Phil Shore, our resident Major League Lacrosse writer, previews all nine MLL teams, in reverse order of projected finish, leading up to opening day Saturday.

Check uslaxmagazine.com/mll before and throughout the season for more analysis and stories from the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league.

Denver Outlaws

Projected finish: 1st
2016 record: 8-6
MLL playoff finish: Won championship
Coach: B.J. O'Hara, 4th season

Power Rankings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense: 4
Defense: 2
Faceoffs: 3
Goalie: 4

Key losses: Chris Bocklet, A; Max Schmidt, D; Michael Skudin, D

Top returners: Eric Law, A; Jeremy Sieverts, M; Drew Snider, M 

New arrivals: Brent Adams, M; Pat Laconi, M; Tripp Telesco, D

MVP Watch

Drew Snider, M

For each of the past three years, Snider has increased his point totals. He scored 33 goals and added 11 assists while also scoring a career-high three two-point goals to finish with 47 points. He finished fourth in MVP voting with two first-place votes and two-second place votes.

Under-the-Radar Star

Michael Bocklet, A

The eldest Bocklet brother came out of nowhere in 2015, putting up 48 points in his first MLL season. In 2016, he proved it was no fluke. He scored 29 goals and tallied 15 assists for 44 points. In the playoffs, he had six goals and four assists, including a four-goal, four-assist effort in the semi-finals against the Lizards. 

Scouting Report

Three things you need to know about the Outlaws:

1. They have championship leadership.

The Outlaws have won two of the past three league championships and there is a core of players that have been a part of both, including Matt Bocklet, Jeremy Sieverts, Drew Snider and Eric Law. O’Hara said having players of their caliber, both on the field and in the locker room, can help the team during adversity, which Denver faced a lot of in 2016. “Every year is a new story line and puzzle to put together, but the guys we had in our locker room, many are back,” O’Hara said. “They’re awfully resilient. Even when things were tough and we were struggling, they held together. They really respected each other. … (Sieverts and Snider) are two captains with Matt Bocklet. Any team would be glad to have anyone of those three, and we’re fortunate they have Outlaws uniforms.”

2. They are thin defensively.

After the retirements of Max Schmidt and Michael Skudin, the Outlaws will be left scrambling for depth on defense. The team used six of its supplemental draft picks on defenders in an effort to shore up that area of the field. The team returns only three defenders from last year, but O’Hara is optimistic, especially considering who those three are. “Mike Simon, our LSM, is one of the top defensive midfielders in the league,” he said. “He’s been in the league six years now. He’s a veteran. Matt Bocklet has been in for over ten. He’s a great leader and veteran. B.J. Grill was a rookie and he was great.”

3. Brent Adams adds to a dynamic defense.

The Outlaws landed Adams from Boston through the player movement policy. His statistics improved every year, including 2016 when he accumulated career-highs in goals (20), assists (nine) and points (30). He’ll join a midfielder with Snider (47 points), Sieverts (39) and Wes Berg (22). There will be plenty of mismatches on the field with those four together. “He’s a midfielder that can play both ends of the field,” O’Hara said of Adams. “He’s evolving into an outstanding offensive player. His game has evolved, and he’s been a great scorer.” 

Biggest Question Mark

Can they repeat?

As evidenced by the 2016 season, Major League Lacrosse is the king of parity. The margin between a championship-winning team and a non-playoff team is so thin because the league is so small. In the 16 MLL seasons, only two teams repeated as champions (not including the Toronto Nationals, who won in 2009 after moving from the original incarnation of the Rochester Rattlers): Philadelphia Barrage (2006-2007) and Chesapeake Bayhawks (2012-2013). 

Enemy Lines

What the opposition has to say about Denver:

“They’re the champs. They’re the team to beat. Their defense made plays when they needed to. They’ll get healthier. They could be better than they were last year, that’s for sure. … They have two, three great middies with Snider and Sieverts. You have Wes Berg who’s a third guy but has 20 something points. That’s a great one-two punch. … They’re going to be very dangerous. … You look at B.J. O’Hara’s success in the league going back to Rochester. I love to coach against guys like that because you have to be on your game.”

Number of Significance

8

Including the 2016 MLL playoffs, the Outlaws enter the 2017 season with an eight-game winning streak. Their six-game winning streak to end the season was the longest in the league. They also tied for the longest home-winning streak, with four games. Going back to the 2007 season, no champion has entered the new season with a longer winning streak.

Bottom Line

The defending champions will need to start the season better than they did in 2016, and the defense has a lot to prove, but they’re backed by a versatile and unselfish offense – Denver finished second in the league with 115 total assists. Last year’s turn-around coincided with the arrival of Jack Kelly between the pipes, so he should be able to cover up any holes while the defense finds its footing. The team has missed the playoffs only once in the franchise’s history, so it’s hard to bet against them.