Free-agent signing a Bold decision
Vancouver’s NLL franchise hopes veteran goalie’s one-year deal will help attract other players
Dan Richardson is hoping that signing Aaron Bold as a free agent helps Vancouver’s National Lacrosse League squad attract others looking for a new place to play. It’s your basic Bold-as-bait belief.
The 33-year-old Bold, a goaltender prepping for his 15th NLL season, signed a one-year deal Friday as an unrestricted free agent with the team formerly known as the Vancouver Stealth, a club in the midst of a rebranding after being purchased by the Vancouver Canucks in June.
A new moniker and look is expected in the coming weeks. The team opens its regular season on Dec. 8, hosting the Toronto Rock at Rogers Arena.
Richardson signed on as general manager a few days after the Canucks took over the team and he said that having Bold in the fold will help add other free agents.
Bold is a bona fide No. 1 netminder and Vancouver was a dismal 2-16 last season, thanks in part to allowing 15.39 goals per game — the league’s worst mark by nearly two goals a night.
The biggest name left on the free-agent market is longtime Calgary Roughnecks sharpshooter Dane Dobbie. It’s difficult to guess whether Bold’s signing would have any pull with him. There’s not a marquee checker left up for grabs, but there are roleplayer defenders remaining who could certainly help Vancouver.
“It makes our job a little easier on the recruiting end,” said Richardson, also the longtime GM of the Western Lacrosse Association’s New Westminster Salmonbellies.
“We can tell people, ‘Look, we’ve got that covered. Now we need you to come on board.’ We’re going to go back and knock on some doors again.”
Richardson considers Bold a “top-three goalie” in the NLL. There are those who will debate that ranking.
Bold, who grew up in Victoria but now lives in Edmonton, wanted to play in the West this coming season after spending last year with the New England Black Wolves. The Calgary Roughnecks (Christian Del Bianco), Saskatchewan Rush (Evan Kirk), Colorado Mammoth (Dillon Ward) or the expansion San Diego Seals (Frankie Scigliano) could have made plays for him if they felt he was an upgrade over their current starting netminder.
That said, Vancouver is better with him on their side. He has been a starter for the last seven seasons in the NLL and helped the Rush to three straight league finals, highlighted by a pair of banners, before they traded him to New England on Aug. 1, 2017, as part of a package that brought Kirk to Saskatoon.
And he does come across as keen on getting things going in the right direction with Richardson’s crew.
“I think I’ve felt like I’ve always had something to prove in this league,” Bold said. “There are people out there, there are commentators out there — and I’m not going to name names — who keep on saying, ‘He’s good, but he’s not so and so.’
“I like being the underdog. I like that people are thinking we might not be that good in Vancouver. Keep on saying it. We’re going to keep coming and we’re going to bite you in the butt,” added Bold, who has a 10.27 goals-against average in 197 regular-season games.
Richardson will continue trying to land free agents and preparing for the NLL entry draft, scheduled for Sept. 25 in Philadelphia.
Vancouver’s first selection is in the third round, 29th overall.
The Buffalo Bandits have their first-round selection, which is third overall, behind the Seals and their Philadelphia Wings expansion brethren. Buffalo landed the pick as part of a Sept. 22, 2014, deal by former Stealth GM Doug Locker that brought defender Rory Smith and goaltender Eric Penney to Vancouver.
Smith retired after the 2016 season because of concussion issues. Penney split netminding chores with the Stealth last season.
Vancouver’s second-round selection in this draft went to the Rush on March 29, 2016, in exchange for defender John Lintz. He retired because of injury issues last season and was Vancouver’s defensive co-ordinator for a time before being fired.
Richardson has rebuilt the Salmonbellies a couple of times, moving out older, established players and stockpiling draft picks in return. It’ll be interesting to see if he can make that work with Vancouver.
The Georgia Swarm, for instance, have six picks before Vancouver makes its first one in the upcoming draft.
“I hope fans in Vancouver can be patient because by the time Dec. 8 rolls around, after we get through recruiting and the draft and a training camp, this team is going to be a lot different than what they see now,” said Richardson.
The league announced the 2018-19 schedule on Thursday. Check out nll.com for more information.