The Top 100 NLL Players: 2025-26 Edition

Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Dave Fryer)

With the National Lacrosse League’s 2025-26 regular season hours away from beginning, The Lax Mag is proud to present our annual NLL TOP 100, where we countdown today’s top players from 100 to 1, ordered after deeply analyzing last year’s success but also how we see them producing this upcoming season based on their trending play, individual expectations and playing environment.

Previous #1 ranked players in the NLL TOP 100 include (click or tap name below to view that season’s list):

2022 Grame Hossack, Halifax Thunderbirds

2023 Jeff Teat, New York Riptide

2024 Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits

2025 Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits

Now, for the third consecutive preseason, Buffalo’s Dhane Smith is again at the top of our NLL TOP 100 heading into the 2025-26 regular season.

Dhane Smith (Photo: Caroline Sherman)

To create this best-of list, the following criteria was used to evaluate a player’s placement: career regular season and playoff resume with an emphasis on most recent NLL runs (which we tracked all season-long in our Top 30 Player Ranking too), reputation and reviews from pro-playing peers, expectations and potential for this upcoming season, and lastly, positional impact and overall value they provide their team. Any players that are confirmed or suspected of missing the entire year due to injury (or otherwise) are not ranked. This year that includes Toronto’s Tom Schreiber, who’s ongoing injury issues (a topic we discussed in last year’s 100) keep him on the shelf for an undetermined amount of time – on the Rock’s IR since March 22, 2025. With rumblings of a return at some point this season, we’ve include the likes of Jack Hannah (hold out) and Eli McLaughlin (hold out) this year, although with a bit of a caveat (see #50).

The Buffalo Bandits and Vancouver Warriors, who coincidently also top our preseason power rankings, lead this year’s 100 with ten players apiece. Saskatchewan, Toronto, Oshawa and Colorado all have nine names ranked below, Halifax and Rochester both at eight.

Below, see where all of those team’s players plus 29 others across the rest of the league rank in the sport’s first and most definitive player ranking: The Lax Mag’s NLL TOP 100.

Last Year (LY) Legend

NR = Not ranked last year
IN = Injured & not ranked last year
🔥 = Climbed 10-19 positions from last year + new players ranked 76-100
🔥🔥 = Climbed 20-29 positions from last year + new players ranked 51-75
🔥🔥🔥 = Climbed 30+ positions from last year + new players ranked 1-50

Age: 23
Season: 4
Position: Forward
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Burnaby, BC
Last Year: NR 🔥

Even with Vancouver’s front door getting awfully crowded this past offseason, reigning WLA MVP Marcus Klarich is on the verge of a big breakout season in the NLL. A natural goal scorer with an insane overall offensive skillset, Klarich should see one of 2026’s bigger statistical spikes across the league. Often compared to Buffalo’s Josh Byrne for his filthy finishing and absurd air time, we have a feeling Klarich will be filling up your feed this winter.

Age: 24
Season: 5
Position: Goalie
Team: Calgary Roughnecks
From: Oakville, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥

Prior to Vancouver adding Christian Del Bianco at the trade deadline, Aden Walsh had spent several weeks in our in-season Top 30 Player Rankings last year. While is numbers slipped a bit through the middle of the season, during December and January few starters in the league measured up to Walsh’s full save-making stat line - he actually ended last year with a 9.89 GAA, good enough for second league wide amongst goalies who played at least 40% of their team’s minutes. The 24-year-old is already entering his fifth pro season, and has shown visible growth every year. Opportunity abounds in Alberta this winter, and Walsh will finally have his chance to be a full-season starter and prove to the league he’s as legit as they come.

Age: 30
Season: 7
Position: Defense
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: Peterborough, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥

Even in Halifax’s high-profile backend, Colton Armstrong consistently stands out. How? While he’s most definitely a dependable defender for the Thunderbirds, it’s his turnover-causing propensity and hard to leash transitional bursts that set him apart. Last year, Armstrong set new personal bests for goals (7), assists (8), obviously points (15), caused turnovers (20 – second best behind only Jake Withers in HFX, and pretty much Top 15 league wide) and even blocks (10).

Age: 27
Season: 3
Position: Transition
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: New Westminster, BC
Last Year: NR 🔥

If the NLL handed out a Most Improved Player Award like the NBA does annually (for a league that needs to promote their top and most promising players more, just do it already!), there’s a good chance Taylor Jensen would have been a finalist if not winner - on the defensive end at least. In 2025, Jensen nearly doubled his loose-ball total (from 65 to 120), was more confident, composed and clutch in Rochester’s two-way game, and was one of only four Knighthawks defenders to get into all 18 regular-season games. If Jensen went under your radar last year, familiarize yourself, because he’s a developing difference maker in Rochester’s dynamic defensive unit and will be talked about a ton more in 2026.

Age: 26
Season: 2
Position: Forward
Team: Philadelphia Wings
From: Bay Shore, NY
Last Year: 23 🔥

His much anticipated first year was at times ROTY worthy, but overall Brennan O’Neill fell below what most #1 overall picks have done offensively in past seasons. With that said, there was a lot to like about Brennan’s game as he continues to get more comfortable playing indoors… big, mobile, a blistering shot, and a quick first step. With Mitch Jones gone and Holden Cattoni’s goal scoring never really replaced (the former 40-goal scorer remained a UFA heading into the season), there will be plenty of opportunity in Philly for O’Neill to get tons of touches and even more on-goal looks for the Wings this winter.

Age: 31
Season: 10
Position: Defense
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: St. Catharines, ON
Last Year: 91

It was a tough 2025 for Tyson Bell, who missed almost half the season due to a stiff league suspension for getting physical with a Colorado “fan”. With that said, Bell remains one of the league’s most physical, pain in the asses to play against, a relentless, zero quit defender that is high energy the second his toes touch the turf. The Halifax defensive unit, which was one of only four teams last year to allow under 900 SOG over 18 regular season games, is definitely a more intimidating, effective and electric unit with the body-smashing Bell on the floor.

Age: 40
Season: 19
Position: Forward
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: Kitchener, ON
Last Year: 57

Coming back for another season and looking to capture that elusive first NLL Cup, a return to Banditland certainly seems like a good spot for Ryan Benesch to complete that career to-do list. Last year in San Diego, Benesch posted some of his lowest numbers we’ve seen from him in a while, so what value will he add to Buffalo, who finished first in total team goals in 2024 & 2025? Well, although his goal scoring was down, Benesch did have the third highest go-ahead goal total in the league last year, still showing up when it matters most. Benesch also already has some built-in chemistry with the Bandits, having played there from 2014-2017, and most importantly, connecting often with Dhane Smith, who is obviously still in Buffalo. In fact, the 229 points Benesch and Smith, who are also both from Kitchener, collected in 2016 is one of the highest teammate totals in league history. Will Benesch + Buffalo be a good fit, again? Certainly seems like it.

Age: 24
Season: Rookie
Position: Forward
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Peterborough, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥

Since establishing our pre-season NLL TOP 100 ahead of the 2022 season, we’ve only ever included four rookies on the list, ones whose pre-pro reps allowed for it: Jeff Teat, Reid Bowering, Ryan Smith and Dyson Williams. The Toronto Rock have as many as three first-year talents that could easily be in 2026’s ROTY conversation come April. After an impressive PLL rookie run, quietly climbing the 2025 draft board to #3, and then looking incredible during Toronto’s preseason games, we’ve got Owen Hiltz as our ROTY frontrunner and now our fifth ever rookie to crack this list.

Other offensive rookies to watch this winter: Noah Manning (Calgary), CJ Kirst (Toronto), Nolan Byrne (Georgia), Braedon Saris (Colorado) and Will MacLeod (Halifax), all of whom should challenge for the rookie scoring crown.

Age: 28
Season: 6
Position: Defense
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: Toronto, ON
Last Year: 85

A few seasons back, Colorado Head Coach Pat Coyle declared that Warren Jeffrey would one day be an NLL Defensive Player of the Year. While he’s not there quite yet - likely just behind the usual suspects - Jeffrey is close, finishing double digits in caused turnovers (15) and blocks (16) for a third straight season. A tough and punishing pure defender, while Jeffrey may not hit 100 LB or provide many offensive extras, few play as defensively dominant a game as him.

Age: 38
Season: 15
Position: Forward
Team: San Diego Seals
From: St. Catharines, ON
Last Year: 59

Corey Small, like most in Toronto last year, had a difficult season and saw a dramatic drop across the board when it came to offensive statistical production. For the first time in a while, Small failed to score 30 goals, while nine of his 25 came during a two-game stretch against Georgia and Halifax. Small was held scoreless just four times during his first two seasons with the Rock, but saw a zero in the G column six times last year. With that said, even at the age of 38, Small is still as natural a goal scorer as there is, and always a problem on the PP. Likely San Diego’s top lefty leading into the season, Small will have plenty of opportunity to get back to the 30-goal mark and more with his new team.

Age: 22
Season: 3
Position: Defense
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Mission, BC
Last Year: 98

With an increased role in Calgary, expect Brayden Laity to have a breakout NLL season this winter, which is saying something considering his rookie stat line in 2024 with Vancouver read: 101LB, 16BLK, 15CTO. Big, strong, athletic and always a punishing presence, Laity is likely only behind Eli Salama on Calgary’s defensive depth charts heading into the season. He was the key piece in what the Roughnecks got back in the Christian Del Bianco deal (you’d pray to find a defenseman at his level with the first rounders they also received), and will likely be a cornerstone of the Calgary franchise for years to come.

