The Denver Outlaws have really turned their team around since transitioning from the Chrome Lacrosse Club this past year. The Chrome were a dumpster fire during the 2023 season, only winning one game while securing nine losses. This team was a laughingstock, securing them the No. 1 pick in the draft, where they correctly selected generational talent Brennan O’Neill. However, this wasn’t the first time the Chrome/Outlaws have had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. They previously selected Maryland’s own Logan Wisnauskas first overall in the 2022 draft following a 2-7 record the previous year.
The hype around Wisnauskas was real when he entered the league. He was coming off of a season that saw him named the Tewaaraton Award winner after securing the Terrapins another national championship. He became the all-time program leader in goals (205) and points (340) and holds Maryland’s record for points in a season (103 in 2022). This man really was the face of the 2022 college lacrosse season, and it was very clear why he went first overall. His first year with the Chrome was great for a rookie. He finished the year with 35 points on 24 goals and 11 assists with only 7 turnovers on the year. The pairing of rookies Brendan Nichtern and Logan Wisnauskas established themselves as one of the best duos in the league, and the future looked bright. So what exactly happened next?
Nichtern went on to fulfill his military commitments due to him being a West Point graduate, which then left him barely playing two games in 2023. This was a huge blow to both the Outlaws and Logan Wisnauskas as the duo was just scratching the surface of their potential. The team proceeded to struggle for several reasons, but Nichtern’s absence was immediately felt. For Wisnauskas, his playstyle is tailored around being in the right system, and the Chrome did not set him up for success in 2023. Wisnauskas only put up 18 points on 11 goals and 7 assists, and his turnover number jumped to 17. Did Logan just forget how to play lacrosse? Absolutely not. He just wasn’t put in the right position to succeed, as much like his time at Maryland, he has to be in the right system for his playstyle to flourish. The only good thing coming out of the 2023 season was obtaining the first overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Despite the team’s roster struggles, fans were excited to see Wisnauskas paired up next to O’Neill. This was going to be the Nichtern replacement that the team desperately needed, and it was going to bring out more of Wisnauskas’s strengths. He was able to kick off his 2024 campaign with 4 points on the day. Sadly, Logan Wisnauskas’s season would come to a halt prior to Week 2 due to injury. Since then, O’Neill has flourished to easily be a Top 5 player in this league, and fans have seemingly forgotten about Wisnauskas. Regardless of what happens this year, the Denver Outlaws are going to be a scary team in 2025 with the pairing of Brennan O’Neill and Logan Wisnauskas.
