Riggers likely to stand pat at the NLL trade deadline
GM Board is listening but historically has made his big moves during draft
Hello, caller. You're on the air with Calgary Roughnecks general manager Mike Board.
He's listening. But that doesn't necessarily mean he's buying or selling at the National Lacrosse League trade deadline.
“Yeah, we'll listen,” said Board, whose Roughnecks (5-6) play one more game — Friday night against the host Georgia Swarm (7-6) in Duluth, Ga. (5:30 p.m., TSN+) — before NLL deadline day.
“We'll see what things look like after the weekend. Every team is going to be re-evaluating on Saturday and Sunday. And we'll figure it out.”
That could just as easily mean standing pat — the modus operandi at this time of season for the Roughnecks roster-shaper — even with the pressure of his team on the NLL playoff bubble.
Their standing in the post-season race — tied for sixth with the Panther City Lacrosse Club and the defending champion Buffalo Bandits — isn't the only thing determining his actions.
Salaries, the feel of the lineup and team chemistry also come into play.
“I think you always have the conversations, and if there's a chance to improve your team and it makes sense financially and roster-wise and it doesn't upset the apple cart, then you obviously take a look at it and consider it,” Board said.
“But as far as being active at the deadline, we haven't really been that over the last couple of years.”
Indeed, Board tends to make most of his major moves at the NLL draft.
This year's draft day deal saw him pry sniper Thomas Hoggarth from the Rochester Knighthawks.
And for various reasons, the NLL is not highly active in the trade market anyway, especially during the season and at the deadline.
“There hasn't been a tremendous
amount of movement over the last couple of years, because the playoff races are tight,” Board said. “There's not a lot of supposed sellers and buyers.”
That's especially true in 202324 with the new standings format.
It's unified, meaning all 15 teams are lumped together, rather than in two conferences, in the chase for eight playoff spots.
So one decision makes for a lot of movement up and down the NLL ladder.
QUICK STICKS: Roughnecks alternate captain and defender Eli Salama (lower body) is questionable for Friday's game ... Roughnecks transition Josh Inacio (lower body) was injured in last week's loss in Philly and is out ... Veteran forward Logan Schuss (MCL/ACL) remains out for the Riggers.