Las Vegas Desert Dogs Expansion Draft Set For July 7
Oakville, ON – Toronto Rock Owner, President, and GM Jamie Dawick today announced the 12 players the team has protected for the upcoming NLL Expansion Draft on July 7 as the league welcomes its 15th franchise, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs who will begin play next season.
Las Vegas will select one player from each of the league’s existing 14 teams. Following the NLL Expansion Draft, all unselected players that were left unprotected solely for the purposes of the Expansion Draft will remain property of their current team. If they are a pending unrestricted free agent, their current team retains the exclusive rights to resign the player prior to the free agency period beginning on August 1.
Member Clubs may protect players based on two scenarios.
Option A: five offensive + five defensive + one goalie; or Option B: four offensive + seven defensive + one goalie. However, if teams do not protect a goalie, teams shall protect five offensive + six defensive or four offensive + eight defensive players.
The Rock chose not to protect a goalie and have chosen to protect four offensive players and eight defensive players.
Protected Offensive Players: Dan Craig, Rob Hellyer, Zach Manns, Tom Schreiber
Protected Defensive Players: Mitch de Snoo, Jamison Dilks, Latrell Harris, TD Ierlan, Josh Jubenville, Brad Kri, Phil Mazzuca, Challen Rogers
Unprotected Players: Sheldon Burns, Dan Dawson, Aaron Forster, Adam Jay, Bill Hostrawser, Riley Hutchcraft, Jason Noble, Johnny Powless, Paul Rabil, Reid Reinholdt, Nick Rose, Brandon Slade
Not eligible for NLL Expansion Draft selection are players that finished the season on the Practice Roster, or a player with a Practice Roster tag that finished the season on the Active Roster but was not on the Active Roster for the final 14 days of their team’s season.
Not eligible are Troy Holowchuk, Jordan McKenna and Chris Weier who all finished the season on the Rock’s Practice Roster. Justin Scott, who had a Practice Roster tag, is not eligible to be selected as he spent less than 14 days on the Active Roster prior to the end of the Rock’s season.
Players finishing the season on the Practice Roster become ‘Street Free Agents’ and can be signed by anyone beginning on August 1 when free agency begins.
Here’s some more explanation of some sure to be frequently asked questions.
Why were Dan Dawson and Nick Rose not protected?
Both Nick Rose and Dan Dawson are pending unrestricted free agents who have reached the age and years of service that allow them to turn down the franchise player designation. This makes any unprotected player in this situation a risky selection as this type of pending UFA could walk on the Desert Dogs and resign with their old team or any other team when the NLL’s free agency period opens on August 1.
Why are Johnny Powless and Paul Rabil on the Rock’s list of available players?
Both Powless and Rabil are restricted free agents and are on the Rock’s inactive list and need to be either protected or left exposed in the expansion draft. Should the Desert Dogs select Powless or Rabil, the player could still sign with another club when free agency begins, however the Desert Dogs would retain the right to match the contract offered by another team to retain their rights. If the Desert Dogs chose not to match the offer, the player would become property of the club that offered the contract, and no compensation would be due to the Desert Dogs.
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