Of course, all attention will be on winning the whole thing. But for players and coaches alike, there’s also massive implications for next season.
Who will raise their stock this postseason, like Gavin Adler did last year? What players might need a change of scenery if things go south in the playoffs? And could this be the last time we see all four Tewaaraton Award winners on the Denver Outlaws suit up together?
These postseason questions will carry into the offseason as players’ contracts expire and the player movement period opens.
Here are my five most intriguing players on expiring contracts as we enter the playoffs:
Jake Piseno, Denver Outlaws
Piseno is my pick to be the surprise departure of the offseason.
Last year, Adler signing with the Philadelphia Waterdogs was a move that shocked many. The Outlaws’ standout long-stick midfielder could follow a similar path.
It will come down to who Denver prioritizes. If Pat Kavanagh and Jared Bernhardt (more on them below) return to the Outlaws, money might be tight to also bring back Piseno. The 2025 LSM of the Year would have no shortage of options if he wanted to test the market as a game-changing pole who can make an impact on both sides of the ball every single game.
TD Ierlan, California Redwoods
With multiple starters on expiring contracts, the faceoff position might be the most unpredictable this offseason.
Ierlan, Mike Sisselberger, Luke Wierman, Alec Stathakis, Petey LaSalla, Joe Nardella and Justin Inacio are all poised to hit the market, creating the potential for significant movement at the position.
There’s a chance that every starter returns to their same team next season. In fact, that’s the most likely scenario. But all it takes is one domino to fall to create a chain reaction, and Ierlan’s decision could be that domino.
If he tests the market, one team in particular feels like it could have a chance to win the services of last season’s Faceoff Specialist of the Year: the Carolina Chaos.
While Inacio has been solid for Carolina, general manager Spencer Ford may be interested in adding a top-flight faceoff man to propel his team into the playoff picture next season, especially after seeing what rookie Andrew McMeekin has done to ignite Boston’s offense. Ierlan feels like the player the Chaos would target with former Albany teammates Troy Reh and Blaze Riorden on the squad.
Kieran McArdle, Philadelphia Waterdogs
After Philadelphia drafted CJ Kirst with the top pick in the 2025 draft, there was a thought that McArdle would eventually be phased out of the Philadelphia offense.
That hasn’t happened yet as McArdle continues to bring value to this unit as a veteran leader, but I think it could happen after this season.
A balanced feeder and scorer, the lefty is as consistent as they come, registering 20-plus points in each of his last six seasons with Philadelphia.
Michael Sowers and Kieran McArdle pull off a “one more” clinic 🔥😮💨
(via @PremierLacrosse, ESPN) pic.twitter.com/uVhdTN55UO
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) August 15, 2026
Michael Sowers and Kieran McArdle pull off a “one more” clinic 🔥😮💨
(via @PremierLacrosse, ESPN) pic.twitter.com/uVhdTN55UO
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) August 15, 2026
The Atlas, with whom McArdle started his PLL career, could be an intriguing option for the 34-year-old if he wants to extend his playing career. New York should have Jeff Teat back from injury next season, but McArdle could still provide production out of the box and, more importantly, keep this offense afloat at lefty attack if Teat misses any more time, something that derailed his team this season.
Jared Bernhardt, Denver Outlaws
Bernhardt’s decision to join the PLL early in the 2025 season ignited the biggest free agent frenzy in league history.
Everyone was after this guy; how could you not be? The 2021 Tewaaraton winner might be the best athlete in the whole league and is one of the toughest covers when he has the ball in his stick. He glides on the field, making it look like everyone else is slogging through mud.
No split, no pick, no assist needed…
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.Jared Bernhardt just burns you with pure speed 🔥😮💨
(via @PremierLacrosse, ABC) pic.twitter.com/SuTmpVG6VD
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) July 18, 2026
No split, no pick, no assist needed…
Jared Bernhardt just burns you with pure speed 🔥😮💨
(via @PremierLacrosse, ABC) pic.twitter.com/SuTmpVG6VD
— TLN 🥍 (@LacrosseNetwork) July 18, 2026
And with his Outlaws contract up after this season, there’s a chance many of the teams that missed out on him initially will be clamoring for him again.
The Carolina Chaos strike me as a team that could make a serious run at Bernhardt with their need for more dodging firepower behind the cage. And if Rob Pannell calls it quits after this season, the Maryland Whipsnakes could also be in the market for another attackman.
Pat Kavanagh, Denver Outlaws
True quarterbacks like Kavanagh are scarce in this league.
The righty has all the prerequisites to lead an offense at a high level: shooting ability, dodging ability, two-handedness, competitiveness and, most importantly, vision and IQ to make everyone around him better.
But what makes Kavanagh the most intriguing player on this list isn’t just that he’s an All-Pro-caliber talent; it’s that his brother, Chris, plays for a different team.
It’s no secret that Pat and Chris might jump at the chance to play together again. The brothers led Notre Dame to back-to-back national championships, and their play styles suit each other like a freshly concocted Irish coffee. Pat is the quarterback who can beat defenses with his dodging and feeding, and Chris is the creative goal-scorer who is effective both on-ball and off-ball. That combination led to a lot of goals for the Fighting Irish.
FLYING GOAL‼️
The Kavanagh brothers have Notre Dame up 3-1 in the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four 👀 pic.twitter.com/bddTGYb9HE
— ESPN (@espn) May 25, 2024
FLYING GOAL‼️
The Kavanagh brothers have Notre Dame up 3-1 in the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four 👀 pic.twitter.com/bddTGYb9HE
And perhaps the most crucial piece of the whole situation is that California is the market for an X attackman.
Dylan Molloy‘s contract is also up after this season, and while he’s been an elite goal-scorer for the Redwoods, he might not be exactly what the Redwoods need behind the cage. After all, California only re-signed Molloy to a one-year deal after last season and made a massive push to get Joey Spallina in this year’s draft – a player who has a lot of similarities to Pat behind the net.
Denver is likely to do all it can to retain the engine of its offense, but reuniting with his brother might be too good of an opportunity to pass up.
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