Top 10 unsigned players to watch in PLL player movement

The PLL’s new player movement calendar kicks off with the open discussion starting on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Teams can begin talking to unsigned players from other clubs during the open discussion period. Contracts can be signed from Dec. 17 through Jan. 16.

The New York Atlas are the team to watch with four players in the top seven of this list. Can the reigning champs retain them all ahead of their bid to repeat in 2026?

These are the top 10 names to watch in player movement:

1. Gavin Adler, Defense, New York Atlas

Adler is the crown jewel of this class. The reigning Dave Pietramala Defensive Player of the Year will be signing his second contract this offseason after his first three years playing for the Atlas. Adler is one of a handful of defensive stars in the league, and a young one at that. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound close defenseman is the best defender in the world against quick attackmen like Michael Sowers, but he can also guard guys who tower over him thanks to the Spider-Man-esque strength he packs in his shorter frame.

The Atlas defense is built on star power. The trio of Adler, short-stick defensive midfielder Danny Logan and goalie Liam Entenmann is the three-headed monster that separates the New York defense. Removing one of them from the equation would significantly impact New York’s odds of repeating in 2026 and force head coach and general manager Mike Pressler to look elsewhere for a lockdown cover defender.

Because that sort of defender doesn’t grow on trees, there will be significant interest in Adler around the league. Good close defenders will be at a premium this offseason with the possibility of a handful of defensive retirements around the league. Defenses such as the Boston Cannons, Philadelphia Waterdogs and Utah Archers should be in the running to lure Adler away from New York.

The Atlas also tend to re-sign players later in the offseason than other clubs. Trevor Baptiste and Logan were No. 1 and No. 2 on this list last year, respectively. Both returned on multi-year deals and helped lead New York to its first title. Given the success he’s had with the Atlas, it’s hard to imagine Adler going elsewhere. At the same time, the team also has a handful of stars on the books and more coming down the pike with Entenmann and Jim Brown MVP Connor Shellenberger entering the final year of their rookie deals.

2. Owen Grant, LSM/Defense, Boston Cannons

After two years with the California Redwoods, Grant joined the Cannons after Brian Holman traded for him last offseason. Grant proved his worth for Boston in 2025 with five points, 11 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls.

He’s a physical specimen wielding a long pole, standing 6-foot-3, 230 pounds. Grant is the whole package. He can cover one-on-one up top or down low. The Ontario native packs violent takeaway checks and can get out and run once the ball is on the ground. He’s a two-point threat in transition.

Why Boston didn’t try Grant out at close defense more frequently was odd given how much the team struggled against top-tier attackmen. If he returns to the Cannons, that’s where he should get more work given his ability to match up with bigger, more powerful attackmen like Brennan O’Neill. Plus, Boston has a former All-Pro LSM in Ethan Rall to patrol the middle of the field.

Were it not for the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year above him, Grant would be the top unsigned player in the league. He should demand interest from a handful of teams. Another club landing him would be a coup; Holman letting Grant walk just one year after trading the No. 3 pick for him would be a real head-scratcher. 

3. Graeme Hossack, Defense, Utah Archers

The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, Hossack is arguably the best defender in the world and the best-suited for any matchup. He is widely regarded as the O’Neill stopper. The reason he’s this low on the list is his age relative to the two defenders coming off their rookie deals above him.

Still, at 33, Hossack is a physical freak of nature. Somehow, at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he moves with the pace and the grace of a far smaller defender. He navigates picks seamlessly despite his massive frame and does it while acting as a brick wall between his matchup and the goal.

Hossack has been signing one-year deals with the Archers for a few offseasons now. His decision is likely to be between playing for the Archers or hanging up his cleats. Utah wants him back but is being patient in its approach to retaining him. 

4. Brian Tevlin, SSDM, California Redwoods

Tevlin was one of the best short sticks in the game in 2025, earning his second All-Pro honor in three seasons in the league. The Yale and Notre Dame product was the leader of the Redwoods defense in 2025. He’s a do-it-all short-stick defender.

He plays wings well with 25 ground balls in 2025. He can lock down matchups, allowing an 18.1% shooting percentage as the closest defender (eighth in the league). He also creates havoc on defense and registered 12 caused turnovers (sixth in the league; first among short-sticks) for the Woods this past summer. And he can get out and run in transition, scoring four points in the regular season.

Tevlin is by far the best SSDM on the market. Teams such as the Maryland Whipsnakes and Waterdogs could be hot on his heels in player movement. He could and should be a foundational player for what head coach Anthony Kelly and general manager Joe Spallina are building in California. 

5. Xander Dickson, Attack, New York Atlas

Dickson is New York’s most important unsigned offensive player this player movement cycle. He scored 22 goals in the 2025 regular season and added five more in the postseason before suffering the lower-leg injury that knocked him out of the 2025 U.S. Bank Championship.

The modern version of a prototypical crease attackman, Dickson is a wonderful complement to Shellenberger and Jeff Teat in the Atlas offense. He’s the last of a “dying breed” of crease players and has become the glue to the New York offense that prioritizes scoring assisted goals more than any other offense in the league.

Fit is the operative word for Dickson and the Atlas offense. He makes Teat and Shellenberger better because of how good he is at finding space on the inside. They make him better as two of the best feeders in the sport who can put the ball on his stick from any angle.

If other teams come knocking for Dickson’s services, it would be a sign of a philosophical change to those teams’ offensive approach. No other club emphasizes crease play – and double-crease play – like the Atlas do. It could be a solution for offenses in flux – like the Cannons or the Whipsnakes, who have young X attackmen who can feed the rock.

