2025-26 NLL Preseason Predictions for Each Team
Thoughts on all 14 NLL teams ahead of the 2025-26 regular season and their projected finish
Photo Credit: Buffalo Bandits
All of the new stats introduced earlier this week mean attempting something new for this season — predicting where all 14 NLL teams will finish at the end of the 2025-26 season.
This is a practice I typically don’t do publicly. Injuries are going to derail someone’s season — look at the Toronto Rock last season. Someone will start slow, and a second-half surge won’t be enough to overcome — hi, 2024-25 Albany FireWolves. One team will swing a big trade and completely change the fortunes of their club — you thought this was gonna be for the Vancouver Warriors? Nah, son, Calgary Roughnecks with Nick Rose. There’s just too much unknown stretching out in front of us for any preseason prognostication to stand a chance of being correct six months down the road.
Keeping all that in mind, I try to be cautious in my preseason analysis of teams. Every season, people tend to get excited about certain players and teams on paper even though past seasons haven’t demonstrated those teams will be any different. Don’t lie; you’ve done that every year Jeff Teat has been in the NLL — “This’ll be the Riptide’s year” despite suspect goaltending; “The Black Bears can get over the edge with Zach Higgins in net” despite the defensive issues remaining and the offense continuing to underwhelm.
It’s fun to get swept up in our imaginations, wallowing in what can be for teams, but at the end of the day, the reality is all 14 teams are chock full of talent and can win any given night; only one of those teams will finish the season successfully.
As I said, I usually do this exercise privately, as it helps me prep for what’s ahead. I’m being ballsier by going public with this. I’ll go over every team’s results last season and True stats with their respective slash lines (S%/SOG%/E%), do a quick off-the-cuff about the team, then finish with where I think they finish in the standings and how far they go in the postseason. This isn’t Power Rankings; Buffalo’s first in those, and Philly’s last.
It’s nothing personal; someone has to finish last. Keep the receipts.
Photo Credit: Buffalo Bandits
Last season reg. season record and final result:
13-5, NLL Cup winner
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 17.3/71.9/15.5 | 13.3/65.1/12.5
TruePP: 16.4/68.9/17.2 | 15.9/58.6/18.2
TrueFB: 23.7/87.8/21.1 | 18.3/73.8/15.2
TrueSH: 12.1/67.2/7.1 | 8.5/60.6/7.1
This is the most vulnerable Bandits team I’ve seen in years (or it was until GM Steve Dietrich swung the Mitch de Snoo trade on Wednesday). I’m not as concerned about the offensive changes after being the best in the NLL last season; it’s really Dhane Smith and Josh Byrne with dangerous tertiary scoring supporting them (of the free agents that did and could have walked, Kyle Buchanan was arguably the most important to the offense’s success). While Matt Vinc was only slightly above average last regular season, his postseason performance showed he’s still better than most goalies in the NLL. The defense getting de Snoo alleviates most of the concerns I had about it being a bit slimmer depth-wise. They’ll get reinforcements back from injuries as the season goes on, but no Justin Martin will make for tougher sledding. Kinda. Chugger really threw a wrench in this piece I wrote three days ago...The Bandits will still finish in the top four of the regular season standings.
Predicted Finish:
4th place; NLL Semifinals.
Photo Credit: Calgary Roughnecks
Last season reg. season record and final result:
10-8, loss to the Halifax Thunderbirds in the NLL Quarterfinals
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 14.9/69.1/12.8 | 14.8/71.1/13.2
TruePP: 20.4/70.4/22.0 | 15.3/77.4/15.8
TrueFB: 19.7/79.5/17.1 | 19.0/77.9/16.2
TrueSH: 7.0/66.7/4.9 | 12.1/60.6/9.5
I refuse to bet against the Roughnecks, but it’s hard to do that considering how young and relatively unproven this team is. Gone are the top scorers and temporary starting netminder from last season. Tyler Pace and Riley Loewen are the elder statesmen on the team, with Pace the second oldest player on the team and top option out the front door. The future is now for the Roughnecks, as Head Coach Josh Sanderson will have to coach up his young squad in a competitive NLL.
