Buffalo Bandits: NLL draft highlights aim to return to glory years

The Buffalo Bandits selected Josh Byrne with the first pick of this year’s NLL draft, to put an exclamation mark on what has been an exciting offseason for the franchise.

The 1990s are often referred to fondly in Western New York as a high point in Buffalo sporting history, with the Bills’ four consecutive Super Bowl appearances and the Sabres’ second visit to the Stanley Cup final. However, their success was secondary to the Buffalo Bandits, who started playing in 1992.

Right out of the gate, the Bandits won the Champion’s Cup in their inaugural season. By the end of the 1990s, they had won the top prize three times (in five finals appearances) and went on to add a fourth title in 2008.

As such, the 2017 campaign was a tough one for fans to deal with, especially just one year after their ninth appearance in the Champion’s Cup. The Bandits set a franchise season record with 12 losses and finished at the bottom of the NLL standings.

However, the great thing about this franchise, is you can never keep them down for long. The offseason has been an intriguing one for the Buffalo Bandits, who have undertaken a major rebuild with the aim of once more returning to glory.

One of the highlights of this rebuild took place on Monday night, with the 2017 NLL draft. Taking place at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, Ontario, the Bandits found themselves with the first overall pick.

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There was some conversation about who Buffalo would select, but in the end they went with the smart choice of Josh Byrne. As reported by WGR 550’s David Buchanan, Byrne was considered the top prospect in the draft by the majority of experts.

The British Columbia native is coming off a special season with the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He set a Major Lacrosse League record with 39 goals as a rookie and was unsurprisingly named 2017 MLL Rookie of the Year.

Standing at 6 foot 3 and 200 pounds, Byrne is an imposing figure, who has the potential to become one of the elite forwards in the NLL. As noted by Bandits.com, he also already has experience as a leader, after being named captain for the Hofstra Pride and going on to lead the team in total points during 2017.

Buffalo Bandits General Manager Steve Dietrich admitted he actually had two sheets of paper ready to hand in, for the first pick in this year’s draft. The other sheet apparently had the name of Zach Currier on it.

However, when push came to shove, Diertrich knew he had to go with Bryne. Speaking to Jack Goods of The Buffalo News, he said:

"“The toughest thing to find in the sport right now is offensive lefties. To get one that is big, athletic, a goal scorer, young, it was too hard to pass up.”"

As for the player himself, the 23-year-old is happy to be with the Bandits. As reported by Goods, Byrne said:

"“I’m very happy with the Bandits. They definitely have a great foundation. … Now that it’s all set and done, it takes a lot off me.”"

As reported by Bandits.com, the team selected eight players in total at Monday’s draft including Chase Fraser, who also hails from British Columbia. Fraser played forward for Neumann University, scoring 79 points in 14 games.

Overall, Bandits fans have every right to be excited about the 2018 season and not just because of Byrne. As noted by Goods, the team also has former NLL MVP Dhane Smith, as well as three other players with 30-goal seasons on their resume.

As with any professional sport, there are no guarantees the Buffalo Bandits will rebound from a disappointing 2017 campaign. Regardless, we fully expect them to at least return to the playoffs, at which point, anything can happen.

Next: Toronto Rock 2017 draft preview

What did you make of the Buffalo Bandits’ draft this year and their offseason rebuild in general? Further, what kind of success are you predicting for them in 2018? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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