MONTREAL – It’s been a very busy off-season for the Montreal Impact, in so far as the club attempts to bounce back following an MLS campaign in which it nearly had a monopoly on last place.
The Impact haven’t wasted any time revamping their roster—they’ve already acquired six new players, twice as many acquisition as they made between seasons last year—and coach Frank Klopas promised more newcomers are on the way.
"We added some very good pieces, but we’re still looking to add another impact player in the back and possibly another impact player in the front," Klopas told Sportsnet.
Soccer Central podcast: SPORTSNET.CA’s Soccer Central podcast, hosted by John Molinaro and James Sharman, takes an in-depth look at the beautiful game and offers timely and thoughtful analysis on the sport’s biggest issues. To listen and subscribe to the podcast, CLICK HERE.
Montreal will have another opportunity to supplement its roster during Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia. However, Klopas isn’t expecting to find superstars, even though the Impact have the third overall pick.
That’s because, as Klopas explains, the quality of the U.S. college player pool has waned considerably due to the emergence of MLS academies producing their own players and MLS teams claiming homegrown rights to others enrolled in college.
"The depth is not what it used to be," Klopas stated. "And a lot of that has to do with the academies now and teams retaining rights of players coming out of colleges, that’s a big part of it."
This year’s draft is also particular in that it takes place in the middle of the ongoing MLS labour negotiations. With the possibility of receiving better offers 12 months from now due to a probable increase in the salary cap, several of the NCAA’s best underclassmen decided to stick around in college for another year instead of entering the league this season.
These circumstances leave the Impact with even fewer players of quality to choose from, as opposed to past years, and so the hope for Klopas is to find players who can at the very least be reliable.
"You have to understand that these are not guys that are going to come in right off the bat and provide minutes right away. But there are some talented players where with the right team and the right environment where you’re looking to build a team that’s going to be consistent in the future, they can help provide that," Klopas said.
As for what players the Impact are targeting in the first round of the draft, Klopas says he will be looking to select either a central defender or a forward, two positions where Montreal remain relatively thin.
Of course, who the Impact chose will depend on how MLS newcomers Orlando City and New York City decide to use their first and second overall picks respectively.
Canadian international striker Cyle Larin, who skipped the MLS combine to represent Canada in Under-20 World Cup qualifying in Jamaica, is a player the Impact would like to have, but he’s a hot favourite to be picked first or second and Klopas doesn’t see Orlando or New York trading down.
"I don’t think the teams in front are looking to move their picks or anything like that. I think Larin’s a good player and I think there are some talented players that are going to be there with the third pick that we have, but it just depends on what Orlando and New York decide to do," Klopas said.
"All these players are good, but I think they are going to need some time to adjust within our league."
Nick Sabetti is a Montreal-based writer. Follow him on Twitter
