Tom Schreiber of the Ohio Machine defends against a drive by Jeremy Noble of the Denver Outlaws during a MILL game last month. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
The braintrust of the Vancouver Stealth, including owner Denise Watkins and general manager Doug Locker, have been meeting of late, prepping for the 2015 National Lacrosse League season.
The Sept. 22 entry draft has undoubtedly been front and centre among the talking points. The Stealth have the second overall pick, thanks to their 4-14 debut at the Langley Events Centre. Stephen Stamp, over at IL Indoor magazine, predicts that the Stealth will grab University of Denver field standout Jeremy Noble, a right-hander who starred in junior boxla with the Ontario powerhouse Orangeville Northmen.
Noble has been playing in the pro field Major League Lacrosse with the Denver Outlaws of late.
Stamp is predicting that the Edmonton Rush, who pick first overall, will take Ben McIntosh, a right-hander from Drexel University field who plays in the Western Lacrosse Association with the Maple Ridge Burrards.
The Minnesota Swarm had the No. 1 choice originally, but made a trade with the Rush for No. 3 and goaltender Brodie MacDonald.
There had been a school of thought that the Swarm would take Noble, since they already have his twin brother Jason Noble.
The thinking now by some is that Edmonton wants to reunite McIntosh with Coquitlam Jr. running buddy Robert Church.
Vancouver had trouble at times getting the ball moving and Noble would seem to be the type that would help quarterback the offence.
McIntosh is a bigger-body, crease type, and there’s an argument that Vancouver already has that on that side of the floor in Tyler Digby. Then again, righty Rhys Duch is the Stealth’s main offensive weapon, and having another guy to clear space for him on that side makes a lot of sense.
Oddly enough, it was the left-handers on offence who were publicly criticized the most by coach Chris Hall last season. Key guys on that side were veteran Lewis Ratcliff and first-round draft choice Cody Bremner.
Stamp’s first three picks in his mock draft are offensive righties.
Ratcliff signed a two-year deal last season, so he’s already slated to come back, and Vancouver announced last week that they had re-signed Bremner to a one-year contract. He had nine goals and 23 points in 12 games last season.
