NLL Player Rankings: Week 15
After the first six weeks of the 2022-23 National Lacrosse League season are complete, The Lax Mag will publish our weekly NLL Player Rankings, examining the league’s Top 30 players from Week 1 right up until the end of the regular season.
The rankings are based on our star-rating system (individual game analysis) and overall statistical positioning (full season analysis). For a full breakdown of how both areas are ordered, click here.
Jeff Teat, New York Ritpide (Photo: David Pickering)
We’ve got a new #1 one: Jeff Teat.
Teat is just the fourth player this year to take our top spot; Connor Fields (Weeks 6 & 8), Josh Byrne (Week 7) and Dhane Smith (Week 9-14) the only other three to lead the list this year.
So does that make Teat the MVP favourite right now? Probably not in everyone’s opinion. In fact, some might not even have him as a finalist no matter how well he continues to play this year.
Teat has taken over the point-scoring race (96) and is also averaging the most points per game, running at a ridiculous 8.00 an outing right now. He’s also on pace to break Smith’s single-season points record set back in 2016 (Smith had 137, Teat’s average would get him to 144).
Those are MVP-worthy stats for sure, but what if Teat’s New York Riptide don’t make the playoffs? At 2-9, New York would likely need to go 7-0 if the league’s second second is in their future, and even then that might not be enough. Realistically, it’s not happening for them this year.
Does an MVP need to be on a top team or even just a post-season qualifier? Because if your definition of a most-valuable performer includes that criteria, Teat could produce 200 points this year and never be considered.
What makes an MVP?
The NLL’s MVP announcement last year did not define what an MVP is. Googling back several searchable seasons, the award’s criteria is never actually confirmed by the NLL.
Last year, The Lax Mag looked at what every former NLL MVP did during their award-winning season. Including Smith’s second MVP nod last year, the league’s top point producer has been named MVP 20 times, which accounts for 71% of NLL seasons going back to 1994, when the honour was first officially established.
The NLL’s MVP is almost always a forward. Jim Veltman (transition/defense), Steve Dietrich (goalie) and Jeff Shattler (transition/offense) are the only exceptions to that trophy total.
Below are the NLL’s previous 28 MVPs, plus where their team finished in the standings and whether they made the playoffs or not. Since the postseason doesn’t factor into award voting, we left out how well they did after the regular season ended. It’s a lengthy list, so get ready to scroll for a few seconds.
Season: MVP, Team (team finished/qualified for playoffs)
1994: John Tavares, Buffalo (first in National Division/yes)
1995: Gary Gait, Philadelphia (first overall/yes)
1996: Gary Gait, Philadelphia (tied for first overall/yes)
1997: Gary Gait, Philadelphia (first overall/yes)
1998: Gary Gait, Baltimore (second overall/yes)
1999: Gary Gait, Baltimore (tied for second overall/yes)
2000: John Tavares, Buffalo (tied for second overall/yes)
2001: John Tavares, Buffalo (fifth overall/no)
2002: Paul Gait, Washington (first in East Division/yes)
2003: Gary Gait, Colorado (first in East Division/yes)
2004: Jim Veltman, Toronto (first in East Division/yes)
2005: Colin Doyle, Toronto (first in East Division/yes)
2006: Steve Dietrich, Buffalo (first in East Division/yes)
2007: John Grant, Rochester (first in East Division/yes)
2008: Athan Iannucci, Philadelphia (tied for first in East Division/yes)
2009: Dan Dawson, Boston (tied for first in East Division/yes)
2010: Casey Powell, Orlando (first in East Division/yes)
2011: Jeff Shattler, Calgary (first in West Division/yes)
2012: John Grant, Colorado (second in West Division/yes)
2013: Shawn Evans, Calgary (tied for first in West Division/yes)
2014: Cody Jamieson, Rochester (first in East Division/yes)
2015: Shawn Evans, Calgary (third in West Division/yes)
2016: Dhane Smith, Buffalo (first in East Division/yes)
2017: Lyle Thompson, Georgia (first in East Division/yes)
2018: Mark Matthews, Saskatchewan (first in West Division/yes)
2019: Dane Dobbie, Calgary (tied for second in West Division/yes)
2020: Shayne Jackson, Georgia (second in East Division/no playoffs held)
2022: Dhane Smith, Buffalo (first in East Division/yes)
So, while the point-scoring champ theory would play into Teat’s favour if he continues at his current preposterous pace, the fact that only one MVP in NLL history did not make the playoffs doesn’t help him. There’s a ton of text above, so if you missed it, it was John Tavares in 2001. 2020 MVP Shayne Jackson also didn’t play in the playoffs, but not one did due to the pandemic.
