In the weeks leading up to the Premier Lacrosse League Entry Draft, as more and more players signed and became eligible to be selected, one thing became very clear: the PLL was getting a huge infusion of talent. Because Major League Lacrosse merged with the PLL, leaving us with one professional field league, the best lacrosse players in the world will once again be under one roof in the summer of 2021.
The problem, however, is the Entry Draft saw just 24 players selected over three rounds. That leaves a lot of talented players — league champions, All-Stars and even MVPs — without homes.
From March 26-28, the Cannons will be able to select players to fill out the roster as part of the Expansion Waiver Wire process. Using the positions provided by the Entry Draft Player Pool, here are the best available players after the Entry Draft was completed. Let’s call it the All-Undrafted team.
For full Entry Draft results, head here.
ATTACK
Andrew Kew
He was originally signed by the Chesapeake Bayhawks in 2019 as a rookie free agent and wound up scoring the game-winning goal in that year’s championship game. He’s a high percentage shooter who scores in bunches.
Tommy Palasek
The versatile Palasek can play at attack or out of the box. He doesn’t need the ball in his stick to make an impact, but when he does have it, something good usually happens; in 2019, he enjoyed a 35-assist, 63-point season and led the Atlanta Blaze to their first playoff appearance.
Bryce Wasserman
Appearing on the “Overtime” podcast with Paul Carcaterra, Wasserman mentioned how he’s been doubted at every level of his lacrosse career. The 2020 MLL MVP went undrafted in the Entry Draft and will once again look to prove doubters wrong.
MIDFIELD
Kyle Denhoff
He’s a three-time MLL All-Star who you can pencil in for at least 10 goals a season.
Nick Manis
One of the more underrated players in the MLL over the past few years, Manis is a strong on-ball defender who is skilled at picking up ground balls in transition. He is valuable on the faceoff wing, too.
Nick Mariano
A former first-round draft pick, he improved his goal, assist and point totals every year from his rookie season in 2017 through 2019, the year he helped the Bayhawks win the MLL championship in what was the last full professional season. He’s a good dodger who will take advantage of mismatches against short-stick defensive midfielders.
DEFENSE
Nick Mellen
The No. 4 pick in the 2020 MLL Draft didn’t play in the summer of 2020, but he is a two-time USILA All-American known for being a great cover defenseman with plenty of takeaway skill.
Kyle Pless
One of the pleasant surprises to come out of the 2020 MLL season, Pless finished tied for second in 2020 in caused turnovers per game. He also possesses a lot of speed and is very useful in transition.
Justin Pugal
An undrafted rookie in 2019, Pugal was picked up by the Boston Cannons and was selected to the All-Star Game. Over his two seasons with the Cannons, he also showed an offensive side to his game, emerging as a legitimate two-point threat.
LSM
CJ Costabile
The veteran LSM is one of the best in pro lacrosse in picking up ground balls. He is a solid defender, can score in transition and can also help take some faceoffs, not to mention he has a lot of championship game experience in both college and the pros.
SSDM
Matt Abbott
Much like his former Bayhawks teammates Manis and Costabile, Abbott is an extremely versatile player known as one of the best true two-way midfielders in the 20-year history of Major League Lacrosse.
FACEOFF
Kevin Reisman
An MLL All-Star in 2019, Reisman continued to have success in 2020, winning 62 percent of his faceoffs.
GOALIE
Brian Phipps
Phipps is a seasoned pro, a multiple-time All-Star and an MLL champion. He was a starting goalie before the PLL existed and all the best played in one league, so a team can have confidence with him between the pipes.