2023-24 NLL Preview: Can Albany Turn Around the Franchise?

With the 2023-24 National Lacrosse League season set to begin Dec. 1-2, USA Lacrosse Magazine is going team by team in the days leading up to the opener. Today, we take a deep dive on the Albany FireWolves.

ALBANY FIREWOLVES

2022-23 Record: 3-15
Head Coach: Glenn Clark, seventh season
 Assistants: Clem D’Orazio, Darryl Gibson

Additions: Sam Firth, F (Las Vegas); Jordi Jones-Smith, D (New York); Alex Simmons (draft); Tye Kurtz (draft); Zach Young (draft)
Departures: Connor Kelly, F (Colorado); John Lafontaine, T (New York); Brent Mitchell, D (Panther City); Adrian Sorichetti, T (Las Vegas); Thomas Vaesen, F (Las Vegas)

STORYLINES TO WATCH

What impact can the young players have on the roster?

Albany kickstarted a rebuild prior to the 2022-23 season when it parted ways with its top five scorers from the prior year — Joe Resetarits, Ryan Benesch, Andrew Kew, Reilly O’Connor and Jacob Ruest. For a second year in a row, the FireWolves will have to replace their top scorer after trading Connor Kelly away. Some longtime defenders are gone, too, with Brett Manney retired and Greg Downing and John LaFontaine playing elsewhere.

The FireWolves must wait one more year on their crown jewel from the 2023 NLL Draft, Dyson Williams, but have others to develop in the meantime. Ethan Walker and Tanner Thomson put together 50-point seasons in their sophomore NLL campaigns and look primed for further breakouts. Three former first-round picks are also set to make their debuts in Alex Simmons, Tye Kurtz and Zach Young, and Charlie Kitchen should be healthy after being limited to five games last winter.

Will an influx of youth be enough to turn around an Albany squad that finished last in goals, goal differential and in the standings last season?

Can Doug Jamieson return to form between the pipes?

The 2020 NLL Goalie of the Year endured his most frustrating season yet in 2022-23, one in which he produced his worst save percentage and goals against average since becoming a full-time starter in 2019. Only one goaltender who played at least 500 minutes had a higher goals against average, and only three had a lower save percentage.

Part of that can likely be attributed to the state of the FireWolves as a whole, and the team reaffirmed their commitment to him when they re-signed the 26-year-old goaltender in May.

The Goalie of the Year honor exemplifies his talent — he allowed just 8.80 goals per game in that COVID-shortened season, a mark that ranks second in the league’s history. That is likely an unfair bar to hold him to, but even a return to his 2022 numbers would go a long way in helping Albany turn the franchise around.