The question isn’t if the Cannons will draft a left-handed attackman in the 2025 College Draft. It’s why they have to. 

After a year of offensive reshuffling, and with a generational quarterback in Asher Nolting entering his prime, Boston is staring down one of the most critical team-building decisions since head coach and general manager Brian Holman took the reins. It’s about need and optimization.

The shuffle on offense

The Cannons entered 2024 with the most efficient offense in PLL history, fresh off a 2023 campaign that saw them light up the scoreboard at a historic rate. However, replicating that chemistry proved harder than expected.

Marcus Holman, Matt Campbell and Ryan Drenner remained steady contributors. But on the lefty side, things never quite clicked. A decline in Matt Kavanagh’s game led to him being left off the gameday roster entirely by mid-July. Will Manny, a blockbuster midsummer addition, never suited up. Mike Robinson had his shot but didn’t lock down the role. As a result, the offense leaned more heavily on Nolting for more initiations, more dodges and more defensive pressure put on him.

It didn’t appear to be a crisis in the regular season, but an uncharacteristically poor showing by the offense in the quarterfinals served as a reminder that, with a player like Nolting, complementary skill sets matter more than raw firepower.

Two dueling philosophies

Last year, the Cannons used the No. 6 overall pick on Pat Kavanagh, hoping the former Notre Dame star could inject playmaking and tempo into an already dangerous offense. But Kavanagh is a righty, and ultimately, it became an issue of stylistic overlap with Nolting. Both thrive as ball-dominant quarterbacks, and in a system that runs through Nolting, there wasn’t enough room for both on attack. Ultimately, Kavanagh never found his fit in Boston and was traded to the Denver Outlaws in November.

As earlier stated, it’s not just about adding talent; it’s about finding balance. The Cannons need a natural lefty who doesn’t require high usage to make an impact, just the right space and the right read. 

With Nolting commanding slide-heavy matchups and often initiating from behind the cage, the Cannons need a natural lefty who can play off Nolting, finish efficiently and stretch opposing defenses.

The best version of a Cannons offense doesn’t rely on Nolting doing everything. It leverages what makes him dangerous – his vision, his footwork, his physicality – and surrounds him with spacing and finishers.

Who fits the bill?

If Boston wants an attackman who can move without the ball, punish off-ball help and blend into the Cannons’ tempo offense, Coulter Mackesy is the guy. The Princeton product doesn’t need a plethora of touches to make an impact. He understands flow, angles and how to exploit space created by a dominant righty dodger.

An alternative option if Boston wants a pure IQ weapon – someone who sees the game two passes ahead and can manipulate a defense from the wing – is Owen Hiltz. The Syracuse star has elite passing instincts, an unteachable feel and enough craft to thrive off two-man games with Nolting or Campbell.

Both prospects are natural lefties who could plug-and-play into this Boston attack. And both would give the Cannons something they didn’t have last season in a left-side anchor who doesn’t need to dominate the ball to dominate the game.

The Cannons traded the third overall pick in the 2025 College Draft to the California Redwoods for long-stick midfielder Owen Grant, but they still own pick No. 4.

Looking forward

Nolting isn’t just a franchise player. He’s the lens through which this offense is built. The Cannons already have Holman, Campbell and Drenner. They have the culture. Now, it’s about finding the right piece to balance the attack – one that lets Nolting quarterback again, not overcompensate.