Saskatchewan, Georgia & Rochester hold multiple first-rounders; teams awarded compensatory picks ahead of ’17 season
Oakville, ON – The National Lacrosse League has announced the official order of selection for the 2016 NLL Draft along with compensatory draft picks awarded to teams ahead of the 2017 season.
After finishing tied with the Vancouver Stealth with an identical record of 5-13, the Rock won the tie-breaker, as it were, to finish ahead of the Stealth in the final standings by virtue of two head-to-head wins over Vancouver. The Stealth had dealt their first round pick to the Rush as part of a deal to acquire Corey Small in 2015. Thus, the two-time defending champion Saskatchewan Rush holds the first overall pick, along with two more first-rounders at third and ninth overall, and the Rock will pick second.
The Georgia Swarm also owns three picks in the first round at fourth, eighth and 10th overall while the Rochester Knighthawks will draft back-to-back in the sixth and seventh spots. The Calgary Roughnecks hold the fifth overall selection to round out the first round.
2016 NLL Draft Order as of July 22 (subject to change pending trades):
FIRST ROUND
- Saskatchewan (from Vancouver)
- Toronto
- Saskatchewan (from Rochester)
- Georgia
- Calgary
- Rochester (from New England)
- Rochester (from Colorado)
- Georgia (from Buffalo)
- Saskatchewan
- Georgia (compensatory selection)
SECOND ROUND
- Vancouver
- Toronto (from Toronto via New England)
- Buffalo (from Rochester)
- Georgia
- Calgary
- Buffalo (from New England)
- Georgia (from Colorado)
- Buffalo
- Saskatchewan
- Georgia (compensatory selection)
- Calgary (compensatory selection)
THIRD ROUND
- Georgia (from Vancouver)
- Toronto
- Georgia (from Rochester)
- Georgia
- Calgary
- Calgary (from New England)
- Georgia (from Colorado)
- Rochester (from Buffalo)
- Saskatchewan
- Buffalo (compensatory selection)
FOURTH ROUND
- Vancouver
- New England (from Toronto)
- Rochester
- Georgia
- Calgary
- New England
- Colorado
- Buffalo
- Saskatchewan
FIFTH ROUND
- Vancouver
- Toronto
- Rochester
- Georgia
- Calgary
- Colorado
- Buffalo
- Saskatchewan
SIXTH ROUND
- Vancouver
- Toronto
- Rochester
- Buffalo (from Georgia)
- Calgary
- New England
- Colorado
- New England (from Buffalo)
- Saskatchewan
The Swarm, Roughnecks and Buffalo Bandits were awarded compensatory draft selections as a result of losing players to unrestricted free agency prior to the 2016 NLL season.
The Swarm will receive a first-round selection (10th overall) in the 2016 NLL Draft and one selection at the conclusion of the first round of the 2017 NLL Draft for losing forward Callum Crawford, who signed with the Colorado Mammoth. Georgia was also awarded a second-round selection (20th overall) in 2016 after defenseman Greg Downing signed with the Mammoth.
The Roughnecks have been awarded a second-round selection (21st overall) in the 2016 NLL Draft for losing defenseman Jeff Moleski, who signed with the Vancouver Stealth.
The Bandits will receive a third-round selection (31st overall) in the 2016 NLL Draft after losing defenseman Derek Suddons to the New England Black Wolves.
The awarding of compensatory draft selections is outlined in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement under Article 7 (Free Agency) in Section 7.2 (Unrestricted Free Agency):
- Compensatory Draft Selections. Any club that loses an Unrestricted Free Agent shall be eligible to receive a compensatory draft selection(s) that will be issued by the League in a formula to be determined solely by the League.
Information regarding the 2016 NLL Draft and Combine (including eligibility and registration information) will be announced in the coming weeks with more details forthcoming.
