NLL Player Rankings: Week 16
After the first full month (four weeks of completed games more specifically) of the 2021/22 National Lacrosse League season were completed, The Lax Mag started publishing weekly updated NLL Player Rankings, examining the league’s Top 30 players from Week 1 until the end of the regular season.
The rankings only take into consideration how a player has performed for this specific season. TLM ranks the top six players from each team for every completed regular season game, utilizing an average star rating system. For a full breakdown of how players are evaluated and more on our scoring system, click here.
NLL Player Ranking Highlights: Week 16
We started publishing The Lax Mag Top 30 after the NLL’s Week 6. Only three players have been named our #1 since that opening order: Holden Cattoni (Week 6-7), Lyle Thompson (Week 8-11 and Week 14-16) and Zach Currier (Week 12-13).
In addition to today’s top two, 14 other players placed in the Top 30 and have also never left: Dane Dobbie, Shayne Jackson, Warren Hill, Dillon Ward, Challen Rogers, Kyle Rubisch, Jesse King, Reid Bowering, Mike Messenger, Dhane Smith, Steve Priolo, Kiel Matisz, Graeme Hossack and Wes Berg.
Thompson and Currier have traded the top spot in recent player-ranking posts, both players again producing at a hellaciously high-rate last weekend: Lyle with one of his largest offensive outputs this year (5G, 4A) in the Georgia Swarm’s statement W over the Albany Attack, and Currier with a hefty loose-ball haul and pivotal points produced (scored and assisted on third-quarter go-aheads) in Calgary’s win over the Saskatchewan Rush.
#25 Keegan Bal, Vancouver Warriors (Photo: Jordan Leigh)
After his absurd 8-goal performance in the Vancouver Warrior’s kinda ludicrous loss to the Colorado Mammoth, Keegan Bal is back in the Top 30 after getting bumped the previous week. His 8 spot against the Mammoth was as many goals as the Warrior forward finished with in his previous four games combined, and Bal’s 12 points the second most he’s ever recorded in a single NLL game (he had 14 against the Philadelphia Wings in 2019).
For the first time this season, Panther City Lacrosse Club rookie Patrick Dodds gets his name dropped in the Top 30 after a yet-to-end tear for the recently really electric expansion side. Albeit with three less games played, Dodds impressively is just a point behind Jeff Teat for the rookie-point-producing lead. Even more noteworthy is that Dodds is tied for ninth in league points (63) and sixth overall in the assists column (43). Still only 20 years old, the Victoria kid has a season of BCJALL ball left too. He’s an unreal next-gen talent that is already impacting the present more than many prominent pro vets. Remember, our Top 30 is about right now, not pre-2022 reps.
#30 Patrick Dodds, Panther City Lacrosse Club (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny)
San Diego stopper Frank Scigliano continues to creep higher up the charts after his third straight 40-save performance for the West-leading Seals, who bettered the Colorado Mammoth 9-7 last Saturday night. Over his last three games, Sciglinao has been forced to make far more saves than were needed in his previous six starts for San Diego. In fact, his save percentage has soared when comparing his recent three to Frank’s first six, jumping from .796 to .874. Only four starting NLL goalies own a current season-long SV% of .800 or higher, and not shockingly, all four can found below in our updated NLL Top 30.
NLL Player Rankings: Week 16
Rank. (Previous Week) Player, Team, Position (Average Star Rating)
1. (1) Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm, F (5.31)
2. (2) Zach Currier, Calgary Roughnecks, T (5.09)
3. (3) Jeff Teat, New York Riptide, F (4.78)*
4. (4) Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits, F (4.64)
5. (5) Joe Resetarits, Albany FireWolves, F (4.64)
6. (6) Austin Staats, San Diego Seals, F (4.63)
7. (8) Ryan Lee, Colorado Mammoth, F (4.58)
8. (7) Tom Schreiber, Toronto Rock, F (4.50)
9. (16) Kyle Rubisch, Saskatchewan Rush, D (4.46)
10. (9) Wes Berg, San Diego Seals, F (4.45)
11. (10) Callum Crawford, New York Riptide, F (4.45)
12. (12) Shayne Jackson, Georgia Swarm, F (4.42)
13. (13) Reid Bowering, Vancouver Warriors, T (4.42)*
14. (11) Dillon Ward, Colorado Mammoth, G (4.25)
15. (15) Kiel Matisz, Philadelphia Wings, T (4.17)
16. (14) Jesse King, Calgary Roughnecks, F (4.09)
17. (17) Challen Rogers, Toronto Rock, T (4.08)
18. (22) Curtis Dickson, Calgary Roughnecks, F (4.00)
19. (19) Warren Hill, Halifax Thunderbirds, G (4.00)
20. (20) Graeme Hossack, Halifax Thunderbirds, D (4.00)
21. (24) Frank Scigliano, San Diego Seals, G (3.89)
22. (21) Steve Priolo, Buffalo Bandits, D (3.89)
23. (18) Mike Messenger, Saskatchewan Rush, T (3.69)
24. (25) Dane Dobbie, San Diego Seals, F (3.55)
25. (NR) Keegan Bal, Vancouver Warriors, F (3.55)
26. (27) Mitch de Snoo, Toronto Rock, D (3.50)
27. (28) Matt Vinc, Buffalo Bandits, G (3.45)
28. (29) Josh Byrne, Buffalo Bandits, F (3.36)
29. (30) Brad Kri, Toronto Rock, D (3.33)
30. (NR) Patrick Dodds, Panther City Lacrosse Club, F (3.33)*
NR = not rated in previous week’s Top 30
*Rookie