Age: 29
Season: 6
Position: Defense
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Thorold, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥

With Matt Hossack further elevating his game to DPOTY levels in his return to Sask last year, it was easy to overlook the value of others on the Rush’s high-end defensive unit. For instance, Holden Garlent had 22 caused turnovers, a personal best with 12 blocked shots, all while collecting only three penalties all season. Of any player that put in a full 18 games in Saskatchewan last year, offensive or defensive, Garlent easily had the fewest giveaways, regularly limiting those second chance opportunities that can so often sting you. He doesn’t have a lot of the statistical extras DPOTY voters are looking for, but when it comes to straight up D, Garlent is right up there in the league.

Age: 28
Season: 5
Position: Transition
Team: Las Vegas Desert Dogs
From: Bernardsville, NJ
Last Year: 82

It was another disappointing season in Vegas for the Desert Dogs last year, but another strong campaign for Connor Kirst, who continues to cement himself as one of the league’s top two-way defensemen. While Kirst’s O and D statistics declined a smidge, the 6’3”, 230 pounder was still a stalwart in the Dogs’ own end and still contributed to the team’s transitional game too. While everyone was talking about Las Vegas’ considerable adds to their front door this past offseason, the continued evolution and emergence of Kirst as a Top 10 two-way talent will be just as vital if Vegas hopes to make the playoffs this year.

Age: 29
Season: 8
Position: Defense
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Bradford, ON
Last Year: 51

Even taking into account a mid-December IR stay which saw him miss a pair of games, Nick Chaykowsky saw a slip in his overall statistical production (averaged a bit less of everything outside of caused turnovers) after his breakout year - including a spot on Team Canada at the 2024 WLBC - during the 2024-25 season. Even so, Chaykowsky remains one of today’s most athletic, mobile and responsible defensive players, owning a world-class work ethic that often makes him near impossible to beat one on one.

Age: 29
Season: 7
Position: Forward
Team: San Diego Seals
From: New Westminster, BC
Last Year: 86

Although Connor Robinson got back to 20-goal status (he was a 40- and 30-goal scorer the two years before that), unlike his previous years where he usually dominated our Clutch Kings calculations (our most clutch in 2023), that clutch touch has not been there nearly as often of late. Now in San Diego and playing alongside our 2025 Clutch King, Wes Berg, Robinson will look to rebound and establish the same type of chemistry he shared with Eli McLaughlin in Denver. Just how important was his partnership with McLaughlin, who was and remains on the Mammoth’s hold out list due to his non-NLL employment. Very. Below are how many goals Robinson averaged in 2025 when he played with McLaughlin, and when he didn’t.

2025 with McLaughlin

Average: 1.73
Goals w/avg. over 18 games: 31

2025 without McLaughlin

Average: 0.67
Goals w/avg. over 18 games: 12

Finding chemistry with Berg and/or other Seals forwards early will be vital for Robinson to get back to the elite level he was playing at in 2022 and 2023.

Age: 28
Season: 6
Position: Defense
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: Port Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 71

While a lower-body injury stole some starts from him in 2025, Ryland Rees did see a slight decline in his per-game defensive data and continues to connect less in transition versus what he did during his first three seasons in the league. With that said, Rees easily remains in the NLL TOP 100 due to his leadership, versatile defensive play, and relentless & gritty approach that doesn’t always stand out statistically.

Age: 27
Season: 5
Position: Forward
Team: Calgary Roughnecks
From: Courtice, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥

After scoring less and giving the ball away more in his follow up season to 2023’s breakout performance, we bounced Tanner Cook from last year’s 100, but after getting back to 30-goal status, setting a career high in helpers (40) and improving his shooting percentage (16% to 22%), the Roughneck’s power forward is back in a big way. Last year, Cook took the fourth most shots behind Curtis Dickson, Dane Dobbie and Jesse King. With all three gone (Dickson and King signing in Vancouver, Dobbie retiring), Cook should be one of Calgary’s most active offensive players as he looks ready to elevate his game even further this year.

Age: 31
Season: 10
Position: Defense
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: Richmond, BC
Last Year: 93 🔥

Into his 30s and entering his tenth season, Jordan Gilles, an unassuming sixth round pick for the Mammoth in 2015 (51 players were drafted ahead of Gilles, but he has the most GPs from that draft class), is playing arguably his best lacrosse over the past two seasons. A zero-quit defender that will never allow himself to be outworked, Gilles finished second on the team in loose balls (104), caused turnovers (16) and blocks (17), all while leading Mammoth defensive & transition players in points (12).

Age: 32
Season: 8
Position: Transition
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Burlington, ON
Last Year: 90

Last year, the Albany FireWolves (now Oshawa FireWolves) were nearly a .500 team with Colton Watkinson in the lineup. What was their W% in games Watkinson was missing due to injury? .250. Not sure we needed that math to justify that the FireWolves, especially defensively, are a much stronger stable with captain Watkinson in the lineup, but there ya go. He’s big, brawny but has brains too. If the FireWolves hope to get back to the playoffs, they’ll need Watkinson healthy and at his best, and also connecting more in transition, an area he saw a significant, career-low decline last year.

Age: 28
Season: 6
Position: Forward
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: Brooklin, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥

Not talked about nearly enough, but Dawson Theede’s 2025 season was one of last year’s most impressive individual player stories. To simply look at his stat line can be deceiving since his totals are virtually identical to a season earlier, but two columns really stand out: GP and TO. Theede pretty much matched his numbers from a year earlier (2024: 30G, 28A, 80LB vs. 2025: 32G, 22A, 70LB), but did it in four fewer games and gave the ball away 33 fewer times (68 vs. 35). His 2.67 goals per game last year would have had him on pace for nearly 50 goals over a full 18, something only Jeff Teat did in 2025. Theede, who led the PIM-collecting Thunderbirds with 41 sin-bin minutes a year ago, is on the cusp of reaching Cam Neely status in the NLL.

Age: 31
Season: 7
Position: Transition
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Hamilton, ON
Last Year: 60

After nearly back-to-back, 20-goal, in-transition seasons playing with Christian Del Bianco and his outlandish outlet in Calgary, last year (in Vegas and Philly) Shane Simpson’s G column shrunk, a lot. With the pair back together in Vancouver, expect Simpson and Del Bianco to connect constantly in 2026, the Warriors in need of consistent two-way scoring past the 15 Owen Grant got a season ago. Sure, Simpson in Vancouver adds to the Roughnecks reunion in BC, but his addition fills a very specific need for the Warriors too.

Age: 40
Season: 19
Position: Defense
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: Oakville, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥

Few players, especially nearing or at 40, have reinvented themselves and added value to their team like Paul Dawson has in Buffalo over the past two years. Easily leading the NLL in blocks last year and shattering the league’s previous single-season blocking high (Dawson finished with 53, overtaking James Barclay’s now retired record of 29 set in 2023), Dawson has helped make the defending champ’s back-end virtually impenetrable (“That’s what she said.” - Michael Scott). How did the rest of the league counter Dawson’s very visible effectiveness at blocking shots directly in front of Bandits backstop Matt Vinc? They implemented a rule change for the upcoming season of course…

PLAYER BLOCKING SHOTS IN THE CREASE

Should a player, who is in his own crease when the ball is above goal line extended, act in any manner so as to attempt to interfere with an opponent’s shot, a minor penalty shall be assessed for a delay of game. This shall not apply in the course of defending a dunk or dive attempt.

When a goalie is out of his crease, one runner may act as a goalie.

If time expires in the fourth quarter or overtime with a delayed penalty(ies) pursuant to this rule, the non-offending team will be provided a penalty shot for each respective violation. If a violation occurs thirty seconds or less remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime, a penalty shot shall be assessed.

Also worth noting, if Dawson plays 18 (or even 16) games this year, he’ll become just the fourth player in NLL history to hit 300 regular season games played in their careers (actually Ryan Benesch is on track too), which includes his older brother, current coach, and teammate…

Dan Dawson 322
John Tavares 306
Matt Vinc 303

Age: 29
Season: 8
Position: Forward
Team: Las Vegas Desert Dogs
From: Kitchener, ON
Last Year: 72

After coming off arguably his best NLL season, injuries kinda kept Chris Cloutier from matching that impressive 30-goal, 68-point season in 2024. Now a Desert Dog after coming over to Las Vegas via free agency with Bandits teammate Chase Fraser, Cloutier goes from a depth forward in Buffalo to arguably one of his new team’s most important offensive pieces. As long as he stays healthy (knock on wood), expect a ton of dishes from Mitch Jones and Jonathan Donville heading Cloutier’s way, getting him back to an easy 30-goal season, maybe even 40 if they find ASAP chemistry in December.

Age: 31
Season: 9
Position: Forward
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Oshawa, ON
Last Year: 65

We’ve moved him down our list a bit due a somewhat significant drop in his O stats, but make no mistake, Ryan Keenan continues to be one of the best off-ball players in the league today. Keenan finished with his highest LB total during a single season ever (85), getting the Rush those always nice to have second and third looks while quietly but consistently out-maneuvering the opposition. From statistically analyzing his past two seasons, arguably his best two since going pro in 2017, Keenan is showing serious 30-60-90 potential – a rare accomplishment of reaching 30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose balls in one year.

