On we go with the improvement series with Cannons Lacrosse Club. Cannons was the bottom team in the league for most of the first half of the season. The first year team was able to get in only to lose to Atlas. Cannons Lacrosse Club, formerly known as the Boston Cannons, joined the league when the PLL and Major League Lacrosse merged. It was a disappointing season for a team that felt they could go all the way, but only managed a 3-6 season with a -10 score differential.
The Approach
Cannons wanted experienced lacrosse players for their first season as an expansion team. Paul Rabil, Lyle Thompson, Connor Buczek, and 39 year old Brodie Merrill were a few names they added. Things didn’t pan out. Rabil had a good year but retired, Thompson got hurt and wasn’t himself for parts of the season, and the team just didn’t look that good. It remains to be seen if they will keep the group together or shake things up. Atlas rebounded will be switching to a young core, so maybe Cannons tries to do the same.
How To Improve
It seems like going younger is the best path. With respect to experience, age also means you start to slow down. Because of their age, some of these players won’t command a lot (or any) trade value. With a team like this, a rebuild through the draft might be a challenge. Another glaring issue was goaltending. Nick Morocco has a rebound control problem that he needs to fix, and fast. Good news is he is only 25 and still had a solid 56% save percentage. Jacob Stover is the second goalie who is also 25. He played well in limited action. To be clear, he did not have a terrible year. However, those rebounds really came back to bite them.
The team is certainly in a tough spot. It never hurts to try to trade some vets for later round picks and hope you find a diamond on the rough. It happens. That quarterback who was taken at pick 199 turned out pretty good. It could be risky business with lacrosse. For right now, Cannons probably aren’t on anyone’s list to make a big leap. We’ve got to wait and see what happens.
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