After the first several weeks of the 2023-24 National Lacrosse League season are complete, The Lax Mag will publish a weekly NLL Player Ranking, examining the league’s Top 30 players from Week 1 right up until the end of the regular season.

TLM’s Top 30 NLL Player Rankings have nothing to do with reputations, career resumes, success in past seasons, whether we know a player personally, recognizing deserving players who’ve previously been passed over, player popularity, the size of their social media following, whether you slide into their DMs, or who others around the league tell us should get hype.

Our rankings, which only take into consideration a player’s performance for the current regular season, will be calculated using both our star-rating system after each game, but also a player’s season-long statistical position (based on per-game average, not full-season totals) across the league. Only players who have played two-thirds of their team’s games will qualify.

Click here for an even more in-depth description of our scoring system.

Travis Longboat, Albany FireWolves (Photo: WM Photography)

This week we asked out Instagram followers who they thought was having the biggest breakout season? We offered some suggestions, and got answers outside of those deserving names too.

Most professional sports leagues don’t typically celebrate breakout performances. Since the mid 80s, the NBA kinda recognizes breakouts through their Most Improved Player Award, but that also implies the player wasn’t so hot the previous year(s), which doesn’t necessarily define a breakout campaign, right?

Who has had the NLL’s biggest non-rookie breakout season so far?

Whether due to new environments via trade or free agency, a new or elevated role and/or position, going from really good to league-leading great, or simply playing a helluva lot better, in this week’s NLL Player Rankings post, The Lax Mag looks at each team’s biggest breakout performance - if of course they’ve had one.

Ethan Walker, 2022 NLL Media Day (Photo: Ryan McCullough)

Albany FireWolves

Not surprisingly, already owning one of the NLL’s most improved regular seasons ever, the FireWolves have a few players that have taken their game to a higher level. Offensively, both Ethan Walker and Travis Longboat are experiencing sizeable spikes in their statistical output.

Walker you could argue already had a breakout season last year, but is averaging 1.3 points more per game a year later, and last week already bettered his 2023 points total with another four games to go.

After not finding a home in New York or Georgia, Longboat has annihilated his previous highs in absolutely every statistical category, right now sitting at 51 points in 13 games for the FireWolves.

Last year, we had seldom-mentioned defensemen Patrick Kaschalk ranked as the seventh best rookie in our annual NLL Rookie of the Year breakdown. A year later, he’s looking even better both defensively and on the FireWolves’ potent press. His stats may not scream big-time breakout, but believe Kaschalk is trending in the right direction.

Paul Kaschalk, Albany FireWolves (Photo: WM Photography)

Buffalo Bandits

Last year, Ian MacKay blossoming into one of the league’s most dependable and dangerous two-way talents was easily Buffalo’s biggest breakout performance of 2023. A year later, not sure you can really say anyone is truly breaking out during what’s been a bit of a difficult year in Banditland.

Calgary Roughnecks

Like the Bandits, no one has really busted out in Calgary either, although Haiden Dickson kind of has, especially early on. After averaging nearly a hat-trick per outing over the first two months of the season, Dickson’s goal production has slowed considerably with just three goals total over the Roughencks’ last five. Just a hatty away from matching his single-season high for goals, a strong six games to close out his season could put Dickson back into 2024’s biggest breakout category.

Colorado Mammoth

While much of the coverage in Colorado this year has focussed on the team’s lack of standings success, there has been a few positives, one of which is the defensive play of Brett Craig. A second-round pick in the 2019 draft, Craig has seen limited action since, mostly due to injuries. That’s changed this year. A healthy and hard-working Craig has found an everyday role in the Mammoth’s defensive unit, has contributed regularly in transition, and looks like the player the team hoped they got when they drafted him reasonably high five years ago. It’s a low-key breakout, but one worth noting.

Georgia Swarm

You could argue that Seth Oakes was a breakout baller last year, but we’d counter it was more of a comeback mission. This year, Oakes has blasted past his personal bests and his third on the Swarm goal-scoring charts behind only Lyle Thompson and Andrew Kew, who might have been last year’s unofficial breakout player of the year. Zach Miller is also in breakout territory, but he may be a stronger candidate for that title in 2025 as he continues to develop into a dependable offensive asset for Georgia.

Halifax Thunderbirds

Clarke Petterson is one of those players that has taken his game from really good to league-leading great this year. In 2023, he set new single-season goals, assists and points personal bests. Over the next game or two, he’ll do it again a year later. Petterson’s 4.67 points per tied him for 27th in the NLL last year. This year, he’s added almost a whole point extra a game, moving him up to 14th overall in the league. With Randy Staats already sidelined for nearly half of this season, Petterson has used that opportunity to, well, breakout big time.

Las Vegas Desert Dogs

Not so much a breakout but rather a remember-me return, Casey Jackson has come alive again in Las Vegas. Jackson, who was traded by San Diego to Vegas this past summer, has been in the league since 2018, but has just one full 18-game season on his injury-riddled resume. He’s looking like he’ll get another (knock on wood), currently leading Las Vegas in goals, PPGs and shots. When healthy, Jackson has looked outstanding in the past, and he’s upped his value considerably if he can continue doing it from December to April, and maybe even May.

New York Riptide

Since Year 1 in 2020, the Riptide could not settle on a starter between the pipes. While unproven at the pro level, they entered the current season with Cameron Dunkerley penciled in as their full-time stopper. Many outside of the organization were unsure if that would be a viable solution. While he’s far from touching the top of the table in most league-wide goalie stats, Dunkerley has most definitely taken over the team’s top tendy spot and seems to have full confidence from coaches and players.

