Las Vegas trades Jackson Nishimura back to Albany for Jacob Ruest
Dhane Smith and Jackson Nishimura (Photo: Joe Hrycych)
The Las Vegas Desert Dogs have traded Jackson Nishimura, who the team selected first overall in July’s Expansion Draft, back to the Albany FireWolves for forward Jacob Ruest.
The move, which has been confirmed on the league’s transaction page but yet to be announced by either team, comes soon after Vegas GM and Head Coach Shawn Williams acquired Reid Reinholdt from the Toronto Rock on Thursday.
Jacob Ruest and Joe Resetarits (Photo: Jaclyn McKee)
That now makes three notable forwards Las Vegas has picked up since their Expansion Draft, Rob Hellyer of course the third and most high profile of the talented trio, acquired in that earlier trade with Toronto.
Ruest (21G, 16A), who ranked fifth in Albany point production last year, is far from the only forward the FireWolves have seen sign elsewhere or dealt through recent deals.
The team lost MVP Finalist Joe Resetarits (47G, 64A) and 15-year vet Ryan Benesch (26G, 43A) via free agency, the pair ranking first and second in team point scoring during the 2022 regular season. The third and fourth players on Albany’s offensive leaderboard last year, Andrew Kew (33G, 26A) & Reilly O’Connor (15G, 39A), were traded in separate deals, Kew going to the Georgia Swarm and O’Connor to the New York Riptide.
An offseason earlier, the franchise lost easily one of the top-ranked forwards in the league, Callum Crawford, through free agency as well.
The only returning listed forwards that even played a game for Albany last year are Charlie Kitchen (14G, 8A), Tanner Thomson (4G, 6A) and Jordan Durston (2G, 7A), Kitchen & Thomson rookies in 2022. With that said, the FireWolves have added forwards Kieran McArdle, Aaron Forster and Connor Kelly during the current offseason.
Albany will draft three times in the first round of tomorrow’s NLL Entry Draft, FireWolves GM & Head Coach Glenn Clark selecting 4th, 7th and 17th overall on Saturday.