Age: 27
Season: 3
Position: Defense
Team: Ottawa Black Bears
From: Burlington, ON
Last Year: 74

An early January injury kept Callum Jones on ice for half of last year’s campaign in Canada’s capital, but he still somehow managed to lead the team in caused turnovers (14). Our pick for 2024’s best defensive rookie, Jones is a rugged, pestering, highly dependable defensive defender whose on-floor presence immediately takes Ottawa’s defensive unit up another level. The Black Bears, who gave up over 100 more shots on goal than league leaders Saskatchewan, will benefit greatly if Jones is able to register a full 18 for the first time in his career (17 as a rookie, only nine GPs last year).

Age: 22
Season: 5
Position: Goalie
Team: San Diego Seals
From: Orangeville, ON
Last Year: 44

Over a full calendar year, we had determined that Chris Origlieri was easily the most active goalie last year between his minutes in San Diego (NLL) and Victoria (WLA). Whether it was due to that hellaciously high work load or not, Origlieri saw a decided drop in his shot-stopping stats, the Seals as a team allowing nearly 30 more goals in 2025 versus a year earlier. Origlieri, who was already up for GOTY in 2024, remains one of today’s top 20-something tendies and is about as untradable a player as there is in San Diego today. He is a tall, athletic, mobile and skilled stopper, total packakge goaltending traits that aren’t easy to come by in today’s game.

Age: 31
Season: 8
Position: Forward
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Shelburne, ON
Last Year: 63

Few players have seen the same slip in stats as Dan Craig has experienced over the last two seasons, especially his O numbers. On an identical 89 shots last year versus 2024, Craig went from 22 goals (already a big drop from his 2022 and 2023 totals) to just 12, which means nearly 90 players last year scored more than the former 30-goal guy. Craig, who is still easily one of today’s top defensive do-it-all forwards, should see an uptick in his upfront numbers after Toronto’s offense got a quick makeover this past summer.

Age: 30
Season: 8
Position: Forward
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: Silver Creek, NY
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

Already sporting a bigger than average forward cast, Rochester went out an traded for brick shithouse Zed Williams over the offseason, making their offense especially more difficult to match up against this upcoming season. While there is justified excitement for Williams joining the Knighthawks, statistically one of last year’s top offensive units, prior to his season-ending injury ten games in with Colorado last year, Williams had been producing at a painfully low rate for the Mammoth (just 15 goals in 10 games). Where Rochester will really need Williams is in the playoffs, where they are 0-3 over the past three seasons and also all-time as a franchise. Williams, who played incredible for the Mammoth in recent back-to-back Finals appearances (and one Cup win), plays his best when it matters most (still co-holds the record for most goals in a single postseason with 20).

Age: 30
Season: 8
Position: Forward
Team: Las Vegas Desert Dogs
From: Vancouver, BC
Last Year: 84 🔥

Getting goals that make Pat McAfee salivate is a nice add for Vegas, but even better is injecting Chase Fraser’s playoff experience and potential to put up even bigger numbers now that he’s on a Desert Dogs team that has finished in the bottom three for goals in each of the last three seasons. While NLL players told us Fraser was one guy they would not want on their roster, he’s also the type of player that once he’s wearing the same sweater as you, you never want to see him anywhere else.

Age: 32
Season: 6
Position: Defense
Team: San Diego Seals
From: Ithaca, NY
Last Year: 97 🔥🔥

A meat & potatoes defender that would have easily thrived in the old school MILL days, Eli Gobrecht is not only one of the best American defenders in the NLL right now, he’s quickly becoming just one of the top defensive defensemen in the league, period. Physical, athletic, aggressive and an on-floor intelligence that has taken his game to the next level, Gobrecht will no doubt move up San Diego’s defensive depth charts after Cam Holding retired and Kyle Rubisch signed in Oshawa. Should be a big year for the big guy.

Age: 28
Season: 4
Position: Forward
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Peterborough, ON
Last Year: 67

After just missing rare 30/60/90 status in 2024 (30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose balls), Ethan Walker’s overall statistical production cooled down a bit with some additions to the FireWolves’s offense last year. Walker was the team’s most consistent power-play threat last year (10), and arguably their top retention forward too. Of the 42 players who had 27 goals or more in 2025 (yes, Walker had 27), only Ian MacKay, Kyle Buchanan and Casey Jackson turned over the ball less than Walker (32), who has consistently had one of the best goal-to-giveaway ratios over the past three years.

Age: 30
Season: 8
Position: Forward
Team: Calgary Roughnecks
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

After a career best 36-goal campaign in 2024, we actually did not include Tyler Pace in last year’s NLL TOP 100 because the buzz was that he’d be sitting out the season (similar to Christian del Bianco). Pace signed a one-year deal with Calgary after the NLL’s Week 2 last December, but injuries prevented him from being as impactful as we’d seen from him in past years. Rumoured to have been MIA this year too, Pace again inked a single-season deal with Calgary, and individual expectations are high, or at least they should be. With Curtis Dickson and Jesse King in Vancouver, there are plenty of points to be made up for in Calgary this winter, and Pace should put the biggest dent into that goal-scoring deficit.

Age: 25
Season: 2
Position: Forward
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Oshawa, ON
Last Year: 55

The FireWolves first overall pick finished fourth in team scoring, and was a really rare ROTY winner to average just four points per game. While some media wondered if Dyson Williams would already be near the top of the league leaderboard before the start of last season, his 3.56 points per just barely got him inside the Top 50. With a full season secured, more will be expected of Williams this winter, especially if the FireWolves hope to get back to the postseason. He’s looked solid during Oshawa’s preseason scrimmages and clearly has all the tools to be one of the league’s most dominant power forwards. Will he get there this year?

Age: 25
Season: 3
Position: Forward
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: Toronto, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

With nearly 60 goals over his first two seasons in the league, a significant increase in assists last year, loose ball totals most defenders would love to have, and not even close to hitting his ceiling, it’s safe to say that Thomas McConvey is one of the fastest rising stars in the league leading into 2026. Plus, for a 30-goal getter, McConvey’s turnover rate is about as low as you could ask.

Age: 30
Season: 6
Position: Forward
Team: Georgia Swarm
From: Easton, CT
Last Year: 73

For the first third of last year’s season, Connor Kelly regularly placed high in our in-season Top 30 NLL Player Rankings. Come mid-January, however, his scoring pace slowed down considerably, a sting on the IR not helping matters in the second half. Here’s the rate at which Kelly was scoring per game during those two decidedly different half season stretches…

First 6 Games: 3.33

Next 7 Games: 1.25

A hat-trick a game is full season 50-goal territory. Traded from Colorado to Georgia over the offseason (he’s now played for San Diego, New York, Albany, Colorado and soon Georgia since 2019), Kelly finds himself on a Swarm squad that got really young, really fast this past summer, and will no doubt rely on Kelly’s point production a lot as they figure things out. Kelly was placed on the team’s hold out list, however, less than a week before the start of the season.

Age: 28
Season: 4
Position: Defense
Team: San Diego Seals
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

He'll likely never win a DPOTY award because he’s an American (23 out of 24 defenders of the year have been from Ontario and one from Alberta), but if Danny Logan continues to play like he has and further elevate his overall defensive game, it won’t be long until he forces his way into that conversation. A defensive beast, vicious ball hound and a turnover-causing pest, Logan can be a nightmare to match up against, making you work for every inch of turf in the Seals own end. Filling in for an injured Trevor Baptiste at the face-off circle last year too, Logan finished just a fraction under 50% in the middle for the floor.

Age: 29
Season: 5
Position: Forward
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Georgetown, ON
Last Year: 52

With only a single goal over Vancouver’s first three games, it took Adam Charalambides a bit to get going last year, but once he did, he was usually pretty damn hard to stop. After flirting with 100 points in 2024, that super-slow start prevented him from reaching those heights again. One number that didn’t decline but needs to is his turnovers, the Warriors power forward finishing fifth in the NLL two years ago (71) and second a season later (72). While there may be eventual fewer looks with Curtis Dickson and Jesse King in town, expectations will be high as Charalambides enters his fifth season in the big leagues.

Age: 24
Season: 2
Position: Transition
Team: Las Vegas Desert Dogs
From: Whitby, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

As we pointed out in our annual season-ending ROTY analysis, no rookie placed higher in more statistical categories than Adam Poitras did last year. Poitras was also the only rookie to consistently come up when we pulled the Top 100 individual per-game averages for the following stats: goals, assists, loose balls, caused turnovers and blocks. Poitras would regularly register in four of five of those categories, something only a handful of players accomplish throughout a season. Poitras is the complete package and should benefit greatly with some much-needed help added to the Las Vegas lineup this past offseason on both sides of centre.

Age: 38
Season: 13
Position: Forward
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: Nepean, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

At 38, Kyle Buchanan may be playing the best ball of his lengthy career, last year crushing our calculations in The Lax Mag’s Clutch Kings analysis. Only Wes Berg and Zach Manns finished higher in our clutching-scoring system, most of Buchanan’s 6 game-tying goals, 6 go-ahead goals and 3 game winners happening late too. We also recently analyzed Buffalo’s offense after losing the likes of Chase Fraser and Chris Cloutier in free agency. Both solid offensive players, but it was actually Dhane Smith, Josh Byrne, and you guessed it, Buchanan that the team has relied on most for their offensive production over the previous four seasons.

Age: 26
Season: 2
Position: Transition
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Victoria, BC
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

The Lax Mag has covered the NLL longer than many players in the league have been alive, and we can safely say that there was no bigger ROTY robbery than Will Johansen being overlooked as 2025’s top rookie. Last year’s offensive rookies from top to bottom had well below average point production in comparison to almost every previous rookie class, while Johansen not only played a leading role on Albany’s IR-depleted defensive unit, he finished with one of the highest loose ball totals by a rookie, ever. Like we said in our year-end ROTY analysis last year, his hometown and position cost him the award, which is fucking absurd.

