Things are getting red hot in the player pool ahead of the NSL Draft, as the original 6 men’s teams have announced their official keeper lists for the 2025 season. Once again, teams choosing to keep a player on their roster from last season will forfeit their pick in the round that player was drafted (e.g. The New York Knights keep MVP Sebastien Bonmalais, they will not pick in round 1 of the Draft). Let’s get into it. 

NEW YORK KNIGHTS SHOCK

The Knights are hungry to repeat as champs, and have made a huge splash by dropping their superstar Power Play man Matias “The Spin Bender” Knudsen. With the move, the Knights are freed up to pick 10th overall in the Draft and will be able to land a top 20 talent to anchor their roster alongside reigning MVP Sebastien Bonmalais and Scottish stalwart Rory Stewart. The Knights are also releasing utility man Sam Scherl and will gain a 4th round pick as a result, adding late draft flexibility. When asked about the team’s strategy heading into the Draft, Knights Co-Owner Lu Valdizan kept her cards close, saying “What good Knight gives away her battle plans??” 

ATLANTA TORNADOS GO CLEAN SLATE

In a blockbuster move, Atlanta has opted to pick in all 5 rounds of the Draft, completely retooling their roster for a reboot in the 2025 season. This returns Youssef Ibrahim “The Gunslinger” to the Draft pool, and he has been fielding calls from several teams already-  rumors are swirling about Philadelphia at #2 or Newport at #5 overall. Eyes will be on Atlanta owner Chad Hood and Coach Celia Pashley as they look to take their squad in a new direction this year. When asked about the organization’s drastic measures, Hood stated “As we approach this weekend’s draft for the 2025 NSL Season, the Atlanta Tornados made the difficult decision to release all of our players back into the draft pool. We made this decision primarily based on the availability of the players for our scheduled 2025 matches.  Professional squash players are truly global athletes, competing around the world, therefore scheduling conflicts come up.  With the addition of elite talent in this year’s draft, we are committed to putting together an exciting team that can get us to the NSL Finals weekend in June.”

CHICAGO KEEPS A FUTURE STAR

The Grizzlies have elected to keep only Sam “Dynamo” Todd (4th round pick 2024) and redraft the rest of their roster for the new season. This sends “The Skiing Statesman” Andrew Douglas back to the Draft pool where he will certainly be fielding calls from other teams looking for a boost in the later rounds. By keeping Todd, Chicago ownership preserves their future while having a solid piece to build around for an immediate playoff run this season. 

NEWPORT LOOKS FOR A DRAGON

Dragon’s owner Bear Dyke and newly appointed head coach Pat Cosquer have decided to keep only their second round pick Spencer “The Tranquillizer” Lovejoy, sending mercurial players Ramit Tandon and Sanjay “The Shadow” Jeeva back to the Draft pool. With the move, Newport gains access to the 5th overall pick and will be able to land a top tier mega star to build around. Rumors are swirling that Newport has interest in former Atlanta phenom Youssef Ibrahim at #5, but it’s possible even a name like Miguel Rodriguez or Mohamed El Shorbagy is available mid first round, due to the extreme strength of the Draft pool this season. Keep a look out for the Dragons at the Draft as they are looking to build a contender this year. 

DERBY CITY LOSES A THOROUGHBRED

The Louisville Colts have opted to drop 2nd overall pick from 2024 Victor Crouin as well as rising talent Veer “The Encyclopedia” Chotrani from their roster as they look to reboot after a mixed bag of a first season in the NSL. With the move, Louisville brass will be picking at #6 overall and will be able to land a true ace for their roster of the future. Notably, the Colts opted to keep USA player Shahjahan Khan and will forfeit their 4th round pick, guaranteeing a solid depth option on their squad. 

NASHVILLE POISED TO STRIKE

The Crushers made headlines by dropping flashy racket worker Simon “The Gingerbread Man” Herbert as well as Colombian superstar Juan Vargas ahead of the Draft. This move frees up Nashville for the 11th overall Pick where they will be able to secure an ace for their roster to compliment their Championship runner up returners “El Parcero” Ronald Palomino and American Timothy Brownell. Look for Nashville head coach Dylan Cunningham and team owner Jonathan Dyke to have a solid draft strategy heading into Charlottesville next week.