Given how successful the Atlas’ pass-first offensive philosophy was in 2025, Dickson should be their primary concern on offense in player movement.

6. Bryan Costabile, Midfield, New York Atlas

The hero of the fourth quarter of the U.S. Bank Championship, Costabile now hits player movement coming off the best season of his career. He earned his second All-Pro selection in 2025, the first since 2021, thanks to a 23-point regular season. He shot 25.6%, his best shooting percentage since 2021, and he grew as a contributor to the team offense. Costabile will always be a volume dodger and shooter. The frequency with which he threw the ball forward in 2025 meant the Atlas midfield and attack worked in harmony.

Costabile is a consistent 20-point scorer out of the midfield, averaging 22.2 points per season since his rookie year. He’s a stretch shooter who poses a two-point threat and can create his own shot against a short-stick matchup.

There’s a chance Costabile is the luxury New York cannot afford beyond 2025. Adler and Dickson should be the team’s first two priorities in player movement. Brett Makar is another homegrown product whose rookie deal is expiring. Shellenberger and Entenmann will need new deals after 2026. With Matt Traynor and Hugh Kelleher coming off quality rookie seasons, New York could ride with the young guns in the midfield.

Costabile has been with the Atlas for six years, though. Does he want to play somewhere else for the first time in his career?

Maryland head coach and general manager Jim Stagnitta has said his team needs to “focus on making sure we’re better at that midfield position on both sides of the ball.” Philadelphia general manager Dave Cottle has emphasized that the Waterdogs have “gotta find two-way players.” Costabile can take defensive runs to bring that two-way threat to Philly and could provide the scoring oomph the Whips are looking for. 

7. Brett Makar, Defense/LSM, New York Atlas

Makar has become the voice of the Atlas defense in his three seasons since New York drafted him No. 3 overall in the 2023 College Draft. His status as a defensive quarterback, combined with the versatility he’s developed to play close or LSM, makes him a prized target in player movement.

He’s a tier below the unreal defensive talents of Adler, Grant and Hossack because of their lockdown coverage ability. He is the next-best pole available, though, because of his high IQ and ability to fit into any defense. He’s a quality second or third cover defender who can captain a defense and bump up top if need be.

Could Makar move to a team that is loaded with some of his former Maryland Terrapin teammates? The Whipsnakes, with Ajax Zappitello, and the Denver Outlaws, with Logan McNaney, Jared Bernhardt and Logan Wisnauskas, both fit that mold. Both teams need to get younger on defense soon. If he doesn’t return to New York, those are the two most logical destinations for Makar.

8. Ryder Garnsey, Attack, California Redwoods 

Garnsey remains a productive player on the lefty wing who can be a quality third or fourth option in an offense. He scored 22 points in 2025, good for fourth on the Redwoods. He’s as creative and crafty a dodger as he’s ever been, and he benefited from easier matchups last summer thanks to the presence of Dylan Molloy and Chris Kavanagh at attack with him.

His relationship with the Rookie of the Year is a big reason why he fits well with California, at least for the short term. As Kavanagh’s former coach at Notre Dame, Garnsey made the former’s transition to the professional level simpler and is a good fit on the opposite wing.

The Redwoods are in an interesting in-between place as they balance building around their young core with maintaining the productive veterans who’ve been on their roster.

Molloy is another unsigned player whom the Woods have to make a decision on. Do they think an attack line of Kavanagh, Garnsey and Molloy can win them the West? Do they look to the draft to upgrade at attack for the future rather than relying on two veterans? Do they really want to let one or two productive players go without guaranteed replacements in place? These are questions that Spallina will have to answer in short order.

9. Chris Fake, Defense, California Redwoods

Fake has established himself as a quality cover defender in his two seasons for the Redwoods. He’s not flashy, but he’s one of the best defenders of big attackmen in the league. And he’s young. Defenders who can take on O’Neill or CJ Kirst or Asher Nolting are hard to find, especially as an older generation of defenders edges closer to retirement.

After Tevlin, Fake should be the Woods’ top priority to re-sign. He could garner some unexpected interest elsewhere in part because he probably won’t demand the same price as an Adler or a Grant. He’d be a good add for a defense trying to get younger, such as Denver or Boston or even Utah.

10. Dalton Young, Midfield, Denver Outlaws 

Young was a marvelous foil to the stars around him on the Denver offense in 2025. While the Tewaaraton Award winners soaked the poles, Young isolated against short sticks and won consistently. Not only did he score 21 points in 12 games (including the postseason), but he also shot 45.5% in the process. He turned the ball over on just 4.1% of his touches.

Would he be as efficient if he signed with another club and took on a bigger role? That’s the question teams like the Whipsnakes and the Waterdogs would have to answer if they go after Young.

The Outlaws don’t have a ton of expiring contracts. Young is a great fit for the Denver offense and should be retained if at all possible. Yet the Outlaws have money tied up in a couple of stars (Bernhardt and JT Giles-Harris) and will have to break the bank next offseason when O’Neill’s and Pat Kavanagh’s rookie deals are up. Can they afford to pay Young if another team desperate for midfield help comes knocking?

Other players to watch in player movement: 

Jarrod Neumann (Defense, Chaos), Alec Stathakis (Faceoff, Waterdogs), Warren Jeffrey (Defense, Archers), Troy Reh (Defense/LSM, Chaos), Dylan Molloy (Attack, Redwoods), Matt Whitcher (SSDM, Waterdogs)