Age: 27
Season: 5
Position: Defense
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 42

As Vancouver continues to get better and better, the team’s reliance on Reid Bowering doing kind of everything, like they did during his first two seasons in the league, is not nearly what it was. That overall team improvement has subtracted a significant amount of stats from Bowering’s line, but he is clearly still an integral member of this squad, no matter what story the stats suggest. Bowering is a heavy hitter in the team’s own end, his defensive stands allowing others to press the floor for transitional points. His role under Curt Malawsky is more defensively defined (partly due to improved on-floor personnel too), and the Warriors are a better team for it.

Age: 28
Season: 7
Position: Forward
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Johannesburg, RSA
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

We dropped Chris Boushy from our 100 last year. After coming over from Halifax to Toronto, it often felt like Boushy was trying to do too much and was extremely hard on himself while attempting to fit into the Rock’s system, even averaging under a goal a game early on. Well, during the second half of that season and all year long in 2025, Boushy was at his best ever, even finding 40 goals for the first time in his career. In addition to leading the Rock in power-play goals (10), Boushy led the entire league in go-ahead goals (9) while also landing on our year-end Clutch Kings leaderboard.

Age: 27
Season: 4
Position: Forward
Team: Las Vegas Desert Dogs
From: Oakville, ON
Last Year: 58

Although Jonathan Donville scored just 21 times last year and turned over the ball more than in any previous season (56), he did see slight statistical upticks elsewhere on his stat line. The former first overall pick and ROTY gave up his popular podcast, Back of the Bird, in order to further focus on his playing career. With way more offensive options in Las Vegas via the additions of Mitch Jones, Chase Fraser and Chris Cloutier, expect to see a sizeable increase in Donville’s assists column, which hopefully translates to more Vegas wins too.

Age: 25
Season: 4
Position: Forward
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Oakville, ON
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥

No one saw that coming, and if you say you did, you either share his last name or are full of absolute shit. Josh Dawick went from barely seeing a shot in Toronto to leading the team with 42 goals last year. It is one of the all-time stat spikes in the NLL. Sure, much of that was made possible by a rash of injuries on the Rock’s roster, but come on, who does that? Well in Toronto, a franchise that has been around since 1998 (two years before Dawick was even born), only five players have scored more goals than Dawick did during a single season, and they’re all pretty decent ball players. Toronto teammate Chris Boushy was just behind him last year too.

Toronto Rock 40-Goal Scorers

Brett Hickey (2015) 50
Tom Schreiber (2023) 48
Colin Doyle (2002) 47
Tom Schreiber (2022) 47
Stephan Leblanc (2014) 45
Rob Hellyer (2016) 45
Brett Hickey (2017) 45
Colin Doyle (2006) 43
Colin Doyle (2005) 42
Josh Dawick (2025) 42
Aaron Wilson (2005) 41
Blaine Manning (2003) 40
Corey Small (2023) 40
Chris Boushy (2025) 40

Age: 29
Season: 6
Position: Forward
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: Oakville, ON
Last Year: 36

Since his insane 106-point season in 2022, Andrew Kew has been shooting less, scoring less and in general less involved (G or A on a team G) in Georgia’s overall offense…

2023: 16GP, 43G, 63A, 171SOG, involved 48%
2024: 17GP, 36G, 51A, 152SHOG, involved 44%
2025: 17GP, 28G, 46A, 135SOG, involved 35%

Make no mistake, still a solid stat line, but obviously not what it was during that breakout season in 2023. While Kew’s 28 goals ranked him just 38th in the league last year, he was fifth in our Clutch Kings calculations courtesy of his consistent clutch scoring touch. A season before that, he ranked third. So while Kew’s straight scoring may be slipping, his money markers are still league-leading high. Now in Colorado, Kew will be one of Mammoth’s main lefty shooters and should climb back up near the top of the league’s offensive leaderboard.

Age: 31
Season: 9
Position: Defense
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Surrey, BC
Last Year: 40

With a steady supply of transitional support through most of their defensive unit and Jake Naso taking a majority of the Rush’s draws, Mike Messenger’s role was redefined a bit last season. While his stat line took a hit as a result, one could argue his was more valuable than ever as more of a pure defensive stalwart - the Rush allowed the fewest shots on goal and second least goals against last year. While his O stats shrunk, Messenger set a new career high with 22 blocks.

Age: 30
Season: 7
Position: Transition
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: Oshawa, ON
Last Year: 37

One of our top ranked transitional players two seasons ago (and shockingly not a finalist for the league’s TPOTY award in 2024), Matt Gilray is still right up there as far as the NLL’s most talented two-way players. Slipping in our standings due to a decent decline in loose balls (went from having the fourth best LB total in 2024 – and first amongst non-face-off takers – to 19th last year, accounting for nearly three less loosies per game), still led Rochester’s D/T players in all offensive categories. A dependable defender that always provides additional value in transition, expect Gilray to get back into the TPOTY talk in 2026.

Age: 35
Season: 13
Position: Forward
Team: Georgia Swarm
From: Bowmanville, ON
Last Year: 47

With 32 goals last year, that is now ten consecutive 30-goal seasons for Shayne Jackson, and that includes the COVID cancelled 2020 season when Georgia only got twelve games in. As always, Jackson maintains a very respectable turnover to goal ratio, something he’s managed to do his entire NLL career. He is one of the very few players that remain from Georgia’s 2017 Cup-winning season, and Jackson’s experience will never be more in demand as the Swarm enter the season with an above average amount of forwards in their mid 20s and younger.

Age: 26
Season: 3
Position: Forward
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Puslinch, ON
Last Year: 62 🔥

Tye Kurtz avoided a sophomore-scoring slump with small spikes in both goals (32 to 25) and assists (47 to 53), but did have one of the highest turnover totals in the league after fumbling 64 times last year, giving the ball away 1.2 more times per game. Still, Kurtz is one of today’s most versatile offense-first players, posting back-to-back 100+ LB seasons, and finishing just seven assists shy of joining the extremely exclusive 30-60-90 Club (at least 30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose balls).

Age: 32
Season: 9
Position: Forward
Team: Georgia Swarm
From: Oakville, ON
Last Year: 39

Last year, two-way talent Bryan Cole was asked to be even more involved in Georgia’s offense, seeing his shot total double or more from any previous season. And the goals were there, Cole scoring 33 times, trailing just Lyle Thompson for the team lead. With minimal veteran help up front, there’s no doubt Cole will be required to produce even more offensively and prevent the opposition from pressing the other way. It’s become one of today’s most in demand roles, and Cole has the ability to do it better than almost anyone. Is he more valuable there versus the traditional transitional role he’s been so good at in so many past seasons? Hard to say, but the Swarm will stick him wherever they need Cole most, an interchangeable player most teams don’t have the luxury of owning.

Age: 32
Season: 11
Position: Forward
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: Surrey, BC
Last Year: 28

We’ve never split a spot in the Top 100 before, but with Eli McLaughlin’s and Jack Hannah’s 2026 seasons very much unclear, and both being considered for a 100 spot in this range, we figured it was only fair.

After two-thirds of last year’s regular season, Eli McLaughlin excused himself for the rest of the year in order to take part in his firefighter probationary period. Over those twelve games he did get in, McLaughlin’s points-per-game average dropped from 5.2 (in 2024, 20th in the NLL) to 3.8 (in 2025, 43rd in the NLL). That’s significant statistical shrinkage. With that said, even with the Mammoth’s offseason offensive moves, a player of McLaughlin’s caliber is a huge clutch-scoring difference maker. Plus, scroll back up to #86 to get an idea of how much his teammate’s missed him on the floor.

Age: 26
Season: 4
Position: Forward
Team: Las Vegas Desert Dogs
From: Milford, OH
Last Year: 75 🔥🔥

Jack Hannah comes off what had to be his best season in the league, and would have benefitted playing within Las Vegas’ much improved offense this winter. Rumoured to have requested a move to be closer to his home base in Denver, the team recently tweeted, “The Desert Dogs are in active negotiations with Jack and will update the fans as soon as possible.” He’s one of the most exciting players in the league today, and not having Hannah playing in 2026 hurts the player, team and league short term, but hopefully not long. The NLL has lost other still-playing PLLers in recent years like Matt Rambo, Mac O’Keefe and Hannah’s former Vegas teammate, Charlie Bertrand, who at just 26 years old, retired from the indoor league altogether.

Age: 31
Season: 8
Position: Forward
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Courtice, ON
Last Year: 89 🔥🔥🔥

On his regular season stats alone (35G, 37A), Austin Shanks would not be ranked quite this high. He jumps 40 spots in this year’s NLL TOP 100 because of what went down in the playoffs, Shanks leading the league in postseason goals (18) and tied with Dhane Smith for most points too (32). It was one of the most impressive offensive performances in the playoffs from over the past decade, his goal total the second highest output ever. Shanks dropped out of the league’s Top 30 point producers last year, but part of that was sharing the load in Saskatchewan’s impressive by-committee approach. There’s still a feeling that Shanks can take his game to another level (like he did the playoffs) and finish with 40 or more in a single season.

