Now that the Orlando Titans are officially out of the league for 2011, that means some choice players will be changing teams this off-season.
One player piqued my interest as someone the Washington Stealth might have a strong interest in pursuing, despite their already deep scoring unit.
Jordan Hall, a Surrey, B.C., native and the first overall selection in the 2007 National Lacrosse League entry draft, has excelled with the Titans organization for the past three seasons. Hall filed for contract termination prior to Orlando’s demise and hopes to become an unrestricted free agent. The league, presumably, is still sorting out the players situations with former Titans players.
Understandably, many teams in the league will be after Hall’s services, but Washington could be near the top of the list if Hall wants to play close to home.
The 6-foot, 190-pound forward, played for both the WLA’s New Westminster Salmonbellies (with Stealth players Matt Roik, Tyler Richards and Curtis Hodgson) and the MLL’s Toronto Nationals this summer in addition to playing with Stealth forward Rhys Duch on team Canada in July’s FIL World Lacrosse Championships.
A left-handed forward, Hall would join a deep strike force at the forward position with fellow left-hander Lewis Ratcliff, and right-handers Duch, Jeff Zywicki and Luke Wiles (assuming all are re-signed). Recently-signed forward Cam Sedgwick is also a left-hander.
Here are Hall’s numbers in three seasons with the Titans:
2008: 69 points (24 goals, 45 assists)
2009: 81 points (25 goals, 56 assists)
2010: 74 points (16 goals, 58 assists)
3 season totals: 47 games played, 65 goals, 159 assists, 224 points.
One stat that really sticks out is the 159 assists over three seasons. That’s 53 assists per season. Rhys Duch led the Stealth with 53 assists last season and had 54 in his rookie year in 2009. The potential of having Duch and Zywicki on the right with Ratcliff and Hall on the left along with Paul Rabil and Washington’s depth through-and-through plus strong defense and goaltending presents a very strong chance at a Champion’s Cup repeat.
While the Stealth brass have stated that the team chemistry and depth was something they hoped to maintain heading into this year, you’ve got to think they’re at least taking a look at Hall.
The situation with Orlando leaving the league and the NLL having to sort out several contract terminations and a dispersal draft for the remaining players will make signing free agents a more lengthy process than usual.
The league pushed back the opening of the free agent signing period while it deals with the Orlando situation, so we’ll have to see how long it takes for the league to approve free agent deals.
Right now, Jordan Hall to Washington is only a pipe dream.
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