Albany FireWolves: 2024-25 Season Preview
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Albany FireWolves: 2024-25 Season Preview
The Albany FireWolves enter the 2024-2025 NLL season optimistic after last year’s fantastic season, in which they barely missed out on winning it all. The regular season went surprisingly well for the eventual runners-up in this year’s NLL playoffs but the FireWolves really made a run in the playoffs, ending up against the Buffalo Bandits in the finals. The offensive leader for Albany was Alex Simmons the Rookie of the Year who finished with 96 points on 38 goals and 58 assists and was very important to the team’s success as his impact as a rookie instantly enhanced the team’s ceiling last year.
This offseason, the Albany FireWolves made a number of significant roster moves in hopes to make it back to a championship game. Key additions include Dyson Williams, Will Johnston, Eric Fannell, and Jackson Raposo all bring new dynamics to the team with Dyson Williams creating the most buzz. Simmons referred to him as a “generational talent” who can take over games with his scoring and playmaking. However, Albany also lost Nathan Grennon and Anthony Joaquim, which begs some questions about how the new players will fit into their system.
Included in the FireWolves’ 2024-2025 schedule are a handful of marquee matchups that will truly test their championship aspirations. They meet the Las Vegas Desert Dogs on January 1st in a battle pitting some of the league’s young stars against each other. Another crucial matchup comes on February 22nd against the Philadelphia Wings, where they will look to assert their dominance against another up and coming team. A championship rematch against Buffalo on March 22nd will give Albany an opportunity to avenge their defeat along with a semifinal rematch on April 12th against the San Diego Seals.
Where the Albany FireWolves really want to focus on going into this new season is taking those strengths and building on some good things. The offense, though, with Simmons running it and fueled by the addition of Williams, can be one of the most dynamic units in the league. The defense is solid with a core of Colton Watkinson and Jackson Nishimura anchoring things, but it needs to make sure they hold in big moments. Goaltender Doug Jamieson is surely riding high following an impressive 80% save percentage last year, and still remains one of the backbones of the team’s success. The FireWolves need to find a way to support his brilliance against the league’s top offenses with a stronger defense in front of him.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Albany will be finding that balance between the talented young core and the pressure for high expectations. With Simmons and Williams leading the charge the FireWolves could be dominant but they have to mentally dial in for the grind of a long season with newly found expectations. Questions still remain of how well the new players like Johnston and Fannell will fit in and how the team will adjust to the continually evolving competitive landscape of the league.
Everything is in place for the Albany FireWolves to make another deep playoff run and have a realistic shot at taking the NLL championship. Mixing in veteran star talent with some promising newcomers, coupled with a need for revenge, could make Albany one of those teams nobody wants to face in 2024-2025.