Age: 36
Season: 14
Position: Transition
Team: Georgia Swarm
From: Oakville, ON
Last Year: 50

After retiring from the PLL a few years ago, some wondered if Jordan MacIntosh might do the same in the NLL someday soon. Based on his continued elite-level of play indoors, it doesn’t appear like MacIntosh is slowing down anytime soon. Few in the league have as O/D balanced a stat line as MacIntosh, who continues to contribute at both ends of the floor for the Swarm. While everyone these days seems to be distracted by what’s shiny and new, MacIntosh should still be in conversation for TPOTY (we had him ranked fifth amongst two-way talents at the end of 2025, and seventh last year). He was arguably the team’s best player in their postseason loss to Saskatchewan last year, and with Georgia getting a lot younger over the offseason, MacIntosh will continue to lead both vocally and by example while the team attempts to qualify for their third straight playoffs.

Age: 29
Season: 7
Position: Defense
Team: Calgary Roughnecks
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 49

Last year, Eli Salama posted new personal bests for loose balls (128) and blocks (17), and from a pure defensive standpoint, easily had one of his best full seasons in the league. The calculated and often quiet Salama leads (mostly by example) an even younger defensive unit than he did a season ago in Calgary, the team sporting a back-end that is better than most seem to be giving them credit for. A super pest that also has a high-level defensive IQ, don’t be surprised if Salama finally starts getting mentioned in DPOTY talk this winter.

Age: 27
Season: 6
Position: Forward
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Victoria, BC
Last Year: 56 🔥

There were few during last year’s regular season that came close to being as clutch as Zach Manns, who absolutely dominated our Clutch Kings analysis for most of 2025. Manns led the team in points (74), co-led in goals (35) and posted a really impressive 87 loose balls - a new personal best. Manns finished fifth in the league for game-tying goals (8), second in the NLL for go-ahead goals (8), plus had two game-winners – one scored in the fourth and another in OT. It' doesn’t get much more money than that. Still only 27 and entering his sixth season in the league, Manns has yet to hit his ceiling and is likely to take another step in his pro-game growth this year.

Age: 33
Season: 12
Position: Defense
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: Port Hope, ON
Last Year: 48

He does not get talked about nearly enough, but ask any team around the league if they want to add a defender who consistently scoops over 100 loosies, can get you close to 30 turnovers, double digit blocks, and oh yeah, adds another 25+ points in transition, and every GM would say, “Fuck yes!” Well, that’s Nick Weiss, who has repeated that stat line pretty regularly, last year posting career highs for LB (138) and CTO (27). He plays tough, rugged, physical lacrosse and never shies away from a confrontation, no matter who it is. Weiss is posting a stat line worthy to TPOTY consideration, and should again this year.

Age: 33
Season: 14
Position: Forward
Team: Ottawa Black Bears
From: Lions Head, ON
Last Year: 64 🔥🔥

It's painfully obvious and a topic we’ve discussed to death on this site, but the Ottawa Black Bears offense relies on a single scorer in Jeff Teat more than any other team does from one solitary player anywhere in the league. It’s been that way for the last number of years, no matter what minor O-door moves the team has made. What isn’t so obvious, was statistically concluding that the team’s offensive production was never better than when Teat had some legit help, which was way back in the franchise’s New York Riptide days when Callum Crawford was still there. Well, the addition of Rob Hellyer looks likely to change that. The Black Bears, outside of Teat, rarely have someone with over 50 assists. Hellyer has hit 50 helpers eight times during his career, averaging 63 over the last three seasons. He also has 15 playoff games to his credit, which is 15 more than his new franchise has. This year will be deemed a success in Ottawa if A. Hellyer can help unlock the Black Bears offensive potential, and B. the team finally makes the playoffs. No pressure.

Age: 34
Season: 11
Position: Defense
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: Peterborough, ON
Last Year: 43

Robert Hope was actually our highest ranked defensemen for the entire first half of last year’s regular season, but then quickly slipped down our weekly charts with a significant decline in defensive production from February to April. While Colorado’s defensive end has seen some solid prospects added over the past two seasons - especially incoming rookie Connor Nock most recently - much of their unit remains the same at the top of their depth charts. The Mammoth, who gave up more shots than almost anyone last year, will need to reduce those looks if they hope to get back to the playoffs.

Age: 35
Season: 13
Position: Forward
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Oshawa, ON
Last Year: 32

For the man that never misses a game, last year’s injury shortened season was a tough one for Mark Matthews, who scored just once in four games for Toronto. Healed, healthy and leading a reinvigorated offense for the Rock, Matthews could have a comeback season for the ages if all goes as planned. He showed promising early chemistry with the Rock’s high-profile rookie duo of Owen Hiltz and CJ Kirst during the team’s 17-10 exhibition win over Saskatchewan. Matthews twice led the NLL in assists (2017 & 2018) and should have a ton again while leading Toronto’s refurbished forward door this year.

Age: 36
Season: 16
Position: Defense
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: St. Catharines, ON
Last Year: 19

Another season, another NLL and Mann Cup for Steve Priolo, who (along with a handful of Buffalo/Six Nations teammates) is on one of the most insane runs of success we’ve seen during the modern era. Early in the new year, Priolo will turn 37. Players that play as physical, gruelling and smash mouth as Priolo rarely hang around this long, the Bandits captain also rarely missing a GP over his 15 years in the league.

Age: 37
Season: 15
Position: Defense
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Brampton, ON
Last Year: 25

On San Diego’s IR for a third of last year’s season, Rubisch’s LB/GP projected him to garner under 100 grounders for the first time in his career. He was also on pace to have finished with his lowest caused turnover total since his rookie year in Boston in 2011. After taking the summer off from body-aching senior ball and signing with much-closer-to-home Oshawa over the offseason, Rubisch leads a FireWolves defensive unit that like him, dealt with injury issues in 2025. Look for a bounce back from both player and his new team in 2026.

Age: 33
Season: 14
Position: Goalie
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 77 🔥🔥🔥

We’ll likely get chirped for having Frank Scigliano here, but last year’s NLL GOTY did alright in our annual positional & statistical analysis, just not league-leading great (scroll to #11 for a bit more on that). Part of that was due to his lack of shots seen and saves made, finishing well behind the same eight goalies in both stats last year. Still, Scigliano enters the season as one of our highest rated stoppers and fastest rising Top 100 players after leading both the Saskatchewan Rush and New Westminster Salmonbellies to league finals, albeit finishing just short in both season-ending series. Scigliano is playing with all-time high confidence and has been Saskchewan’s most stable shot-stopping source since Evan Kirk in 2020.

Age: 31
Season: 7
Position: Forward
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: Newmarket, ON
Last Year: 35

After a long layoff due to injury, Ryan Lee returned last year, getting his first 18-game season in since 2022, and you know what, he looked really good. Lee was one of only two forwards in Denver last year to get into all 18 games, likely the reason his helpers didn’t look quite as elite as they were during his incredible 2022 campaign. One of the game’s most dynamic feeders, with a new-ish offense in Denver, including some big shooters added, expect Lee to see another 15-20 helpers on his stat line this season.

Age: 27
Season: 4
Position: Transition
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Brampton, ON
Last Year: 53 🔥

Two seasons ago, we had Jake Boudreau as the seventh highest ranked two-way player in the NLL. During last year’s regular season, we had him as high as #2 for trannies, eventually finishing fourth behind Zach Currier, Ryan Terefenko and Owen Grant in our year-end analysis. Boudreau is a high-energy hustler, but also combines that with skill, speed and darting athleticism, allowing him to push the Rush’s potent offensive press to league-leading levels, making him almost uncontainable once he has his sights set and mind made up.

Age: 26
Season: 3
Position: Forward
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Smithville, ON
Last Year: 30

Although he slipped every so slightly in this year’s 100, make no mistake, Alex Simmons is one of the league’s most dynamic and pure goal scorers who had an outstanding soph season after his dominant ROTY run. He’s just missed 30/60/90 status (30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose balls) in each of his two seasons, something only Jeff Teat has done to open an NLL career (Teat actually did it three straight years). Expect Simmons to hit a 100 points this year as he attempts to get the still-young FireWolves back into the postseason.

Age: 29
Season: 9
Position: Goalie
Team: Oshawa FireWolves
From: Ohsweken, ON
Last Year: 16

He just missed our Top 5 in The Lax Mag’s annual GOTY analysis, but after another strong summer with the Six Nations Chiefs (and another Mann) and high expectations for both player & team, expect Doug Jamieson to be near or at the very top of pretty much all netminding numbers in 2026. Last year, Jamieson saw more shots and was forced to make more saves than any previous season during his career, much of that due to a rash of injuries to Albany’s own end. Kinda crazy that Jamieson’s 8-year regular season record (which is honestly a team stat, but…) is only 44-47. You’d have to think he’ll be above .500 for his career come mid-April, because if not, that likely means another playoff miss by the Wolves.

Age: 27
Season: 8
Position: Defense
Team: Toronto Rock
From: St. Catharines, ON
Last Year: 27

After missing the entire 2024 season due to a major knee injury, a game into Latrell Harris’ much anticipated return last year was put on pause after the former DPOTY was on the shelf with a new injury issue. Although he came back after five games on the IR, Harris was still not entirely at his best, seeing a significant per game drop in almost all his stats versus that incredible 2023 campaign. After a solid summer with the Six Nations Chiefs and outstanding performances during the Toronto Rock’s exhibition schedule, Harris not only appears to be at full health, he looks to be at his absolute best, again. Beast mode, activated.

