When your general manager calls you on a Monday afternoon, you know you’re probably not about to hear good news. Ryan Benesch has been in the National Lacrosse League long enough to know that much.

So, when he saw Bob Hamley’s name appear on his phone in early January, he had an inkling something was up.

Benesch was three games into his stint with Panther City Lacrosse Club, the NLL’s newest expansion franchise, serving as a veteran presence as the group laid groundwork for future success.

When he answered Hamley’s call, his perspective changed. He was heading to a contender.

Panther City had traded him to the Albany FireWolves, a transaction that has proven to be one of the more impactful moves in the league this season. Since the trade, Benesch has notched 57 points in 12 games for Albany. He currently ranks second on the team in points, on pace for his best year since 2018.

“Getting traded, it definitely isn’t something that you want,” Benesch said. “But to get traded to a team like Albany with the guys that we have in the locker room and the coaching staff, it was a great fit from Day 1. I’m glad that it happened.”

Perhaps Benesch’s history of being on the move helped in that quick adjustment. He isn’t exactly foreign to the idea of switching teams.

When the FireWolves traded for Benesch, they became the eighth franchise the veteran has suited up for in his 15-year NLL career. He’s played in five cities in the last three seasons alone — Denver, Rochester, Halifax, Fort Worth and Albany.

He’s found a niche in every stop, putting him among the top point producers in the history of the league.

“I’ve been asked that question, ‘How come he keeps getting moved?’” FireWolves coach Glenn Clark said. “Some people flip to the negative, and I kind of flip to the positive. Well, it’s because, consistently, teams want him. That’s the reality. He’s consistently somebody teams go out to acquire. … There’s always somebody that wants him in their group.”

That flexibility made Benesch intriguing to Clark when the FireWolves were looking to add some offensive punch, as did Clark’s personal history with him. Clark coached Benesch in the first two seasons of his professional career with the Toronto Rock.

While plenty has happened in the interim, Clark had a good grasp on his personality and the impact he’d have in the locker room. There were no concerns about unsetting chemistry.

After an 0-2 start, with the FireWolves failing to reach double-digit goals in either outing, Albany needed his on-floor impact, too. The squad sent Johnny Pearson and two picks to Panther City to acquire him on January 3.

“We were really sputtering there, offensively,” Clark said. “He just makes us better offensively. He can create his own shot, he can obviously get his own looks, but he’s been helping balance our offense and giving us a little bit more depth and danger across the board.”

In his 12 games in Albany, Benesch has reached eight points and seven points twice each. During a four-game stretch in February, he totaled at least five points in every outing.

Clark said he’s also helped unlock Joe Resetarits, who has taken on an alpha role following the departure of Callum Crawford. Resetarits sits tied with Buffalo’s Dhane Smith for the league lead in points with 82.

Now on a veteran team, Benesch slid into a more familiar headspace.

“It is kind of night and day, actually,” Benesch said of his roles with Panther City and Albany. “When I was there, I was a leader. I was the assistant captain, somebody that was looked upon for motivation and support. Not to say that I don’t have that same role in Albany, but it’s just a little different because we have such great leaders already. I kind of take a back seat and be more myself, just be that goofy, nonchalant guy in the locker room.

“Most teams, most coaches, would tell you they hate guys like that. But Glenn Clark, Clem D’Orazio and Daryl Gibson, they’ve definitely kind of turned a blind eye to it and they’re letting me be who I am. That translates to better play on the floor, in my opinion.”

There have been ups and downs as new faces on the offense have gelled together, but Albany has shown an ability to hang with the top teams. That’s especially been the case of late.

The squad knocked off West leader San Diego on February 26, then fell by one goal each to East favorites Buffalo and Halifax. But a disappointing defeat last weekend against Georgia, one of its main competitors in the standings, has Albany sweating as the regular season nears its end.

Albany is 6-8 and one game up in the win column on Panther City for the final playoff spot, a “wild card” which goes to the best team remaining outside the top four of the East Division and top three of the West.

Helping the team’s cause is its remaining schedule. There’s only one game left against a team currently in playoff position, and that’s a Vancouver Warriors group that has lost four straight.

At this point of his career, Benesch is happy he can maintain championship aspirations. That was far from a certainty when he opened the year on an expansion club.

“It was great to put my name on Panther City’s start as a franchise, but when you get traded to a team that’s in the mix for a Champions Cup, it makes you want to play a little bit harder,” Benesch said. “Especially at my age, when I’m 37 years old, who knows how many years left I’ve got?”