Thursday, January 29, 2015

Kodiaks and Excelsiors pull off MSL trade just two days after draft

The KW Kodiaks and Brampton Excelsiors swung a deal a couple of days after the 2015 Major Series Lacrosse draft that returns a trio of players to their home centres and gives the Kodiaks a talented lefty forward who was the highest-selected non-Brampton player in the draft.

KW receives Michael MacDonald, the player Brampton took third overall. He put up plenty of points playing Jr B with the Halton Hills Bulldogs and Jr A with the Whitby Warriors. MacDonald's dangerous outside shot helped him put up 30 goals and 39 assists for Halton Hills in 2013 and he scored 57 points in 18 playoff games for the Warriors that year. He should help boost the production of the Kodiaks' offence.

The Kodiaks also receive local product Jay Lindsay, who scored 38 points in 36 career games with the Jr A KW Braves.

Brampton gets the players that KW selected 9th and 12th overall from the Jr A Excelsiors. Connor Campbell, the 9th pick, is a steady defender who suited up in 58 regular season and playoff games for Brampton over the last two years.

Jayson Crawford, taken 12th, is an athletic transition player who spent his junior career with Halton Hills but also played last summer for the Jr A Excelsiors, posting 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points in 19 games. He was also drafted by the New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League and is currently playing for the Barrie Blizzard in CLax.

Brampton also receives KW's second-round pick in the 2016 MSL draft.