NLL Player Rankings: Most Valuable Player
During the 2021/22 National Lacrosse League regular season, The Lax Mag listed the Top 30 players weekly by highlighting each games’ top six players (for both teams), attaching a point value to their in-game rank (1st = 6 points, 2nd = 5 points, etc.), and averaging that out over the entire season.
For those that haven’t been following, here’s a bit more on how we calculate our Top 30, plus why we’re doing it.
With the regular season complete, over the next several weeks The Lax Mag’s NLL Player Rankings will examine the top contenders for the NLL’s major year-end awards, starting with Rookie of the Year and ending with MVP.
Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Ben Green)
Just before the end of this is year’s regular season, we examined how previous season’s voters had picked their NLL MVP, and Buffalo’s Dhane Smith overwhelmingly matched what past most valuables achieved. It wasn’t even close to be honest.
This year, Smith set a new single-season record for most assists in a season (94) and was just two points shy (135) of matching a record he already owned for most points in a single season too (137 in 2016).
The National Hockey League’s greatest of greats and now NLL owner, Wayne Gretzky, has the seven highest single season assist totals ever - six times with the Edmonton Oilers and once with the Los Angeles Kings. Often setting an even new record during that run, Gretzky was voted MVP in six of the seasons. The only time he wasn’t voted the league’s best was that year in LA, where his end-of-year helper tally (122) was well below his already-owned record (163). The Las Vegas Desert Dogs co-owner still topped the league in assists and points that winter, but Brett Hull’s goal total of 82 was one of the best ever and an insane amount more than the 51 Cam Neely, Steve Yzerman and Theo Fleury finished with.
Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Ben Green)
Why are we going on about dusty NHL seasons from the 80s and early 90s? Well, because if Smith’s 2022 NLL season was mirrored to a sport that collects many stats the same way pro lacrosse does, again, Dhane Smith would without a doubt be named their MVP too.
Earlier this year, The Lax Mag also examined the 30/60/90 club – a rare feat of producing 30 goals, 60 assists and 90 loose ball (or more) during a single NLL regular season. Prior to 2022, Smith was one of just eleven players in NLL history to achieve this super-rare slash. The others, fiver HOFers and five potential future HOFers still playing, include: John Tavares, Gary Gait, Paul Gait, Colin Doyle, Josh Sanderson, Shawn Evans, Cody Jamieson, Joe Resetarits and Lyle Thompson.
Only two players have hit that mark more than once, that being Evans and Thompson. Well, make that three now, because Smith did it again this year (41/94/93). New York Riptide rookie Jeff Teat, who missed two games due to a COVID protocol stay, also joined the club this year (37/71/111). Jesse King missed making it by a single goal (29/66/104), and Thompson (47/55/107) & Keegan Ball (44/55/93) were just five assists short this year.
Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits (Photo: Ben Green)
Again, that type of statistical rarity highlighting both offensive power and possession/defensive work rate, would likely be rewarded in virtually any other pro sport.
Hell, we even named Smith 2022’s best dressed NLL player, for whatever that’s worth. It was actually our most viewed Player Rankings post all year.
Here’s who we picked for the NLL’s other year-end player awards this year, and click the link to find out why:
Rookie of the Year: Jeff Teat
Transition Player of the Year: Zach Currier
Goalie of the Year: Matt Vinc
Defensive Player of the Year: Mitch de Snoo
Plus, here’s our final Top 30 of the 2022 NLL regular season.
1. Dhane Smith, Buffalo Bandits, F
2. Zach Currier, Calgary Roughnecks, T
3. Jeff Teat, New York Riptide, F
4. Joe Resetarits, Albany FireWolves, F
5. Ryan Lee, Colorado Mammoth, F
6. Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm, F
7. Tom Schreiber, Toronto Rock, F
8. Matt Vinc, Buffalo Bandits, G
9. Challen Rogers, Toronto Rock, T
10. Reid Bowering, Vancouver Warriors, T
11. Dillon Ward, Colorado Mammoth, G
12. Mitch de Snoo, Toronto Rock, D
13. Kyle Rubisch, Saskatchewan Rush, D
14. Jesse King, Calgary Roughnecks, F
15. Keegan Bal, Vancouver Warriors, F
16. Curtis Dickson, Calgary Roughnecks, F
17. Josh Byrne, Buffalo Bandits, F
18. Austin Staats, San Diego Seals, F
19. Callum Crawford, New York Riptide, F
20. Nick Rose, Toronto Rock, G
21. Wes Berg, San Diego Seals, F
22. Mike Messenger, Saskatchewan Rush, T
23. Brad Kri, Toronto Rock, D
24. Steve Priolo, Buffalo Bandits, D
25. Mark Matthews, Saskatchewan Rush, F
26. Robert Hope, Colorado Mammoth, D
27. Latrell Harris, Toronto Rock, D
28. Eli McLaughlin, Colorado Mammoth, F
29. Robert Church, Saskatchewan Rush, F
30. Frank Scigliano, San Diego Seals, G