One area of concern I don’t share with others is their goaltending. Aden Walsh was having a goaltender-of-the-year type season before being supplanted by Christian Del Bianco in Vancouver. The Calgary defense won’t be as stifling as Vancouver’s was in front of him, but Walsh proved he’s more than capable of being an above-average netminder. Newly minted captain Eli Salama will lead this young defense to surpass expectations in front of Walsh. It won’t be an easy season in Cow Town, but it won’t be as bad as what other teams in the NLL will experience.
Predicted Finish:
11th place; miss the postseason.
Photo Credit: Colorado Mammoth
Last season reg. season record and final result:
8-10, missed the playoffs
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 15.3/66.1/13.2 | 14.0/71.5/12.8
TruePP: 11.8/69.2/13.2 | 20.4/74.8/19.8
TrueFB: 16.6/79.0/14.4 | 19.4/80.0/16.0
TrueSH: 10.0/64.3/7.5 | 12.2/65.3/8.1
Training camp is the worst. Nobody’s showing their full hands, guys trying to prove they can crack a roster play against superstars that just need a tuneup — it’s borderline useless from the outside looking in, especially if you only watch exhibition games and don’t talk with any bench staff or media. I know all this and can’t help myself being quietly impressed by the Mammoth’s showings in November. Dillon Ward and the usual suspects on defense continue to be solid, with Dylan Hess being a pleasant surprise bodying grown men. A retooled offense has Andrew Kew looking like an MVP candidate opposite Ryan Lee.
One player I’m really interested in watching this season is Tim Edwards. He’s one of my favorites to watch, gritty as hell and an underrated defender. Matt Paolatto taking over face-off responsibilities should mean an even fresher Edwards now that he won’t have to take draws as much.
Predicted Finish:
8th place; NLL Quarterfinals.
Photo Credit: Kyle Hess/Georgia Swarm
Last season reg. season record and final result:
9-9, loss to the Saskatchewan Rush in the NLL Quarterfinals
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 13.8/68.6/12.3 | 16.2/70.8/13.8
TruePP: 15.8/75.2/15.7 | 16.9/66.1/18.9
TrueFB: 22.9/74.0/20.2 | 22.3/76.6/18.0
TrueSH: 17.8/73.3/12.7 | 5.2/71.4/4.2
The Andrew Kew-Connor Kelly trade might be the worst trade I’ve ever seen Swarm Owner and GM John Arlotta make. I wasn’t crazy about it at first blush, as I’m not sure how Kelly and Lyle Thompson would work together given they both need the ball in their stick, but Kelly on the Holdout List means we won’t figure that out for some time. Sure, that Colorado first-round pick in the 2026 NLL Entry Draft might balance the books for Georgia, but until then, this trade is so lopsided in the Mammoth’s favor that the balancing board is practically vertical.
The Swarm offense is two former MVPs, Bryan Cole, a hopefully healthy Zach Miller, and plenty of young guys that will have to take a few steps for the Swarm to be competitive. The defense in front of Brett Dobson, in need of a bounceback season, is young as hell — only two players are in their 30s. I’ve a lot of faith in the Swarm bench staff, as the systems they’ve had in place have been successful for years, particularly out the back door. Frankly, I’m a big fan of this defense — it’s athletic and filled with young talent that will be household names sooner than later. That said, it’s hard to look at this Swarm roster and pretend it’s better than it was last season.
Predicted Finish:
13th place; miss the postseason.
Photo Credit: Halifax Thunderbirds
Last season reg. season record and final result:
11-7, loss to the Saskatchewan Rush in the NLL Semifinals
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 13.5/70.8/12.0 | 14.7/69.0/12.3
TruePP: 18.1/73.4/18.2 | 17.4/71.1/16.8
TrueFB: 25.8/79.2/22.7 | 22.3/79.0/19.9
TrueSH: 19.1/66.2/12.3 | 14.5/70.9/10.7
The Thunderbirds are once again one of the best teams on paper. One issue they’ve had is a crowded forward group, meaning a shorter defensive bench that can result in bad results late in games. With Bo BowHunter going out the back door and Cole Kirst on the Holdout List, it means a more consistent forward group and longer D bench. I think that’ll pay dividends for a squad that finished 11-7 last season. I’m praying for a repeat of Ryan Terefenko’s midseason reign of transition terror, but only all season long.
