Photo Credit: Canisius Athletics

The 2025 NLL Draft has come and gone, and we are going to dive into a few different topics on what happened this past Saturday afternoon with our NLL Draft reactions!

Let’s start with the headlines. CJ Kirst became the fifth player in history to be drafted first overall in both the field professional league (PLL/MLL) and the NLL. He was the second player in a row to accomplish that feat after Brennan O’Neill, which also made him the second American in a row to be selected first overall.

Lost in all the excitement over the pick is a larger discussion about how the growth of the box game, and the growth of box concepts in the field game, has brought Canadian and American players closer together in recent years. Maybe these two American stars were an anomaly, but don’t count on it.

By now, you have likely seen the draft results from the NLL. In case you missed it, check out the full results here.

But today let’s dig a bit deeper and check in on some more interesting headlines from the day, including the best player, best pick, best draft class, and biggest surprise of the 2025 draft.

Let’s get right into our 2025 NLL Draft Reactions.

Best Player: CJ Kirst

I’m sure this question is a no-brainer.

Kirst was the best player drafted.

With the size, speed, and elite lacrosse IQ he possesses, there was no question why Jamie Dawick and Co. drafted him number one overall. 

As we’ve mentioned previously, with the Rock’s left side getting older in Mark Matthews, Corey Small, and Dan Craig, to slot a young 22-year-old into a veteran lineup where he’ll have a huge immediate impact is an automatic need for a team. The Rock will be set with their offence for years to come. 

To make it even better, Kirst is one of the most marketable players maybe in the history of the sport, given his incredible college success, remarkable history of resilience, his family connections within the NLL… and him signing with the biggest sports brand in the history of the world.

The Rock got the best player in the draft and a franchise cornerstone for their marketing team to get behind. That’s a good day at the office.

Best Draft: Halifax

This question will undoubtedly cause some controversy, but I think the best draft belonged to the Halifax Thunderbirds.

Now obviously this is all relative. The Rock had the first three picks and should expect to get three elite talents from those slots. But this section is about who got the best value from their picks.

With the six draft picks they had, the Thunderbirds selected two talented and skilled forwards in Alex Marinier and Will MacLeod, who won the 2023 Minto Cup together, a big and athletic defender in Ethan Lee, and a skilled transition player in Levi Touhey. Jack Charboneau and Payton Tasse are two players who were selected in the late rounds of the draft but have high ceilings as well.

Both Marinier and MacLeod could have gone higher, and indeed I predicted that they would have. But they both offer a glimpse into the future for a Halifax team that is getting older on the offensive gate. Marinier will return to Ohio State for another season and MacLeod will have to develop behind the likes of Cody Jamieson, Dawson Theede, Jason Knox, Mike Robinson and Wake:Riat Bowhunter.

Of course, the moves on Saturday could foreshadow some upcoming transactions for the Thunderbirds. Might one of those aforementioned players be on their way out the door to make way for MacLeod? We will have to wait and see.

But the talent was too high and the value was too solid not to mention them here.

The coaching staff of Mike Accursi, Andrew Suitor, Steve Monture, and Roger Chrysler is capable of taking players who have a winning pedigree and harnessing their backgrounds into becoming elite NLL players. They have a few more chances to do so here.

Biggest Sleeper(s): Jaxon Fridge and Seth Martineau

I love this question for so many different reasons. Do you want a scorer? Do you want a less flashy defender who will be a mainstay? There are so many different factors that go into answering this question. 

For me, there are two big sleepers in this year’s draft: Jaxon Fridge and Seth Martineau. 

Let’s start with Fridge. This was a player that we had going 13th overall in the draft, but fell to the Oshawa Firewolves in the third round at 36th overall. With his high lacrosse IQ, ability to cause turnovers and scoop up loose balls, Fridge can shut down a team’s offence and can do the dirty work. He’s also a lefty defender, which every team is looking for to balance out their hands.

For Martineau, most people didn’t really know much about him, but they should remember the name. This player will be a hot commodity for good reason.

Defenders of his size and stature doesn’t come around often. With a 6’6”, 230-pound build who’s capable of playing physical, showcasing his speed in transition, and is capable of playing on the penalty kill, I think he will be a solid NLL defender for a long time.

Another factor in Martineau’s game is being coached by Reilly O’Connor, Damon Edwards, Luc Magnan, and Mike McKay with the Toronto Beaches. What O’Connor and his coaching staff have been able to do since coming out of COVID in 2022 has been remarkable for not only that organization, but for players who have aspirations of playing in the NLL. Martineau will already be capable of understanding professional coaching and NLL schemes, and should compete for time on a tough Rochester defence.

Biggest Surprise: Chris Kavanagh

It’s hard to say which player is the biggest surprise for different reasons. Some players drafted haven’t played box lacrosse in a while. Some haven’t played ever. Some players are still in the NCAA and won’t play until 2026-27 at the earliest, so it can be hard to gauge who the ‘surprise’ player drafted is. 

And most of all, I wish nothing but good luck and a long career to each and every player.

But after examining the players and what teams need right now and for the future, I think the biggest surprise might be Chris Kavanagh. 

With the San Diego Seals signing one of his older brothers, Pat, last year, midway through the season, it makes sense to bring both Kavanagh brothers to the Seals. 

Both Kavanagh brothers are playing in the PLL this season, and they just faced off against each other in the semi-finals, with Pat emerging victorious over Chris to make it to the PLL finals, so we know what both of them are capable of in the field game.

But for Chris, who posted 23 goals and 37 points along with a 3.7 points-per-game stat line in the PLL, he has very little box experience, and at 25th overall, it will be interesting to see if Pat Merrill and Co. made a good call in taking the Notre Dame alumnus that high. Both he and Pat are newcomers to the box game, can their chemistry overcome the learning curve?

It would be unwise to bet against them, but it will be a fascinating one to watch.

Thanks for reading NLL Draft reactions, and stay tuned for more NLL coverage very soon.

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