing force in transition and can hang out the back door. He’s joined on that end of the floor by fellow returnees Garrett McIntosh and Cam Holding. If you count Staats, the team’s top seven loose ball producers all return, led by Holding, Merrill and Tor Reinholdt.
Offensively, the Seals get their first full season of Connor Fields, who is now back and healthy after a PLL season in which he played his way into the MVP discussion. He had five points in two games with San Diego late last season. Connor Kearnan had 18 points in his rookie season.
Frank Scigliano returns in the cage after posting a 12.03 goals against average and .779 save percentage while playing the most minutes of his career.
What could they use
Some players on this offense might need to have career years if the Seals are going to prove they weren't just a flash in the pan during their inaugural season. Berg’s previous numbers suggest he can fill the hole left by Dawson, but 189 goals are also gone between Billings, Staats and Turner.
Biggest question
Do the new faces click with the old ones? There wasn’t much movement in the league this offseason, so San Diego is in a bit of an unusual position from a leaguewide standpoint. This is especially the case on offense, where the key players will be almost entirely different.
MVP Watch
Wes Berg
Without Staats, Berg will be asked to be the focal point more so than ever before in his career. We’ll see if that’s a benefit, or if defenses having to also account for Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie freed up opportunity.
Verdict
Looking up and down the roster, it's clear the Seals still have a very strong group. Unfortunately, it seems injuries could slow them down, especially out of the gate. With how competitive the West Division is, a slight step down could have a big impact on the standings.