The roster is primed to be successful again, but Halifax’s main issue in years past (aside from the aforementioned one) is their testy and inopportune temperament, especially in the postseason. It’ll be a fun season in the Maritimes, but until that attitude changes, I can’t see them finishing deeper in the playoffs.
Predicted Finish:
5th place; NLL Semifinals.
Photo Credit: Las Vegas Desert Dogs
Last season reg. season record and final result:
4-14, missed the playoffs
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 13.1/71.5/11.0 | 17.5/72.4/15.3
TruePP: 17.7/70..7/17.3 | 22.6/79.0/23.3
TrueFB: 16.5/72.8/13.9 | 20.3/73.6/16.7
TrueSH: 21.2/57.7/15.7 | 11.5/59.0/8.0
The “winners” of the offseason, GM and Head Coach Shawn Williams has a new bench and practically new team, particularly out the front door. Signing Mitch Jones, Chase Fraser, and Chris Cloutier in free agency is huge, undercut by Jack Hannah going to the Holdout List. I don’t think no Hannah is a terrible problem, as a Fraser-Hannah-Jon Donville right side is crowded (but fun), but it’s not good for the sport to lose arguably its most electric player for any stretch of time. The defense is better but needs to heel with forcing transition like in last season.
Las Vegas is inarguably much improved over last year except at the most important position, between the pipes. Unless Landon Kells grows significantly from his terrible 2024-25 or rookie Caleb Khan is somehow starter ready at the get go, it’s hard to bet on black.
I will bet on Adam Poitras having a TPotY campaign. He was so damn good last season, and I don’t think his efforts were appreciated enough.
Predicted Finish:
9th place; miss the postseason.
Photo Credit: Oshawa FireWolves
Last season reg. season record and final result (as Albany):
7-11, missed the playoffs
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 11.9/67.9/10.7 | 14.5/73.5/12.8
TruePP: 20.3/73.6/20.5 | 17.4/74.4/18.5
TrueFB: 20.4/80.3/16.5 | 18.4/74.1/16.3
TrueSH: 13.8/75.0/11.1 | 9.3/65.3/7.2
A slow start and injuries tanked the FireWolves last season in Albany. Going 5-4 in their last nine games, with a thrilling OT win against the Bandits in March the standout effort, reminded everyone what this team was in 2023-24 and could be moving forward. This is an athletic, smart, lunch-pail-carrying defense in front of Doug Jamieson that got the best defender available in free agency in Kyle Rubisch. The offense remains the same, as the only new name is Taggart Clark.
Consistency is key in the NLL, and while the FireWolves haven’t necessarily been that if you look solely at record the last three seasons, the roster and coaching staff have been. I think of last season as an aberration for them. With the lessons of 2024-25 under their belt and now in a new home, the FireWolves are poised not only for the postseason but a deep run.
A prediction for me? I’ll make at least one Kid(d) A joke this season that five people will understand and no one beyond me will find funny.
Predicted Finish:
3rd place; NLL Semifinals.
Photo Credit: Ottawa Black Bears
Last season reg. season record and final result:
8-10, missed the playoffs
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 13.6/70.1/11.4 | 13.9/72.1/11.5
TruePP: 18.9/75.5/18.3 | 11.7/67.3/12.5
TrueFB: 18.0/71.3/14.7 | 24.2/79.2/21.8
TrueSH: 7.6/62.1/4.9 | 13.4/67.2/10.0
Every season, the Riptide Black Bears look ready to take the next step and make the playoffs. Every season, that doesn’t happen, and it finally resulted in the ouster of General Manager Rich Lisk, Head Coach Dan Ladouceur, and Assistant Coach Jason Crosbie. Dan MacRae takes over the GM and HC helm (which I’m simultaneously not the craziest about and absolutely love). His offseason moves have been significant and worth getting excited about.
