Report: Warriors won’t move future firsts for fill-in forward fix
Vancouver Warriors (Photo: Jordan Leigh)
The Vancouver Warriors’ 2022 campaign was dealt a devastating blow earlier this week when it was confirmed that high-end forward Mitch Jones would be sidelined for a lengthy stretch this season.
Jones, easily the team’s top player the past two seasons, suffered a broken foot during a freak accident in Denver prior to the Warriors’ Week 9 game against the Colorado Mammoth. It’s thought he’ll miss at minimum the next eight weeks while recovering and rehabbing post (successful) surgery.
Vancouver GM Dan Richardson told The Province that the team won’t be looking to move any of their draft picks an in attempt to repair the roster while Jones recoups.
“The vultures will be circulating, asking for our draft picks, and it’s not going to happen,” Richardson told The Province. “They’re going to offer some guy on the south side of his career.
“The easy way out is to trade away your future and get a golden Band-Aid. It doesn’t work. We’re going to hold the line. We’re going to figure it out ourselves.”
Mitch Jones & Adam Charalambides (Photo: Jordan Leigh)
A day after moving Jones to their LTIR, Vancouver placed vet-forward Matthew Dinsdale in COVID protocol. The team did sign defenseman Taylor Stuart, who had been released by their Week 10 opponent, the Panther City Lacrosse Club, earlier this week.
Although the Warriors have recently drafted first-round favourites like Reid Bowering and Adam Charalambides, the franchise has a history of dealing high draft picks for veteran help. The results have rarely worked out in regular season scores or the standings.
After moving from Everett, Washington to Langley, British Columbia (then known as the Vancouver Stealth), the team soon vanished from the draft’s first round until they were purchased by Canuck Sports & Entertainment and Richards took over managing the club.
Since 2014, the franchise has qualified for the playoffs just once, playing a single post-season game in 2017, a loss to the Colorado Mammoth.
Here’s a history of what the club has accomplished with their previous first round selections since their Langley Stealth days, plus who they spent their earliest pick on and how many they actually used that year.
Johnny Powless (Photo: Ryan McCullough)
2013 - Drafted Cody Bremner
The Stealth’s earliest pick on the day was Bremner drafted 8th overall in the first round. The team had a total of 8 picks that year.
2014 - Traded to Rochester Knighthawks
Rochester got: 2nd (Jeremy Noble, later traded to Colorado as park of package, including Rochester getting two future 1st round Colorado draft picks) and 11th overall (later traded as part of package to New England for Jordan Hall) selections in the 2014 Entry Draft, the 1st selection in the 2015 Entry Draft (Graeme Hossack) and the 1st selection in the 2017 Entry Draft (Eric Fannell)
Vancouver got: Johnny Powless, Joel McCready, 9th (later traded to Buffalo, see below) and 23rd overall (Dan Keane) selections in the 2014 Entry Draft
2014 Traded to Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo got: 9th overall pick in 2014 Entry Draft (Brandon Goodwin), a 2nd round pick in 2015 Entry Draft (Tony Malcom), a 1st round pick in 2018 (Matt Gilray), and Nick Weiss
Vancouver got: Rory Smith, Eric Penney, and the 12th overall (Conrad Chapman) selection in 2014
The Stealth’s earliest pick on the day was the previous mentioned Conrad taken 12th overall in the second round. The team had a total of 7 picks that year.
2015 - Already traded to Rochester Knighthawks (see above)
The Stealth’s earliest pick on the day was Jordan Durston drafted 19th overall in the second round. The team had a total of 8 picks that year.
2016 - Traded to Edmonton/Saskatchewan Rush
Edmonton/Saskatchewan got: 1st round selection in the 2016 Entry Draft (Ryan Kennan) and 1st round selection in the 2019 Entry Draft (Holden Garlent)
Vancouver got: Corey Small
The Stealth’s earliest pick on the day was Jame Rhae drafted 11th overall in the second round. The team had a total of just 4 picks that year.
2017 - Already traded to Rochester Knighthawks (see above)
The Stealth’s earliest pick on the day was Ryan Fournier drafted 12th overall in the second round. The team had a total of 5 pick that year.
2018 - Already traded to Buffalo Bandits (see above)
The Warriors’ earliest pick on the day was Travis Burton drafted 21st overall in the second round. The team had a total of 6 picks that year.
2019 - Already traded to Saskatchewan Rush (see above)
The Warriors’ earliest pick on the day was Derek Lloyd 52nd overall in the fourth round. The team had a total of just 3 picks that year.
2020 - Traded to Rochester Knighthawks
Rochester got: 3rd (Ryan Smith) and 28th overall (traded to Colorado in exchange for Jeff Wittig, Mammoth drafted Jordan Trottier) 2020 NLL Entry Draft picks
Vancouver got: 2nd (Reid Bowering) and 69th overall (Cody Arseneault) picks in 2020 NLL Entry Draft
The Warriors’ earliest pick was Bowering drafted 2nd overall in the first round. The team had a total of 7 pick that year.
2021 - Drafted Adam Charalambides
The Warriors earliest pick was Charalambides at 4th overall in the first round. The team had a total of 6 pick that year.
2022 - Own their first round pick
Currently the Warriors have a total of 9 picks in the 2022 Draft.
Note: Although it happened before the team’s move to Langley, one of the franchise’s biggest first-for-player transactions was the move that saw Paul Rabil and Athan Iannucci swapped in February of 2012. Although not known on the day, it was one pick in particular, that made this move notable so many years later.
Edmonton got: Rabil and a first round pick in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft (Mark Matthews)
Vancouver got: Iannucci and a second round pick in 2012 NLL Entry Draft (Justin Pychel)