The Denver Outlaws didn’t enter the offseason looking to make a blockbuster trade. But when one of the best young attackmen in the sport, who just so happens to provide the exact skill set the team is looking for, becomes available, it’s impossible to say no.

“It was too good of an offer to let slip through our fingers,” Outlaws head coach Tim Soudan said.

The Outlaws acquired Pat Kavanagh from the Boston Cannons last Thursday in exchange for the third overall pick in the 2025 College Draft and a second-rounder in 2026. Denver didn’t initiate the trade conversations, as Boston reached out to teams about Kavanagh.

In the end, the Outlaws’ package of picks won the bidding war for the 2024 first-round draft pick. The trade reinforces a rebuilding Denver attack line.

Kavanagh is a great playmaker and goal-scorer, but his defining characteristic on the field is his grit. It’s those intangibles that made Soudan go after the 2024 Tewaaraton Award winner.

“We're just really excited to have a guy with that type of motor, with that level of competitiveness,” Soudan said. “The grind that he puts in when he's competing is second to none.”

Kavanagh never settled in Boston. After a grueling college season, he missed time with injuries. Even when he was healthy, he never found a natural position on the field. He was forced into a hybrid midfield role due to the established presence of Asher Nolting at Kavanagh's preferred spot.

In Denver, however, Kavanagh will have plenty of opportunities to play at X. Since Brendan Nichtern’s limited availability due to military commitments, the Outlaws have lacked a consistent presence behind the goal.

Jack Myers impressed in spurts before getting injured, and Eric Law provided a spark with his goal-scoring and leadership down the stretch. However, nobody since Nichtern has been a playmaking quarterback at X.

The lack of a natural playmaker at attack limits the offense’s ceiling. Denver had the third-fewest assists in the league last season, and only Josh Zawada had double-digit assists (10). Kavanagh is Notre Dame’s all-time assist leader and was one of the best playmakers in college lacrosse. At his natural attack spot, he can unlock the Outlaws’ core of dynamic goal-scorers – most notably last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Brennan O’Neill. 

For Soudan, Kavanagh’s impact goes beyond any one position on the field.

“I envision him playing wherever he wants to play,” Soudan said. “We're gonna get a lot of effort goals out of him and ride back goals out of him.”

The key is less about putting Kavanagh in a specific position on the field and more into the right situations. As a midfielder with the Cannons, he couldn't showcase his tenacity on the ride or his creativity in transition.

Regardless of where Kavanagh attacks from most of his settled sets, freeing him up to play in these moments is key. It’s also vital to unlocking O’Neill in unsettled situations, arguably Denver’s greatest offensive weapon.

As the Outlaws look toward next season with Kavanagh in the fold, it’s time to find the perfect arrangement of these pieces to maximize the offensive potential. Soudan has already floated the possibility of a historic, all-Tewaaraton attack line of O’Neill, Kavanagh and Logan Wisnauskas. 

“It's just exciting to understand that we have the last three Tewaaraton Award winners going to suit up for the Denver Outlaws this year,” Soudan said.

While many have speculated about the viability of an O’Neill/Wisnauskas pairing, the reality is it never got a chance to play out on the field. While they both nominally play a lefty attack position, there are creative ways to put them on the same line.

In the recent era of professional lacrosse, more teams are finding success with two lefties at attack. The Archers just won two titles with Mac O’Keefe and Connor Fields both starting despite nominally filling a similar position.

Those issues are further alleviated by the presence of Kavanagh, a right-handed playmaker. 

“I really envision those three guys being able to work really tightly together and keep out of each other's way,” Soudan said. “I think it kind of makes it possible to run Wisnauskas and O'Neill together.”

The next step for Denver’s offensive overhaul is free agency, which includes re-signing Wisnauskas. The Outlaws are excited to bring back the 2022 first overall pick, but a deal has yet to be finalized.

Denver also awaits word on whether Law will return for another season. After a successful reunion with the Outlaws this summer, Soudan said the team would be open to the veteran attackman returning in 2025.