Mired in a four-game losing streak and a two-week layoff prior to a home game against the NLL’s most potent offense, the Buffalo Bandits made a major move. The Bandits sent two first-round picks to Minnesota for goaltender Anthony Cosmo.
This was a major step for the team to take. Cosmo is a proven talent and wasn’t seeing time in Minnesota due to a logjam of talent and his own holdout. Cosmo wanted to play somewhere in the East and he now has his wish. The Swarm were able to hold him for a high return for two reasons; his overall talent and the fact that they didn’t need to unload him.
Buffalo was in dire need of a change. Whether a change in net or in the form of a runner was what was needed, is up for debate. Mike Thompson has struggled mightily after getting two wins to start the year. He has had a number of rough goals against, particularly squeakers that probably shouldn’t be going in. Cosmo is capable of being one of the league’s best and should give some spark to the team.
There were a few rumors swirling around the Bandits earlier in the week. Some mentioned Cosmo, others whispered at the option for an even bigger trade to go down. Looking at the four-game skid, there are a few issues that the team has. I don’t know if goaltending would be at the top of the list in that regard, but Cosmo should provide the necessary stability in net.
Giving up two first-round picks probably wasn’t much of an issue for Darris Kilgour either. He has never been one to build through the draft. He already parted with one recent draft pick (2nd round pick Jeff Cornwall) and made a few moves that allowed Jay Thorimbert back in the lineup. Thorimbert’s presence has forced Jeremy Thompson (1st round pick) to the press box for the time being. Considering these two moves and the team’s relative draft history, I’m fairly certain Kilgour isn’t going to lose sleep over not having those picks.
What also should be remembered is that the Bandits had a bonus pick thanks to the Chris Corbiel trade. So they’re really only losing one pick of their own to this trade. As it stands now, the Corbiel trade will be a win for the Bandits – especially if Cosmo provides an immediate impact. The Bandits are essentially acquring Cosmo for Corbiel and a first-round pick, I’ll leave it to Cosmo’s performance to determine the value of the trade.
I still expect to see another trade come down the pipe for the Bandits. They’re getting contributions from different players on offense, but the attack has stagnated in certain areas, namely from the likes of Kevin Buchanan, Mark Steenhuis and Roger Vyse. If Kilgour is able to poach another major offensive weapon on the trade market there is no reason to think the Bandits would be able to string together a big run to secure a playoff berth.
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