Larson Sundown is another player that is on pace to blow up his previous single-season statistical records. His sock-trick last weekend against Vegas has easily been one of his best games in three seasons so far.

While neither Dunkerley or Sundown are two of this year’s biggest breakouts, their positive performances are two reasons why New York is still pressing for their first-ever playoff spot.

Panther City Lacrosse Club

No one team had as many individual breakout seasons as PCLC saw in 2023 with the likes of Will Malcom, Nick Damude and Josh Medeiros all taking massive steps forward while at times being best-in-class excellent throughout last year. While rookies Jason Knox and Ryan Sheridan have had good stretches of success this season, no veteran player has come close to repeating what took place in Fort Worth a year ago. In fact, there’s actually been some regression in some areas, largely in transition.

Philadelphia Wings

With the Wings getting younger over the offseason, there was serious potential for breakout campaigns. That hasn’t been the case.

Rochester Knighthawks

Both Ryan Smith and Ryan Lanchbury, former teammates with the Burlington Chiefs (now Blaze) teammates, are making strong cases for why they should be considered for biggest breakouts anywhere in the league this year.

Smith, who is scoring more goals per game than anyone else in the league right now, has been Top 10 in The Lax Mag’s Player Rankings since our opening edition. Lanchbury’s 4.20 assists an outing is the seventh best average in the NLL heading into Week 16. Both have already passed most of their single-season highs already.

It’s hard to ignore the increased production from Kyle Waters this year too. After never really looking crazy comfortable in Calgary’s offense for two years, the Roughnecks traded Waters to Rochester during September’s draft. Waters has more goals with Rochester this year than his two years combined in Calgary. The rest of his stat line has benefitted from that draft-day deal too.

San Diego Seals

Tre LeClaire was already finding his two-way groove last year. This year, he’s transitioned into more of a Challen Rogers-type player that can be plugged into straight D, special teams at either end, or as a full-time forward - all at really high levels. When he first arrived in San Diego for his rookie season, LeClaire was pushed back to D with little room up front to flourish. That’s no longer the case, which speaks volumes considering how loaded the Seals’ offense is.

Saskatchewan Rush

While his production has slowed some in comparison to what he was doing earlier this year, hands down, Zach Manns is still a contender for 2024’s biggest breakout player. Presently on pace to nearly double all of his offensive best single-season stats during any of his three years in Toronto, Manns has most definitely taken his NLL game (he’s been crushing the WLA for two summers straight) to another level with added responsibilities in Saskatchewan.

Toronto Rock

While maybe not true big-time breakouts, the Rock are getting good elevated play from two non-rookies at either end of the floor. While key injuries could have crippled the Rock on offense this year, secondary scoring performances like Josh Dawick has consistently provided has helped Toronto build instead of break. Ditto for Chris Weier on the defensive end, who has played in every game so far this season, looks a lot more comfortable positionally, and has even chipped in on the press at pivotal moments. Breakout? Maybe not. Important? 100% yes.

Vancouver Warriors

For yet another season, the playoffs do not appear to be a possibility for the often-losing Warriors, but 2024 hasn’t been all bad. The biggest positive might be the breakout play of Adam Charalambides, who has as many points presently with six games to go as he did all of last season. Currently leading Vancouver in points, Charalambides could be a future 30-60-90 Club member (30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose balls). Likely to just miss hitting that rare statistical slash, Charalambides is on pace to finish 2024 with 36 goals, 53 assists and 77 loosies.

NLL Top 30: Week 16

In this week’s updated weekly Top 30, Connor Fields maintain his hold on #1, while Nick Rose inches closer to the top spot he’s owned four times this year. Andrew Kew, who continues his clutch-scoring season, gets back in the Top 30 after sending the Georgia Swarm to an eventual OT win over the Calgary Roughnecks last week.

Andrew Kew was BIG tonight (3G, 3A) in the @GeorgiaSwarmLAX's 13-12 OT win over the Roughnecks 🥍

Roll the Kew highlights 🎥 pic.twitter.com/NtL8SGnP5E
— NLL (@NLL) March 9, 2024

TW. (LW) Player, Team (Position)

1. (1) Connor Fields, Rochester (F)
2. (3) Nick Rose, Toronto (G)
3. (2) Josh Byrne, Buffalo (F)
4. (4) Jeff Teat, New York (F)
5. (5) Dhane Smith, Buffalo (F)
6. (7) Wes Berg, San Diego (F)
7. (8) Ryan Smith, Rochester (F)
8. (6) Jesse King, Calgary (F)
9. (9) Austin Staats, San Diego (F)
10. (14) Mitch de Snoo, Toronto (D)
11. (11) Callum Crawford, Panther City (F)
12. (12) Alex Simmons, Albany (F)
13. (19) Will Malcom, Panther City (F)
14. (10) Mitch Jones, Philadelphia (F)
15. (15) Lyle Thompson, Georgia (F)
16. (13) Jake Withers, Halifax (D)
17. (16) Clarke Petterson, Halifax (F)
18. (17) Chris Origlieri, San Diego (G)
19. (20) Doug Jamieson, Albany (G)
20. (18) Christian Del Bianco, Calgary (G)
21. (21) Matt Gilray, Rochester (T)
22. (23) Brad Kri, Toronto (D)
23. (27) Zach Higgins, Philadelphia (G)
24. (29) Robert Church, Saskatchewan (F)
25. (30) Mark Matthews, Toronto (F)
26. (25) Graeme Hossack, Halifax (D)
27. (22) Zach Manns, Saskatchewan (F)
28. (24) Eli McLaughlin, Colorado (F)
29. (NR) Andrew Kew, Georgia (F)
30. (28) Joe Resetarits, Philadelphia (F)