Age: 25
Season: 6
Position: Forward
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: New Westminster, BC
Last Year: 11

Sure, his offensive numbers declined a bit after moving from Panther City to Colorado, but Will Malcom is still one of the league’s most versatile offensive players, owning maybe the most balanced stat line of any top-tier point producer. In addition to his 81 points, Malcom also posted 84 loosies, plus no player in last year’s Top 50 point producers (Malcom was #23) came anywhere close to his 18 caused turnovers. The next closest was Ian MacKay, who has 12 CTOs and ranked 50th exactly for total points. Malcom had a strong season for the New Westminster Salmonbellies during the regular season, playoffs and Mann Cup, and should have an even more dominate season in Denver this winter.

Age: 31
Season: 9
Position: Forward
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 21

Challen Rogers was probably the most difficult player to position in this year’s 100. The last two seasons, both of which were hampered by injuries, were not necessarily Rogers’ best, his declining stats over that stretch telling part of the story. Before the start of the 2023 season, there was much excitement over Rogers being pushed to a full-time front door role, but the team quickly reverted back to using him all over the floor. This year, Rogers going back to forward doesn’t appear to be an experiment, but rather a permanent move, which will allow Rogers to focus on a much more defined O-specific role, versus kind of trying to do a bit of everything on either side of centre and spreading himself thin. Rogers has looked really good up front during the preseason, and gives Toronto a physical offensive player with size that can slow or completely stop the opposition’s transition.

Age: 25
Season: 3
Position: Transition
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Newmarket, ON
Last Year: 76 🔥🔥🔥

In just his second season in the NLL, Owen Grant has quickly and easily matured into one of the league’s top two-way talents. He became an even greater defensive asset for the Warriors last year (just look at the quality of player he’s usually defending), is a tank in transition that saw a statistical spike across the board (versus his already impressive rookie run), and has played well beyond what you’d expect from most second-year pros. Grant has that rare combination of size, skill, speed and smarts, allowing him to impressively impact both on the defensive and offensive side. A Swiss army-knife skillset? Sure, but only if the main blade is what Crocodile Dundee carries.

Age: 27
Season: 5
Position: Transition
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: Sinking Spring, PA
Last Year: 92 🔥🔥🔥

An old school true transition player that works his tail off in his team’s own end and then sparks O runs, plus contributed consistently on the scoresheet, well, that’s Ryan Terefenko to a T. We ranked him as last year’s second highest two-way threat behind only Zach Currier, who himself has transitioned to more of an offense-first role in San Diego (last year at least). During the 2025 season, only six players in the league had double digits in goals, assists and caused turnover, plus triple digits in loose balls… Dhane Smith, Lyle Thompson, Jordan MacIntosh (who’s done it a record nine times in his career, the next closest four times), Jake Boudreau, Currier, and Terefenko. As part of our weekly Top 30 NLL Player analysis during each season, we’ll often pull the Top 100 individual player averages for goals, assists, loose balls, caused turnovers and blocks throughout the season. At the end of the 2024 season, not a single player had stat-per-game totals strong enough to rank in all five of those key categories. Last year? Currier AND Terefenko did.

Age: 34
Season: 12
Position: Forward
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 14

Even though he missed four games due to injury, Robert Church still managed to finish just a goal or assist shy of leading the Saskatchewan Rush in points and was one of only 17 players across the league to average 5.2 points or more per game. While he only averaged a goal per during the Rush’s impressive Cup run, he did lead the squad in assists (20), a category only Josh Byrne (22) beat him in last year. With a full healthy season on the horizon, you’d have to think Church will be back in 100-point territory as the Rush offense continues to heat up.

Age: 31
Season: 8
Position: Transition
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: Peterborough, ON
Last Year: 13

With more and more teams saving a game-day spot for (usually) American face-off specialists (some even full-on FOGOs), Jake Withers had his hands full at the dot last year. In 2024, he easily led the league in face-off wins, his 360 almost a full 50 better than the next closest competitor. Last year he led the league by just a single FO victory (299), with Albany’s Joe Nardella (65.1%) owning a slightly higher FO% over Withers too (63.3%). It was Withers’ lowest season-ending percentage of his career, but still better than virtually everyone else in the league. Withers set new single-season highs in assists (16) & points (21), and as usual finished with filthy defensive details too (227 LB, 21 CTO, 16 BLKS).

Age: 37
Season: 16
Position: Goalie
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Orangeville, ON
Last Year: 10

There’s been a lot of talk of Nick Rose needing a bounce back season this year. WTF do you want him to bounce back from? Outside of a few funky games, Rose was arguably Toronto’s MVP (go look at his stats, they weren’t bad at all, often outstanding even) prior to be traded to Calgary, where he helped lead a Roughnecks team (many felt would flop last year) to the playoffs. Even though Rose averaged more shots against per game in Calgary, his stats were GOTY good. Do you want him to bounce back from being a Top 5 keeper in the league for like the tenth straight season? Come on now.

Age: 28
Season: 6
Position: Forward
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: Toronto, ON
Last Year: 24

Although he shot more and scored less last year, Clarke Petterson still hit 100 points, had his second consecutive 30/60/90 season (at least 30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose balls), and finished tenth in The Lax Mag’s Clutch Kings analysis. Over the past two seasons, Petterson has developed into one the league’s all-around top offensive assets and a player Halifax leans on heavily for goal-scoring success.

Age: 33
Season: 12
Position: Defense
Team: Toronto Rock
From: Acton, ON
Last Year: 22

A key defensive stat is obviously caused turnovers in the NLL. A caused turnover (CTO) in the NLL is credited to a defensive player who makes a positive, aggressive play that directly results in the opponent losing possession of the ball. Only two players in the NLL have finished Top 10 in that stat each year after the last four seasons. One is Zach Currier, and the other is who we have ranked #33 this year: Brad Kri. Over those four seasons, here’s how we’ve ranked the NLL’s top defenders in our regular season-ending positional analysis…

2022

1. Mitch de Snoo
2. Kyle Rubisch
3. Brad Kri
4. Steve Priolo
5. Robert Hope

2023

1. Graeme Hossack
2. Kyle Rubisch
3. Brad Kri
4. Steve Priolo
5. Latrell Harris

2024

1. Mitch de Snoo
2. Brad Kri
3. Grame Hossack
4. Ryan Dilks
5. Robert Hope

2025

1. Matt Hossack
2. Mitch de Snoo
3. Ryan Dilks
4. Robert Hope
5. Brad Kri

No defender has appeared as consistently high in our defensive player analysis as much as Kri, who only slipped a few spots last year because of missing four games.

Age: 35
Season: 14
Position: Defense
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Hamilton, ON
Last Year: 29

Dilks was one of only four players last year with at least 100 LB (104), 30 CTO (31) and 10 BLK (12), and was a big reason why Vancouver gave up the second-fewest shots per game during the regular season. “We are fortunate to have Ryan back for another season,” said Vancouver Head Coach & GM Curt Malawsky after re-signing Dilks over the offseason. “He’s a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and an NLL All-Star, who plays massive minutes and is in all key situations for us. His contribution to the organization on and off the floor is something special and is inspiring to be around week after week. His ability to shut down the opponent’s top players year in and year out is what makes him so special.” At 35, Dilks continues to be one of the league’s top defensive defensemen, and no doubt will be an NLL Hall of Famer when he calls it a career.

Age: 27
Season: 4
Position: Forward
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: Burlington, ON
Last Year: 81 🔥🔥🔥

He is one of this year’s hottest risers in the 100, Ryan Lanchbury adding an extra 30 points to his total last year and finishing behind only Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne for the league lead in helpers. While he’s had expected chemistry with former Burlington Junior A teammate Ryan Smith, Lanchbury and 2025 MVP Connor Fields have also connected on a ton, the pair finishing with one of the highest teammate totals in league history last year. Entering just his fourth season in the NLL this winter, Lanchbury has likely already exceeded early expectations (especially after an unexpected Year 1 trade from Georgia to Rochester) and based on the preseason buzz in Rochester, should have another strong run in 2026.

Age: 34
Season: 12
Position: Goalie
Team: Colorado Mammoth
From: Orangeville, ON
Last Year: 38 🔥

Dillon Ward ranked consistently high in most year-end netminding numbers, and had an extremely strong bounce back season after struggling in 2024, ultimately ending that year on the Mammoth’s IR. Ward improved statistically across the board, and even set a career high for minutes played (1016:09). Ward’s statistical ranking and even more so his season-long star rating (see how we calculate our in-season NLL Player Rankings), most definitely suggests he was not only one of this year’s top-rated goalies, but the Mammoth’s MVP too. The team agreed, Colorado naming Ward their Gary Gait Award winner (team MVP) last year. It’s the sixth time Ward has been presented the Gait Award, by far the most in franchise history. Between his way above average stats and the value he provided his team in 2025, it’s a bit of a head scratcher that Ward missed being mentioned as an official finalist for the NLL’s GOTY, but again, league voters rarely if ever vote for a goalie on a below-average team (Colorado finished 8-10 and missed the postseason, again).

Age: 33
Season: 9
Position: Forward
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: Six Nations, ON
Last Year: 31 🔥

Clearly Randy Staats has not been at 100% for a bit. To still produce at the top-tier level he consistently does when his health bar is never at capacity is incredibly impressive. Staats was the only 100-point getter last year that did not play a full 17-game season, plus one of only ten players in the entire league to average 6.0 points per game or more. Staats also placed pretty high on The Lax Mag’s Clutch Kings analysis, 13 of his 32 goals either putting Halifax ahead, tying the game or winning it. In fact, only MVP Finalists (and 2025 Clutch Kings winner) Wes Berg scored more game-winning goals than Staats, who had four. During the playoffs, Staats led the Thunderbirds with 16 points over three games, and not surprisingly, scored their lone game winner too.

