Next month, new expansion team LAFC will pick 5 players from around the league. Who should the Loons protect from this draft.
In December, an MLS Expansion Draft will take place. Each club will get to protect 11 players on their roster to save them from being selected. LAFC will get to draft 5 of the players who were left unprotected by their club. So who should the Loons protect? Note: Abu Danladi is automatically protected as a Generation Adidas player.
Francisco Calvo- Arguably the Loons’ best player, and certainly the best defender. This is really a no-brainer.
Christian Ramirez- Another no-brainer, Ramirez scored 14 goals in his first season in MLS and would be chosen if left unprotected.
Brent Kallman- A solid defender on a cheap contract is very rare in MLS, so the Loons need to protect Kallman, or risk losing him.
Jèrôme Thiesson- The Swiss full-back was one of Minnesota’s best players this season, and a solid fullback being a rarity in MLS, it’s best not to risk it.
Sam Nicholson- A young winger who shows a lot of potential, and will probably be starting at left wing next season. It would be foolish to leave him unprotected.
Ethan Finlay- He’s clearly ba starting quality winger, and was fantastic for the Loons after arriving from Columbus.
Kevin Molino- Even if he continues to underperform, he should still have a decent amount of trade value within the league if the Loons decide to part with him.
Bobby Shuttleworth- Shuttleworth was great for the Loons last season, he isn’t overpaid, and he doesn’t take up an international spot. That means there’s at least a possibility he’s selected so it’s probably best not to risk it.
Sam Cronin- The veteran midfielder was injured for a chunk of last season, but was very good whenever he was on the pitch. At only 30-year-old, he should still have plenty left in the tank, meaning LAFC could take him.
Michael Boxall- The New Zealand international was good but not great for the Loons this season, but he’s still a decent defender who’s not very old (29), and Adrian Heath seems to like him.
Rasmus Schüller- The Finnish international was injured for most of the season, and was sent out on loan when he got healthy. However, he did well on loan HJK Helsinki, and even found his way back into Finland’s Starting XI. The 26-year-old shows a lot of potential, and it would be best to see what he can do when fully healthy.
The best of the rest- Ibson, Miguel Ibarra, and Collin Martin, among others, are guys that the Loons are just hoping aren’t selected, but with a limited number of spots, some players have to be left to chance. It will be interesting to see how the Expansion Draft works out for the Loons.