What Will FC Dallas Do With Dan Kennedy?

It may surprise you that FC Dallas, a team with two solid goalkeepers that was not in the market for a third, selected Dan Kennedy with the first pick in the Chivas USA Dispersal Draft following the team being disbanded. For others, this may seem like the only logical choice as he was the best player on the roster available. Erick "Cubo" Torres was held out from the draft as MLS negotiates a new contract with the young star.

Dallas has picked up one of the better keepers in the league with this pick. It was a general consensus that only a few teams in the league would not benefit from the addition of Kennedy to the roster, and Dallas is no exception. Even if Kennedy is only a slight improvement on starter Raul Fernandez and backup Chris Seitz, he is still an improvement. While he makes the team better, it may not be by much.

This draft choice does not appear to be solely for the improvement defending the net. With NYCFC picking second and likely to take an available Dan Kennedy, this selection bring a hot commodity to the team.  Goalkeepers tend to be critical pieces of the MLS roster, with team results often mirroring the quality of the net-minder.

Several teams were showing serious interest in selecting Kennedy besides NYCFC.  Houston recently traded their starting keeper, Tally Hall, to Orlando and Montreal is looking for an upgrade after a dismal season. Dallas now has two starters and a backup that many think is on the way to a starting position. Dallas now has options that clubs want and a willingness to let a guy go. A draft and trade was always a serious option.

The piece of the puzzle that may go unnoticed is the tie this has to the Expansion Draft. It is rare to see a team protect two goalkeepers in the draft. With NYCFC seriously looking, Dallas has added a cushion where losing a GK will not be so bad. Seitz and Fernandez are likely targets for Jason Kreis.

But perhaps the cheekiest of all the theories is that Dallas will leave Kennedy unprotected in the Expansion Draft for NYCFC to claim. This theory may be considered cheap and dirty, but it gives Dallas two huge benefits. First, NYCFC will not take a current roster player from Dallas thereby reducing Dallas to losing only one player. With the promise of Allocation Funds for any player taken, Dallas may be looking for a quick cash in on a veteran player without every paying him or taking the cap hit.