Age: 34
Season: 13
Position: Goalie
Team: Ottawa Black Bears
From: Courtice, ON
Last Year: 54 🔥🔥🔥

We’ve covered in-depth that goalies who play for underperforming teams and see a high volume of shots rarely if ever get recognized at the end of the season in the NLL. The league’s year-end award voters put far too high a value on wins and GAA, both of which are very much a team-oriented stat. Breaking News: A really good goalie can play for a shitty team. Since coming out of the pandemic, no goalie in the NLL has dealt with more shots on goal and has been forced to make more saves than Zach Higgins. Last year, for most of the season, Higgins was The Lax Mag’s frontrunner for Goalie of the Year, but slowly lost that spot during a second half that didn’t come close to matching his first phenomenal nine games. No goalie was relied on last year to keep his team competitive more than Higgins in Ottawa, helping the Bears win games they had no business being in and keeping Ottawa in a playoff-qualifying position during the first half of the season when Jeff Teat wasn’t quite himself yet.

Age: 31
Season: 9
Position: Defense
Team: Saskatchewan Rush
From: Port Perry, ON
Last Year: 69 🔥🔥🔥

“Having to watch him grow on another team was tough,” said Saskatchewan Co-Head Coach Jimmy Quinlan of Matt Hossack early last season (GlobalNews.ca). “But to get him back (via the Panther City Dispersal Draft) is unbelievable. For me it’s his IQ, you never had to question his effort or his attitude. He’s always moving in the right direction for our group.” And in the ensuing months, Hossack was all that and more, finishing uber high across the board in the league’s major defensive stats: 32 CTO (T2nd), 26 BLK (4th) and 129 LB (T15th). All three of those numbers were new career highs for Hossack, who also regularly contributed to the Rush’s offensive runs during the regular season (4G, 17A), then bumping his points-per-game average during the playoffs too.

Age: 31
Season: 7
Position: Forward
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: Port Elgin, ON
Last Year: 26

Even though Ian MacKay played a majority of his season in an offensive role for the Bandits, he remains one of the game’s most versatile and dangerous two-way talents, a player Buffalo can plug into any situation and see him succeed. His 37 goals during the regular season were impressive, but what MacKay did in the playoffs is was really set him apart. Scoring over a half-goal more per game in the postseason (FYI most players see a decline playing against the best teams in the playoffs), MacKay routinely scores timely, back-breaking goals that tend to shift the momentum back into Buffalo’s favour. He was named last year’s postseason MVP. Plus, MacKay is a machine on special teams, leading Buffalo in both PPG (9) and SHG (3) last year. Of players who scored the same 37 as MacKay last year or more, no one had as many caused turnovers as him (12), a big reason why running a successful transition on the Bandits is extremely difficult.

Age: 33
Season: 10
Position: Defense
Team: Halifax Thunderbirds
From: Port Perry, ON
Last Year: 12

Always one of the most dominant, physical and aggressive defenders in the league, over the last few seasons, and especially last year, we’ve seen Graeme Hossack increase his transitional point production back to what we were used to from him pre-pandemic, seasons he could have easily been considered for DPOTY and TPOTY. Last year, Hossack was one of just three defenders (Mitch de Snoo and Jake Withers were the other two) who scooped at least 150 loose balls, caused at least 20 turnovers and blocked at least 15 shots. In fact, only six players ever (de Snoo has done it a record three times) have recorded seasons with that impressive statistical slash. After the physical freak (6’2”, 240 lbs.) finished his PLL season this summer, he came back to Canada and joined the Six Nations Chiefs, helping the team win their third straight Mann Cup.

Age: 33
Season: 10
Position: Defense
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: Oshawa, ON
Last Year: 17

Mitch de Snoo was our second highest rated defensemen in our 2025 DPOTY analysis, putting up huge defensive (and usually offensive) numbers while playing for teams that finished 12th (Philadelphia) and 13th (Toronto) in the 14-team league. But as we mentioned in Zach Higgins spot above, award voters in this league value team success more than an individual’s overall accomplishments (which is odd since these are individual player awards, but WTF do we know), and de Snoo, who had arguably the most complete stat line of any defender last year, wasn’t even a DPOTY finalist. Now surprisingly back in Buffalo, de Snoo will replace the Bandits’ underrated and recently retired Justin Martin in their backend, plus gives them a massive upgrade in transition too.

Age: 33
Season: 9
Position: Forward
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 15

The whole, “Keegan Bal is underrated,” needs to stop. That may have been true during his breakout season in 2022, but it hasn’t been the case for a while, Bal considered one of today’s most dangerous and dynamic offensive players. Bal came in at #11 in our season-ending Player Rankings last year, and we’ve now had him at #15 in back-to-back NLL TOP 100s. An NLL Sportsmanship Award Finalist the last two years, based on his sky-high stats, highlight-worthy finishing and above-average compete level, you’d have to think Bal is due for some legit hardware consideration sometime soon.

Age: 27
Season: 5
Position: Forward
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: Burlington, ON
Last Year: 23

Was there a better pure goal scorer in all of box lacrosse in 2025 than Ryan Smith? While his assists took a dent (lowest total since his rookie season), Smith followed up his 46-goal campaign in 2024 with 49 for the Rochester Knighthawks last year, and he didn’t stop there.

Rochester Knighthawks (NLL)

49 goals in 18 regular season games (T2)
3 goals in 1 playoff game

Six Nations Chiefs (MSL)

39 goals in 16 regular season games (1)
16 goals in 9 playoff games (T2)
14 goals in 7 Mann Cup games (1)

2025 Totals

121 goals in 51 games

That’s more goals in one calendar year than most players in the NLL right now will have during their entire career. Skill, size and smarts, Ryan Smith is a league-wide problem and is showing no signs of slowing this preposterous scoring pace down.

Age: 36
Season: 13
Position: Forward
Team: Philadelphia Wings
From: Hamburg, NY
Last Year: 46 🔥🔥🔥

Not only was Joe Resetarits back at 100 points last year, the 122 he registered with the Philadelphia Wings in 2025 are the highest single-season total of his career. He also busted past 200 shots on goal for the first time too. The Wings relied heavily on Resetarits and Mitch Jones for a bulk of their offensive load last year, and with Jones now in Vegas and not much else incoming over the offseason, Resetarits will no doubt have his hands full as fuck again. What’s maybe most impressive of Resetarits’ game is how rarely he gives up the ball for a 40-goal getter. Last year, Resetarits ranked fourth in the league for points, but only 26th for turnovers. For a player as engaged and consistently involved in every offense shift, that ratio is ridiculous.

Age: 37
Season: 15
Position: Forward
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Port Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 34 🔥🔥

Hands up if you thought Curtis Dickson was slowing down based on that final season in San Diego, the team later shipping him back to Calgary. Right, most of you (and based on where we had him here last year, us kind of too). Well, not only did Dickson’s game not slow down, he heated up to career-best levels, his 108 points last year the most he’s ever produced in a single season. Crazy, right? His 48 goals were only topped by Jeff Teat (56), Wes Berg (49) and Ryan Smith (49). The last time Dickson finished that high on the league’s goal-scoring charts was 2018, which also landed him an All-NLL Second Team nod – he got jack shit as far as league year-end recognition last year (BTW, why are All-NLL Teams mostly D-end players now?). Dickson finished as the sixth highest rated player in our in-season Top 30 NLL Player analysis, and jumps 34 spots in this year’s 100 too.

Age: 43
Season: 20
Position: Goalie
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: St. Catharines, ON
Last Year: 9

When looking at the league’s goalie stats, there’s seven categories that kind of stand out that everyone will quote when making a case for what goalie should be granted the title of NLL Goalie of the Year: Minutes Played, Shots on Goal, Saves, Save %, GAA, GSA and Wins. We can debate (and often do here) on which ones are telling of a tendy and which ones are impacted by the rest of the team, but essentially, these are the seven many use to grade a goalie. Even though he was passed over for what would have been his ninth GOTY win last year by the league’s own vote (we had him positionally at #1), Vinc was the only goalie in the league to rank Top 5 in each of those seven previously mentioned core categories (2025 NLL GOTY Frank Scigliano made only four). He would go on to threepeat for a second time in his career while playing a lead role in Buffalo’s third straight NLL Cup, and putting up some of the nastiest individual game numbers in recent playoff history.

Age: 33
Season: 13
Position: Forward
Team: Philadelphia Wings
From: Delta, BC
Last Year: 6

Man, over like the first ten games of the 2025 season, Mitch Jones was in MVP mode and on pace to potentially rewrite record books too. Then something happened, statistically at least.

Games 1-10

Goals: 2.60
Assists: 5.30

Games 11-18

Goals: 0.63 (-1.98)
Assists: 3.25 (-2.05)

Still, Jones finished with the eighth highest points-per-game average in the NLL, but faded from MVP talk in the second half of the season. Jones spent his summer leading the WLA in just about every offensive stat imaginable, during both the regular season and playoffs. Finishing a gruelling Game 7 victory shy of winning the Mann Cup with the New Westminster Salmonbellies, Jones left Philly for Las Vegas over the offseason, his addition to the Desert Dogs’ offense a big reason why many feel they may finally get into the playoffs for the first time. Jones himself has not made it past the NLL regular season in almost a decade when he was still with the Buffalo Bandits.

