Philadelphia Wings

2018 record: N/A

Coach: Paul Day (first season)

Key returners: N/A

Key additions: Chris Cloutier, F; Brett Hickey, F, Kiel Matisz, F

Key losses: N/A

Outlook

The National Lacrosse League is back in Philadelphia. It never should have left, and it is quite poetic that the Wings 3.0 start their flight against arch rival Buffalo.

Paul Day, who previously went through this expansion process with the Edmonton Rush, did well to create an offense that fits in with the established teams from day one, rolling out Chris Cloutier, Brett Hickey, Kiel Matisz, Josh Currier and Jordan Hall.

Of course, when you’re put under tight expansion constraints, there are bound to be weaknesses in depth. Philadelphia’s defense will need players to step into bigger roles than they were used to in 2018. That will likely hold the Wings back from being contenders right away, but the foundation is absolutely there.

Storylines to watch

1. Will the fire be back in Philadelphia?

The Wings were one of the pillars of the NLL in their previous form, featuring stars like Dallas Eliuk, Tom Marechek, the Gaits and Jake Bergey, and one of the best fanbases in the league. However, interest waned in the final decade as the Wings turned to a more American-centric roster and suffered in the standings.

Comcast Spectacor has pushed a lot of right buttons with this expansion franchise, starting off by bringing back the Wings name. Now the question is, will the fans come back too?

2. Can Chris Cloutier win the rookie scoring race?

San Diego’s Austin Staats was thought of as the unanimous top pick in this year’s draft, but the No. 2 selection is no slouch. Cloutier, the future face of the franchise, is a sharp-shooter with size who seems very capable of sliding right into the lineup. He has three years on Staats and the advantage of having played higher competition at a more consistent level, spending his college career at North Carolina, playing indoor in Major Series Lacrosse full-time and compiling an MLL Rookie of the Year season this summer.

3. Will the Wings go back to the American experiment?

Philadelphia drafted a handful of American players with minimal to no box lacrosse experience, including Trevor Baptiste, Justin Guterding, James Leary, Christian Cuccinello, Connor Keating and Michael Rexrode. Baptiste, taken surprisingly with the first pick of the second round, is the most storied indoor vet of the bunch after having played just one full summer and a playoff in the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League.

Baptiste was the only one in that group that made the final roster, but the Wings do have an additional pair learning the indoor game in Matt Rambo and Liam Byrnes. Rambo, a Philadelphia native, has been one of the more marketed players by the franchise.

Player to watch

Vaughn Harris

He seems like a perfect fit for an expansion franchise due to his flexibility. Last year he played out both the front and back door and took faceoffs for the Buffalo Bandits. Don’t be surprised if you see him all over the field.

MVP Candidate

Brett Hickey

He was left exposed during the expansion draft only two years removed from a 45-goal season.

Verdict

The East is tight and competitive. All five of the Wings’ competitors were in playoff contention going into the final week of the season, so jumping any of them in the standings would be an impressive feat.