I can’t undersell how huge the acquisition of Rob Hellyer will be for balancing the floor opposite Jeff Teat and allowing Connor Kearnan to go back to not having to be the on-ball guy to be successful. Higgins is one of the best goalies in the league. But same with the Desert Dogs: until they show differently — and I think they will, but I need to see it happen first — I refuse to ignore this franchise’s history.
Predicted Finish:
10th place; miss the postseason.
Photo Credit: Philadelphia Wings
Last season reg. season record and final result:
7-11, missed the playoffs
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 16.9/71.7/14.7 | 13.2/69.4/12.0
TruePP: 20.8/71.7/19.8 | 19.9/76.6/20.4
TrueFB: 14.5/68.8/13.0 | 23.3/80.7/20.6
TrueSH: 15.6/68.9/10.4 | 14.9/67.2/10.0
The exodus of talent, de Snoo holdout, and lack of free agent success has me concerned about the Wings, and that’s before I remember the Tsai lifeline. Similar to the Roughnecks and Swarm, the defense is young, with just three active players over 30 (four if you count Evan Messenger, who starts the season on the PUP List). Getting Scott Dominey back at some point this season from injury will be a boost for the team, but it won’t be enough to fix the issues that have plagued this Wings defense for years. Nick Damude and Deacan Knott will be busy getting peppered with shots.
On the other end of the floor, Joe Resetarits will likely continue making history with another 100-point season. Brennan O’Neill is the de facto No.1 on the left side, with Eric Fannell currently the second best option. That’s a lot to expect from O’Neill in his second NLL season. I’m not saying he can’t be the guy, the talent’s definitely there, but that’s a lot of expectation for one player to meet.
Changes had to be made for the Wings after three seasons of missing the playoffs. There wasn’t any way for the team to immediately reverse its fortunes in an offseason, meaning it’ll be a long season in the City of Brotherly Love.
Predicted Finish:
14th place; miss the postseason.
Photo Credit: Rochester Knighthawks
Last season reg. season record and final result:
10-8, loss to the Vancouver Warriors in the NLL Quarterfinals
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 14.4/69.8/13.2 | 13.9/68.4/12.5
TruePP: 17.2/71.3/19.3 | 18.5/69.8/20.4
TrueFB: 20.3/77.8/18.7 | 19.2/74.8/16.9
TrueSH: 7.7/70.5/6.3 | 9.4/68.8/7.1
Prefacing this with I’m a big fan of Zed Williams’ game — I’m not sure how he’ll mesh with this offense off the hop, especially coming off an Achilles injury that ended his 2024-25 season. Even if his recovery is way ahead of schedule, it’s difficult to see how he immediately fits into an offense that’s so crowded. That lack of imagination is why I’m not on a bench, but I have enough scraps of creativity to know Ryan Lanchbury is going to finish with 80-plus assists again. Williams’ inclusion is me picking pepper out of fly shit — this offense is stupid good, featuring the reigning MVP in Connor Fields and plenty of talent that would be No.1 guys on any other team.
Rylan Hartley needs to perform better than he did last season and stay healthy; if he’s unable to do either, Riley Hutchcraft has demonstrated he’s more than ready for the starting netminder role. I vacillate between really liking this defense and not being that crazy about it. It’s older and coming off a statistically meh season, but the individual talent on it is certainly undeniable. Ryland Rees will be a dark horse for Defender of the Year, and Jake Piseno will be worth the price of admission on his own.
Predicted Finish:
6th place; NLL Quarterfinals.
Photo Credit: San Diego Seals
Last season reg. season record and final result:
9-9, loss to the Buffalo Bandits in the NLL Quarterfinals
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 14.7/69.3/13.2 | 15.1/71.8/12.4
TruePP: 17.1/71.2/19.3 | 20.6/73.4/20.3
TrueFB: 21.3/80.6/17.7 | 21.4/79.6/19.0
TrueSH: 5.9/61.2/5.1 | 12.5/72.9/8.0
Some things are bigger than sports. The San Diego Seals appear closer to dressing Austin Staats after the NLL removed him from his indefinite suspension for his alleged crimes (he is currently on the Protected Player List), abdicating responsibility and putting the optics of potentially bringing Staats back on the Seals organization. The precedent set by suspending Tyson Bell for seven games last season for his off-floor altercation with a fan is rearing its head. There is no need to reinstate Staats until after his day in court. If he’s found guilty, no NLL team should ever play him.