Age: 33
Season: 9
Position: Forward
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Victoria, BC
Last Year: 8

Over the past three seasons, only five players have finished with 100 points or more during in each year over that stretch: Mitch Jones, Jeff Teat, Dhane Smith (2022 MVP), Josh Byrne (2023 MVP), and… Jesse King. King (and Jones for that matter) have not only never been an MVP Finalist, they’ve never even made a single All-NLL Team either. “Jesse is one of the best floor generals in the NLL,” said Vancouver Head Coach & GM Curt Malawsky, who convinced King to reunite with him in BC this year.” His lacrosse IQ is off the charts. His ability to make his teammates better and everyone around him better is a skill in itself.” It’s that everyone-improved ability and presence that really only a handful of players around King on this list also own.

Age: 33
Season: 10
Position: Forward
Team: Georgia Swarm
From: Onondaga, NY
Last Year: 7

Sure, Lyle Thompson has fallen just short of 100 points the last few years, but…

• Thompson had his seventh straight (full season) 40-point year

• Continues to have a well above average goals-to-turnover ratio

• Led the NLL with 5 shorthanded goals last year (5th highest single-season SHG total ever)

• Scored or assisted on 44% of all Georgia Swarm goals in 2025

• Owned the second-most game-tying goals across the league last year (9)

• Was one of the very few full-time forwards with double digit caused turnovers a season ago

Plus, Thompson is still arguably the best back-checking forward in the league, a relentless runner who has zero quit and is always in balls-to-the-wall mode.

Age: 32
Season: 9
Position: Forward
Team: San Diego Seals
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: 5

Wes Berg was our #1 rated Clutch King last year, The Lax Mag’s season-long analysis of the players that consistently score game-tying, go-ahead and game-winning goals, and more importantly, when in games they’re going in. Although Berg lost 20 points from his previous season’s stat line and posted his worst assists average of his career, NLL award voters gave him so much love for that clutch twig, he was an NLL MVP Finalist for the first time. The Seals offense, which has seen significant changes in almost every season of their since-2019 existence, clearly has a cornerstone piece in Berg, as untradable a player as there is in the league today. Berg is the Seals franchise all-time leader in: goals, assists, points, power-play goals, game-winning goals (tied), and is almost 100 loosies ahead the next nearest franchise forward.

Age: 28
Season: 10
Position: Goalie
Team: Vancouver Warriors
From: Coquitlam, BC
Last Year: NR 🔥🔥🔥

Even though he only started the season after last year’s trade deadline, Christian Del Bianco got serious MVP consideration after backstopping the Vancouver Warriors to a 6-0 finish to end the year. He also gave a similar performance with the Coquitlam Adanacs in the WLA over the summer, Del Bianco at one point playing a pivotal role in the team’s nine-game win streak and eventual first place finish in the league. His 2025 NLL stats spread over a full 18-game season last year would have been all-time absurdity, Del Bianco owning an 8.77 GAA and .821 save percentage in the third of a season he played. With the Warriors bringing back a bunch of BC buddies who first fell in love in Calgary, including of course Del Bianco, Vancouver looks to win the NLL Cup with the most west coast-heavy roster, well, probably ever.

Age: 31
Season: 8
Position: Forward/Transition
Team: San Diego Seals
From: Peterborough, ON
Last Year: 18 🔥

Zach Currier’s stat line last year was arguably the most O/D balanced of any player over of the modern era: 18 goals, 29 assists, 193 loose balls, 32 caused turnovers and 11 blocks. Go look, we’ll wait. Some transitional players may have had around his O totals, but look further down the line and their D numbers don’t come close - same thing if you start at the other end of the leaderboard. Few players in today’s game would have survived playing all over the floor on every shift like they did during most of the MILL era, but not only would Currier have survived, he would have thrived like he does in the league today. The modern NLL game has become so specialized, so technical and so overanalyzed, there are only a few special players left that are athletic enough, smart enough and fearless enough to excel in any on-floor situation no matter what the coach’s pre-game script said. Currier is clearly one of those players, and right now, is easily the best one.

Age: 31
Season: 8
Position: Forward
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: New Westminster, BC
Last Year: 3

After edging teammate Dhane Smith by just a single scoresheet check (135) for 2024’s point-producing lead, Byrne tied his buddy last season (134), the Bandits duo arguably the greatest up-front tandem in league history. The pair have been the league’s top scoring teammates in three of the last four seasons. Only HOF twins Gary & Paul Gait have achieved that feat together that many times. For those that feel Byrne gets undeserved all-timer praise because he plays more games in a season than past greats did, well… Byrne is one of only seven players in league history to average 7.5 points or more during a full regular season, and maintaining that high-as-hell avg. over 18 starts is a helluva lot hard to do than during the significantly shorter seasons of the late 80s and early 90s. While Byrne’s goal scoring quieted a bit during last year’s playoffs, he still led the postseason in assists (22) and gave an incredible performance in the Cup-deciding Game 3 of the NLL Final. In that game, Byrne scored or assisted on nine of the team’s first ten goals. That’s not normal.

Age: 30
Season: 7
Position: Forward
Team: Rochester Knighthawks
From: East Amherst, NY
Last Year: 4

During the 2024 season, Connor Fields had the stat line and late-season success story (propelled Rochester into the playoffs with a pair of final weekend performances for the ages) to be named NLL MVP (we had him as runner up behind only Josh Byrne that year), but didn’t even make the league’s MVP finalist list. Last year, he scored less, assisted on a few more, and had less LB scoops, but Fields was promoted to MVP by the league’s bizarre voting panel. Either way, whether you considered Fields an MVP in 2024, 2025 or both stupendous seasons (we actually had him #4 in 2023 too), he is hands down one of today’s most dangerous offensive weapons, who can finish as well as he facilitates, and create something out of nothing better than anyone in the league. He’s been a regular in our Clutch Kings analysis over the past three years, last year scoring 7 game-tying, 5 go-ahead and 2 game-winning goals for the Knighthawks (in 2024, he had an even more impressive 6/10/2 slash).

Age: 28
Season: 5
Position: Forward
Team: Ottawa Black Bears
From: Brampton, ON
Last Year: 2

For the first time since entering the league, Jeff Teat did not immediately make our in-season Top 30 Player Rankings analysis due to a below average, well for him, start…

Nov. 29 – Jan. 31

Goals: 1.63
Assists: 3.25
Points: 4.88

Then he got some rest, and started fucking shit up, again…

Feb. 15 – Apr. 19

Goals: 4.30 (+2.68)
Assists: 3.00 (-0.25)
Points: 7.40 (+2.53)

Get this; Ottawa finished last in team scoring with 183 goals last year, yet Teat finished first in the NLL with 56 goals. No player maybe in league history has been relieved on to the levels Teat has since his rookie year in 2022. During his first four seasons in the NLL, Teat has registered at least 100 points and 100 loose balls in each of those four seasons. No other player in NLL history has gone 100/100 more than three times over their entire career. Teat has been an NLL MVP Finalists just once during his first four incomparable seasons in the league, seemingly losing votes every year because the franchise can’t figure out how to make the playoffs.

Age: 33
Season: 13
Position: Forward
Team: Buffalo Bandits
From: Kitchener, ON
Last Year: 1

The Lax Mag has written about Dhane Smith more than any other player since our comeback, the Buffalo Bandits leader now our #1 ranked player for the past three NLL TOP 100s. Instead of repeating ourselves to death, we asked AI to justify naming Dhane Smith #1 heading into the 2025-26 NLL season. Here’s what AI told us…

Dhane Smith is widely regarded as the premier player in the National Lacrosse League today due to his unparalleled offensive dominance, record-shattering consistency, and championship pedigree. As the Buffalo Bandits' star forward enters his 13th season in 2025-26, Smith's blend of scoring prowess, elite playmaking, and leadership has elevated him above peers like Josh Byrne or Jeff Teat. Below, I'll break down the key reasons, grounded in his 2024-25 performance and career milestones.

Unmatched Offensive Records and Production

Smith doesn't just excel—he redefines what's possible in box lacrosse. In the 2024-25 regular season, he posted 32 goals and a league-record 102 assists for 134 points, tying teammate Josh Byrne for the NLL scoring lead. This marked the fourth consecutive year he broke his own single-season assists record (previously 96 in 2023-24, 94 in 2022-23, and earlier marks). These numbers aren't outliers; Smith owns every major single-season offensive record in NLL history:

Points: 137 (2016)
Goals: 72 (2016)
Assists: 102 (2025)

His career totals further cement his status: Over 1,200 points, making him one of only nine players to reach that elite milestone, most of whom have long retired. Smith is still climbing those charts.

Major Awards and League Recognition

Smith's impact transcends stats—he's the NLL's Offensive Player of the Year for 2024-25, the award's second year of existence (following teammate John Byrne in its debut). He was also a finalist for league MVP, an honor he's claimed twice (2016 and 2022), tying him for third all-time in multi-MVP wins. Notably, he became the first Black player to win MVP in 2016.

In the 2025 playoffs, his Bandits reached the Finals (facing Saskatchewan), where his co-MVP fan vote from the regular season underscored his value. Analysts highlight his "offensive effectiveness and astute passing skills" as game-changers, often turning games single-handedly.

Championship Pedigree and Leadership

Smith isn't just an individual star; he's a winner. He helped lead the Bandits to back-to-back-to-back NLL titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025, earning Finals MVP in 2023 with clutch playoff assists (he also holds the all-time playoff assists record). In a league where team success amplifies individual legacies, his role in Buffalo's dynasty—drawing record crowds (166,238 at home in 2024-25)—positions him as the face of the sport.

At 33, Smith's prime shows no signs of fading—he's the total package: scorer, creator, and closer. If the 2025-26 season mirrors his trajectory, expect more hardware and debates settled in his favor.