John Tavares, Buffalo Bandits
Tavares led the league in goals, assists and points, but his Buffalo Bandits finished a win shy of making the 2001 playoffs. Teat’s Riptide are likely to miss this year’s playoffs by much more than just one W. Teat currently sits first in goals, second in assists and first in points though. Plus, the 115 points Tavares recorded in 2001 was a new single-season record back then. Teat is on pace to do the same this season.
In 20 of the 28 seasons listed above, the MVP’s team finished first or tied for first in the league or their division. Again, not favourable odds for Teat in 2023, or any player on 13 of the league’s 15 teams at the conclusion of the current campaign.
While the NLL has seemingly never confirmed the definition of an MVP, other sources do.
Dictionary.com
An accolade or award, originally used in team sports to recognize one player for game-changing excellence, and also used outside of sports to recognize excellence in the contributions of an individual to a group effort.
The Cambridge Dictionary
An award given to a sports player who is judged most important to the sport, team, or game.
National Hockey League
The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."
Merriam Webster
The player who contributes the most to his or her team's success.
Outside of Merriam, who specifies team success, the first three examples would not exclude Teat if New York is nixed from this year’s playoffs. Although the NHL includes “most valuable to his team”, it doesn’t tell you how good or bad the team needs to be. How much worse would the Riptide be this year if Teat wasn’t there? It’s also worth noting, the NHL was one of the few league sources that somewhat spelled out their MVP criteria, as vague as it still might be.
Jeff Teat and Larson Sundown (Photo: Evan Bernstein)
The NHL has also awarded their Hart Memorial Trophy to a non-playoff player just three times. The last time it happened was almost a decade before Teat was even born (April 30, 1997), Mario Lemieux named hockey’s MVP in 1988, although like Tavares and the Bandits in 2011, his Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs by just a single positive result. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named the NBA’s MVP in 1976 even though his Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs. In the NFL, Johnny Unitas and O.J. Simpson were both voted most valuable even though their teams failed to qualify. And in the most recent example from North American pro sports leagues, Mike Trout was voted an MLB MVP in 2019 after his team, the Los Angeles Angels, missed playing in the postseason. Baseball, who has always had fewer teams qualify for their playoffs than most other professional sports (especially the NLL), has had other playoff MIA MVPs in addition to Trout.
Conclusion
Unless the NLL specifically states what their MVP criteria is, how are we to know whether a player like Teat, whose record-breaking statistical pace reads MVP lock but his team’s unflattering performance is far from a standings success, should or shouldn’t be in consideration after the regular season comes to a close? The league’s record books both qualify Teat as MVP worthy while also nixing any potential nomination this year too.
Anyways, like we stated earlier, Jeff Teat is our number one ranked player in the NLL after 15 weeks. He was also #1 in our pre-season Top 100. Click here for The 100 and keep scrolling for this week’s updated NLL Player Rankings.
Jeff Teat, New York Riptide (Photo: Christian Bender)
NLL Player Rankings: Week 15
TW. (LW) Player, Team, Position
1. (2) Jeff Teat, New York, F
2. (1) Dhane Smith, Buffalo, F
3. (3) Connor Fields, Rochester, F
4. (6) Christian Del Bianco, Calgary, G
5. (5) Tom Schreiber, Toronto, F
6. (8) Will Malcom, Panther City, F
7. (4) Nick Rose, Toronto, G
8. (7) Dane Dobbie, San Diego, F
9. (12) Zach Currier, Calgary, T
10. (13) Josh Byrne, Buffalo, F
11. (11) Robert Church, Saskatchewan, F
12. (10) Kyle Rubisch, Saskatchewan, D
13. (16) Reid Bowering, Vancouver, D
14. (17) Matt Vinc, Buffalo, G
15. (9) Curtis Dickson, San Diego, F
16. (14) Mark Matthews, Saskatchewan, F
17. (20) Graeme Hossack, Halifax, D
18. (21) Brad Kri, Toronto, D
19. (25) Mitch Jones, Philadelphia, F
20. (15) Rylan Hartley, Rochester, G
21. (18) Randy Staats, Halifax, F
22. (22) Joe Resetarits, Philadelphia, F
23. (28) Lyle Thompson, Georgia, F
24. (23) Wes Berg, San Diego, F
25. (24) Jesse King, Calgary, F
26. (19) Mitch de Snoo, Toronto, D
27. (29) Steve Priolo, Buffalo, D
28. (NR) Andrew Kew, Georgia, F
29. (NR) Keegan Bal, Vancouver, F
30. (NR) Nick Damude, Panther City, G