As far as the product goes, it’s definitely different from its 2024-25 iteration. The left side isn’t filled with as many question marks as it was last season; I’m hopeful Connor Robinson in a new home gives him another shot in the arm and Corey Small gets closer to his second-half production of last season. I’m not as high on this defense given the names lost in free agency and retirement and with Danny Logan injured to start the season. It was an underrated crew last season that suppressed shots at an outstanding rate. But the front door being more balanced means Zach Currier and Trent DiCicco don’t have to stay and play near as much, letting them focus more on the defensive side of things. If Chris Origlieri has another shaky season, then it’s hard to see how the Seals crack the top 8. Having the best player in the world in Currier can only account for so much.
Predicted Finish:
12th place; miss the postseason.
Photo Credit: Saskatchewan Rush
Last season reg. season record and final result:
13-5, loss to the Buffalo Bandits in the NLL Finals
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 14.1/69.7/12.1 | 12.9/66.6/10.1
TruePP: 16.0/66.3/17.1 | 16.2/74.6/16.5
TrueFB: 19.6/77.4/17.5 | 21.0/75.4/17.6
TrueSH: 14.3/66.7/10.0 | 17.4/71.0/11.0
Did you like what you saw last year from Saskatchewan? Then good news! It’s the same team sans Mike Triolo. Levi Verch and Julien Belair are the only new names on the Active Roster, as Josh Zawada gets the promotion from Practice Roster to Active. Matt Hossack and Jake Naso starting on the Holdout and Injured Reserve lists, respectively, should be a blip the Rush can weather, replacing the new names when ready.
The Rush brought back an entire team that pushed the Bandits to Game 3 of the NLL Finals. This team’s a monster. Rinse and repeat.
Predicted Finish:
1st place; NLL Cup winner.
Photo Credit: Toronto Rock
Last season reg. season record and final result:
6-12, missed the playoffs
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 11.5/69.1/10.1 | 14.2/70.3/11.9
TruePP: 20.5/69.6/21.0 | 15.5/63.0/15.8
TrueFB: 21.1/74.1/17.6 | 18.8/78.2/16.7
TrueSH: 7.5/63.8/5.6 | 16.4/63.9/10.3
Owen Hiltz will win Rookie of the Year. Nick Rose should win Goaltender of the Year but won’t (again). Latrell Harris will win Transition Player or Defender of the Year depending on how we define transition players at the end of the season, a mercurial designation. Their righty forward depth would concern me more if Challen Rogers, Latrell Harris, and Sam English weren’t capable and willing of playing O shifts after a D shift.
Hopefully the theme of caution remains apparent. I like what the Rock have and can see them finishing first this season. But until we see them play real games, not dominate exhibition contests, I’m hesitant to crown them kings. They’ll still make the playoffs.
Predicted Finish:
7th place; NLL Quarterfinals.
Photo Credit: Vancouver Warriors
Last season reg. season record and final result:
11-7, loss to the Buffalo Bandits in the NLL Semifinals
2024-25 Reg. Season True O&D Slash Lines:
TrueES: 13.8/70.9/11.0 | 11.5/64.7/9.9
TruePP: 15.7/63.8/17.6 | 17.1/67.8/18.6
TrueFB: 23.1/79.9/19.8 | 14.7/71.2/12.4
TrueSH: 17.7/67.7/11.7 | 13.8/67.2/9.4
Saskatchewan and Vancouver have the two best and most complete teams on paper. Bringing in Curtis Dickson, Jesse King, Shane Simpson, and Reece Callies will put the Warriors over the top and get them to the Finals. It’s the best defense in the league with an offense that’s way more balanced and lethal benefiting from a full season of Christian Del Bianco. I’m betting the under because I’m a wimp, but if this team was the one hoisting the NLL Cup at the end of the season, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
Predicted Finish:
2nd place; NLL Finals runner-up.