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Has Casey Powell done enough to land his first MVP nod in the NLL? (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

We’re only three weeks of lacrosse away from entering the 2010 National Lacrosse League playoffs and we’ve been witness to some truly outstanding individual performances this year. But who’s been the absolute best? The Most Valuable Player of 2010?

We’ve nominated the ten guys who should factor into MVP and All-Pro talk in a little over a month from now, and also turned the table with our fan poll so you can chime in. We have front runners and a couple wild cards included in the conversation. Let us know who your MVP fave is with just a handful of games for guys to prove their worth, after the jump.

Casey Powell, Orlando Titans
Powell’s been on the verge of MVP mention the last couple seasons, and he should be up there again this winter, even though he missed a couple games earlier this year to rest up after a beating against the Bandits. He’s one of the best go-to guys in the game and has at times been close to unstoppable this winter. The fact that he could score more goals than anyone in 2010, having likely played two fewer games than anyone else on the leaderboard, is pretty amazing.

Josh Sanderson, Calgary Roughnecks
Leading the league in scoring, assists (where he might set a new single season record) and taking on added on and off floor responsibilities with Tracey Kelusky (who was on his own MVP worthy run before getting up close and personal with Rory Smith) on the shelf, Sanderson continues to be one of the game’s top offensive leaders who is long deserving of an MVP nod in this league. Crazy to think he’s never won one before in pro game.

Can Vinc be the the first keeper since Dietrich and only second ever to be MVP? (Scott McCall)

Matt Vinc, Orlandto Titans
He’s been absolutely amazing from start to finish and has easily been this season’s most impactful goalie. We’ve been saying it for months now, Vinc is on pace to be the league’s first keeper MVP since Steve Dietrich did it with Buffalo in ’06, the league’s only MVP at the backstop spot. With the amount of shots Orlando gives up most nights, where would they be without him?

Lewis Ratcliff, Washington Stealth
It’s sometimes hard to pick out an MVP from an offense as loaded and hard working as the Stealth’s, but Ratcliff has really poured it on thick over the past month plus, a strong finish by both player and team potentially enough to see him get some MVP love. Crazy that a year ago he was being tossed under the bus by some in Toronto, but has done nothing but produced since in both Victoria and Everett. He’s got a five goal cushion in the goal scoring race, which if it stays the same, will be his first ever pro goal scoring lead, finishing one back of John Grant in ’07.

Brodie Merrill, Edmonton Rush
Continues to do it all, every night, no questions asked. On pace to post his best offensive numbers ever, surging in an Edmonton press that was truly custom made for him. More performances like he had during Edmonton’s epic double OT win weekend, where he buried the Game 2 winner, could see him as this year’s MVP. It’ll be highway robbery if he isn’t named the league’s top transition guy in 2010.

Brandon Miller, Philadelphia Wings
If you interpret MVP as the most valuable/important player to his team, Miller has got to be part of the conversation in 2010. The Wings’ record stinks, the team’s been decimated by key injuries, Miller’s number’s are nothing outstanding, but he’s been a rock back there for Philly and has excelled playing a starters spot where seeing a decent amount of looks by the opposition is the norm. He’s a pretty big wild card, but he’s also leaned on more than almost any other player in the league, in or outside of the crease. John Tavares fits the same bill, but with only a max of ten games played this year due to that early season hamstring injury, it’s tough to see a player that was on the shelf for almost 40% of the year considered for the nod.  

Jeff Zywicki, Washington Stealth
His recent injury and elevated play from others in Everett have taken up some of the spotlight on Zywicki, but you cannot forget about the first two months of the season, where Zywicki was scoring in quantity and quality, and was already being anointed as this year’s MVP by many. A strong finish could still land him hardware.

Will voters forget about the dominating first half Jeff Zywicki had in 2010? (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

Ryan Ward, Edmonton Rush
He finds himself in a team concept offense which has seen virtually everyone involved have game changing type nights, but like he was in Minnesota in ’08, Ryan Ward could be an outside favourite for MVP mention, especially if the Rush continue tearing it up like they have in recent weeks. He might not end up having the upper echelon numbers most past offensive MVP’s have had, but he’s had a tremendous impact in Edmonton this year.

Colin Doyle, Toronto Rock
Before the Rock’s serious slide, Doyle was definitely a favourite for an MVP nod, and with the Rock seemingly back on track and Doyle still right at the top of the points chase (second only to Brampton Excels teammate Sanderson), it’s hard not to see Doyle get serious consideration for what would be his second MVP nod in this league. Many felt he was last year’s MVP too, one of his strongest ever pro campaigns. Why are Rock rookies Garrett Billings and Stephan Leblanc setting the league on fire? Why has Blaine Manning bounced back on the scoresheet the way he has this year? Why did Toronto match last year’s win total by mid-February this year? The answer to those questions and a plethora of others related to this year’s success in Toronto… Doyle.

Aaron Wilson, Minnesota Swarm
He’ll be another outside contender, and one many will probably question us on, but Aaron Wilson has gone through a transformation this year, one you wouldn’t know about unless you’ve watched the Swarm closely. Years ago Wilson was a seemingly quiet, garbage goal specialist, playing a very much secondary role behind name brand ball players in both Toronto and Rochester. Since then, Wilson has become an offensive leader potentially as good as any in the league this year (those 40 so far helpers this year are no fluke), easily throwing up career best numbers and evolving into a dominating offensive player equal to the ones he played behind during his first several years in the bigs. One of the least talked about seasons this year, but also one of the best.

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