In the past few weeks, the Philadelphia Wings began their busy offseason by making a handful of roster moves. There was a bevy of transactions made from trades to free-agent signings. The brightest addition, Ben McIntosh, came as a result of trading Josh Currier. Headlining the contract extensions of current Wings players was Liam Byrnes. This week, a few more transactions were sealed for Philadelphia next season. Wings’ GM, Paul Day, has sought out powerhouse players with playoff experience and is running down his checklist. Here’s a complete recap of the offseason transactions so far.
New Acquisitions
Ben McIntosh – Forward
Ben McIntosh is arguably one of the biggest acquisitions of the offseason and he definitely didn’t come cheap. McIntosh entered the NLL in 2015 and has been a powerhouse ever since. Registering a total 394 points (212 G, 182 A) in just 99 games played makes Ben the perfect addition to bolster the Wings’ title hungry offense. McIntosh has had a post-season berth in each of his NLL seasons where he has registered 61 points (34 G, 27 A) in 17 playoff games.
Corey Small – Forward
Corey Small is yet another weapon in Paul Day’s arsenal as he is a seasoned NLL veteran also with avid playoff experience under his belt. The left-handed shooter is coming from his most recent stint in Buffalo looking to finally lift the NLL Cup. He has 671 points (283 G, 388 A) over his 10 year (161 games) NLL career. He’s a passer that will compliment players like Kevin Crowley and Ben McIntosh well.
Dylan Maltz – Forward
Another one-year signing, Dylan Maltz, is on his way to the Philadelphia Wings. He’s played previously in the MLL and the PLL. In 2018, Maltz played in eight games with the Charlotte Hounds, scoring eighteen goals and collecting two assists. He’s a high percentage shooter, which will help the Wings after the departure of Josh Currier. Maltz is a signing that may bulk Philadelphia’s offense.
Brock Sorenson – Defense
Switching gears to the defense, the Wings were able to acquire Brock Sorenson from Buffalo who also came with a heavy price tag. However, like McIntosh, Sorenson is worth the price in a win-now mentality. Sorenson has 84 caused turnovers in 101 games played, but also 424 loose balls. At 6’6″ and 220lbs, he’s a big body that won’t allow many shots on goal.
Alex Crepinsek – Defense
If talent and playoff experience are the goal, Alex Crepinsek is an excellent signing as he checks both boxes. Crepinsek spent most of his career playing alongside the Thompson brothers with the Georgia Swarm and registered four out of five playoff appearances with them. In a career total 133 games, Crepinsek registered 573 loose balls and 107 caused turnovers.
Angus Goodleaf – Goaltender
The addition of a goaltender, such as Angus Goodleaf, provides quality in a backup role. He’s 6’2″ and 274lbs, leveraging size in front of the net. Goodleaf is a left-handed goaltender, just like the Philadelphia Wings starter, Zach Higgins. His contract is a one-year deal.
Trade Pieces
As previously mentioned, a few new acquisitions came with a hefty price tag. The Wings were putting picks and players on every Septa leaving Philadelphia to load up for next season. The players you will not see suiting up at Wells Fargo Center next season include Josh Currier, Justin Guterding, Liam Patten, Nick Finlay, and Kevin Buchanan. In addition to those players, the Wings have traded away two first round picks (2020, 2021) and a conditional second round pick. However, Ben McIntosh did come packaged with two 2020 second round picks and a 2023 second round pick; in the Nick Finlay trade, Philadelphia will receive 2021 fourth round pick from the New York Riptide.
Extensions
The Wings have extended multiple players in addition to Blaze Riorden and Isaiah Davis-Allen including players such as Alex Pace, Liam Byrnes, Matt Marinier, Kyle Marr, and Daryl Waud.
There is a lot of offseason left to cover and with the upcoming virtual 2020 NLL Draft, check back for more coverage at Philly Sports Network.
