A particularly busy offseason has the Buffalo Bandits roster looking quite a bit different than it has in recent seasons. A few trades and interesting roster moves brought some turnover to the team that still has the talent to be one of the NLL’s power teams this season.
Darris Kilgour’s club made a significant step forward in establishing quality secondary scoring, something that hurt the club at points throughout the 2011 season. Luke Wiles and Kevin Buchanan will certainly compliment John Tavares, Mark Steenhuis and Tracey Kelusky at forward. Of course, Roger Vyse and Chad Culp’s offensive abilities won’t go unnoticed either. Mat Giles also should be counted on to provide some offense this season. How much will be determined by his playing time.
Wiles and Buchanan represent a step forward in re-establishing the dominant offense that drove the team to the 2008 NLL Championship and a ridiculous 8-0 start in 2009. The potential of the two puts them right on plane with players like Kelusky and Vyse. While that group of four doesn’t possess the all-world talent of a Steenhuis or Tavares, they may turn out to be more valuable to the overall success of the team than the two stars.
The X-factor on the offensive side of the ball may very well be Jeremy Thompson. The rookie is a promising talent and it will be interesting to see if he cracks the line up in his first year. Playing for a coach who has long favored proven veterans over rookies, Thompson’s first year may be used for development more than production. However, the first round selection has the opportunity to step in to fill the shoes of the recently departed Brett Bucktooth.
Bucktooth, while primarily an offensive player, did offer some skill in the transition game. Some NLL rule changes offer the ability for the transition player to play a more important role on a nightly basis. Considering teams only have eight seconds to advance the ball, there is likely going to be more one pass and out, or solo runs to clear the defensive end of the floor this season. So, there will be more time to sub players once the ball enters the attacking zone, but the luxury of running offensive players on early may be lost.
Certainly Steenhuis will see more time due to the rules changes. He will likely carry the ball more because of the changes as well. The addition of Kyle Sweeney gives the Bandits three fantastic transition players (Tom Montour) and a possible competitive edge considering the talent at that position. Jon Harasym’s role may be reduced due to the signing of Sweeney. However, Kilgour is a coach who rewards effort and results, past accomplishments mean little to him. Count on Sweeney and Harasym to both see time until a superior player wins the additional time.
Defensively count on the Bandits to be physical and sound. Between goaltending and Kilgour’s system, the Bandits defense can be counted on to be one of the best in the NLL. Billy Dee Smith will be back after injuries hampered him last year. Captain Chris White can be expected to be one of the league’s best once again. Ian Llord, Scott Self and Steve Priolo are effective depth players who know the system well. Considering Smith and White are among the NLL elite on defense, there is little wonder as to the attitude and swagger the defense will carry.
Goaltending will again be anchored by Mike Thompson. Angus Goodleaf was victimized by bad bounces and rough efforts last season, despite turning in some glorious performances. Like Smith and White on defense, expect Thompson to be among the NLL elite in terms of numbers this season.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle the Bandits will face this season is parity. The NLL is getting smaller by the minute. The dispersal of the Boston Blazers allowed Anthony Cosmo, Dan Dawson and others (Kevin Buchanan) to filter to other teams. The significant uptick in talent will make every game a formidable battle. Putting forth a consistent effort will be pivotal for the season just because there is likely to be a very close race for any playoff position.
Considering the moves made in the offseason, this may be the best collection of players the Bandits have rostered since 2009. Where will they be at the end of the season? That is still up for debate.
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