5. Albany FireWolves (0-1)
Power Rating: 0.1005
Current Win Total Projection: 9.4
Projected Final Point Differential: +19.4
Projected Finish in Standings: 6th
Preseason Ranking: 4th
The Albany FireWolves drop in the power rankings is minimal and their overtime loss to Saskatchewan shouldn’t dissuade anyone of this team’s championship potential. Albany is firmly a Top 5 team in the NLL and the margin between them and the teams above them is much thinner than those below them in the power rankings. An 0-2 start after this weekend is possible given their schedule, but that should only be viewed as an opportunity for bettors to buy some stock in a team that has the roster to make another deep run.
6. Colorado Mammoth (1-0)
Power Rating: -0.0016
Current Win Total Projection: 9.84
Projected Final Point Differential: -0.2
Projected Finish in Standings: 4th
Preseason Ranking: 8th
While the Colorado Mammoth’s win over Vancouver was impressive given their second-half comeback, it didn’t have too large of an impact on their spot in the rankings. Their place on this list is still very much predicated on their offense’s potential with Ryan Lee and Will Malcolm both on the active roster and the expectation that Dillon Ward will have a season closer to 2021-22 and 2022-23 than last year. I believe Ward will bounce back, so I used his 2022-23 adjusted goals against average when calculating Colorado’s rating and that appears to be the right decision so far given his 88.3% save percentage and seven goals against in their season opener.
7. Georgia Swarm (0-0)
Power Rating: -0.0183
Current Win Total Projection: 8.71
Projected Final Point Differential: -3.5
Projected Finish in Standings: 9th
Preseason Ranking: 7th
Georgia stays at 7th in our power rankings after enjoying a bye during NLL Week 1. Brett Dobson’s presence in net makes Georgia one of the teams with the highest ceiling and the addition of Joey Cupido to a roster largely the same as last season should help Georgia make a deeper playoff run in 2025. While their schedule could give them some trouble early on, Georgia is a team that can hang with nearly every team they’ll face and could have some value as both a game-by-game underdog and dark horse championship pick.
8. Ottawa Black Bears (1-0)
Power Rating: -0.0216
Current Win Total Projection: 9.36
Projected Final Point Differential: -4.1
Projected Finish in Standings: 7th
Preseason Ranking: 11th
The Ottawa Black Bears were a team I had lower-than-average expectations for entering the season, but that may change rather quickly. Zach Higgins put on an elite performance against a Toronto team he had struggled against in the past. Higgins could be the missing piece for a team that has been very close to making the playoffs. Ottawa’s offense performed well against a very good Toronto defense and the Black Bears defense provided Higgins with the type of support he rarely got in Philadelphia. While we’re not going to overreact to just one game, Ottawa has the potential to move up the power rankings very quickly if they play like they did in Week 1.
9. Philadelphia Wings (0-1)
Power Rating: -0.0341
Current Win Total Projection: 8.43
Projected Final Point Differential: -6.5
Projected Finish in Standings: 10th
Preseason Ranking: 12th
The Philadelphia Wings’ loss to San Diego was an admirable one, even if it played out in an all-too-familiar way. Philadelphia got off to a big early lead and their offense was able to go toe-to-toe with the top team in our power rankings, even if they fell short of a win. That said, Philadelphia’s defense looked just as bad as it did last season and doesn’t instill much confidence even with its new additions from Panther City. Will Nick Damude be able to keep Philly in games in the same way Higgins did for several seasons? The answer to that is to be determined, but at least the Wings know their offense can still hang with the top teams and should at least keep them near that playoff bubble this year.
