Each year, the PLL releases its top 50 players from the season. This is all well and good, with many players getting the respect they deserve. However, each year, a few players should be much lower or much higher on the list.
This year, there was an egregious amount of poor choices in the top 10 and where they stand. Some of the players deserve their spots, while others should not even reach No. 15. I will be using this platform to tweak the top 10 to my own personal preference.
The Good
A substantial amount of players deserve their place in the Top 10, and I have some positives to bring into the picture. Honestly, the top 5 is perfect and I would not have it any other way. The issue lies at ranks 6 through 10, where some are misplaced and others are out of the picture.
Michael Ehrhardt at No. 5 really shows his incredible value to the defense, especially as an LSM. He was ranked No. 9 last year, but the fact that a position that spends half the time off the field is in the top 5 proves that he earned his spot. After him at No. 5, things get a bit rocky.
The Bad
There are many players in the top 10 that deserve their spots, and every one of them deserves consideration. However, the issue is not that those players are not incredible, but there are other stars that deserve to fight for these spots.
Zach Currier is the first player that needs to be addressed. Watching the guy play was fun, and he did his job well at midfield. However, he was 27th in points, had 17 turnovers, and went 3-31 on faceoffs. He is a great player without a doubt, but there are a few players at his position and even on his team that needs to be further up.
One of those teammates that need more respect is Kieran McArdle. It is beyond me that a player who was second in points and led his team to a championship is outside of the top 10. The top assist player in the PLL was placed at 11th, with two of his offensive teammates ranked ahead of him.
I cannot argue that Josh Byrne is a great player, but putting him at No. 6 over Matt Rambo is a bit ridiculous. Having Matt Rambo in the top 10 doesn’t make me too upset, but the Byrne debate really depends on how much you factor in the NLL season.
My biggest critique I have on the PLL players top 50 is why the Defensive Player of the Year JT Giles-Harris is sat at No. 14. He was the absolute best at his position, yet there are no pure defensemen in the top 10. It is reasonable to argue that he could be No. 6 on this list, or anywhere in between.
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