One week after an expansion draft threw PWHL rosters into a blender, teams will have the chance to start rebuilding with free agents.
Teams can sign players on expiring contracts beginning Monday at 9 a.m. ET, and it should be a busy few days, with several notable names available. The league also has an entry draft scheduled for June 24, which will provide an injection of new young talent.
Top free agents include 2024 PWHL MVP Natalie Spooner (Toronto Sceptres), two-way forward Hannah Miller (Toronto Sceptres), Montreal Victoire defender Kati Tabin, and a group of players who won back-to-back Walter Cups with the Minnesota Frost, including defender Mellissa Channell-Watkins, goaltender Maddie Rooney and forward Michela Cava.
With the dust settled on expansion, here’s what each team could use heading into the free-agent signing period.
Toronto Sceptres
The Sceptres emerged from the expansion draft relatively unscathed on defence, though it likely hurt to lose a promising rookie defender in Megan Carter. But bringing back Kali Flanagan, who’s a free agent, will give Toronto four solid options on the blue line.
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Both goaltenders remain with the team too, though GM Gina Kingsbury hinted that the Sceptres are still sorting out who will take the lead in net next season. Starter Kristen Campbell had a difficult playoff series against Minnesota, to the point where head coach Troy Ryan opted to start third-string goaltender, Carly Jackson, in a do-or-die game.
The team will have to decide whether to turn back to Campbell, go with backup goaltender Raygan Kirk or find someone new.
“There’s no doubt that we have to look at if there’s other options or if this is the best option and how to move forward,” Kingsbury said.
Up front is where Toronto will likely have to spend the majority of its remaining cap space, after losing Sarah Nurse, Izzy Daniel and Julia Gosling to expansion.
“Maybe our salary cap space isn’t as big as other markets, so we’re going to have to be creative in how we are competitive in this period of time,” Kingsbury said. “But there’s great value in an athlete that has had time to be a part of the league and has either proven themselves already or has the potential to prove themselves.”
Montreal Victoire
The Victoire’s season ended in the first round of the playoffs for a second consecutive year, and like last year, it felt like Montreal’s depth was its undoing.
Most of the team’s goals last season came from a top line of Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey and Jennifer Gardiner. Now, Gardiner, along with second liner, Abby Boreen, have been lost to expansion.
As a result, it won’t be a surprise to see a winger who can play with Poulin and more depth scoring at the top of Montreal’s wish list.
That list should also include two to three top-four defenders. With Tabin a free agent, and the pairing of Anna Wilgren and Cayla Barnes now heading to Seattle, Montreal enters the off-season with only two defenders under contract: Erin Ambrose and Amanda Boulier.
There’s a lot of work for GM Danièle Sauvageau to do to return Montreal to the top of the standings. But luckily for her, she still has the best player in the world in Poulin, and one of the best goaltenders in the world in Desbiens.
“We believe our foundation is strong, is solid,” Sauvageau said. “We have stability. We continue to grow with the players that we originally signed.”
Ottawa Charge
Ottawa emerged from expansion with its starting goaltender (Gwyneth Philips), captain (Brianne Jenner), two physical, shut down defenders (Ronja Savolainen and Jocelyne Larocque) and a hard-to-play against first line (Emily Clark, Gabbie Hughes and Mannon McMahon) still under team control.
It’s not a bad outcome for the team that just went all the way to the PWHL Finals.
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GM Mike Hirshfeld could use more depth scoring and at least two more top-four defenders, after losing both Ashton Bell and Aneta Tejralová to expansion.
He told reporters this week that he’s confident the team will re-sign defender Stephanie Markowski. That leaves three to four spots on defence to fill through the draft, free agency or re-signing players on expiring contracts.
Hirshfeld also hinted that Ottawa is exploring a trade for a defender.
“We’ve spent the last three weeks working through a bunch of different scenarios to make sure that we have a really solid, strong blue line, and we feel confident we’ll be able to execute on that plan,” he said.
PWHL Vancouver
Canada’s newest PWHL team enters the free agency period having prioritized defence.
The team is solid in net with Emerance Maschmeyer, and on the blue line with four young, puck-moving defenders.
The goal in free agency will be to add two more top-six forwards, GM Cara Gardner Morey said.
She should have the cap space to do that after spending most of the money up front on young forwards who carry smaller salaries, but who Gardner Morey expects will outperform expectations, such as Gardiner, Daniel, Brooke McQuigge and Gabby Rosenthal.
The obvious free agent target would be Toronto’s Miller, who could be tempted by a big contract and the chance to play in her home province of British Columbia.
PWHL Seattle
While Vancouver prioritized defence, Seattle emerged from the expansion process with two scary-looking top lines that boast size and wicked shots, plus several hard-to-play against defenders, and a starting goaltender.
There’s also a lot of youth on this team, including four players selected in the first-round of last year’s draft.
Depth and perhaps another top-four defender will likely be at the top of GM Meghan Turner’s priority list.
Boston Fleet
The biggest loss for the Fleet likely comes in the locker room with the departure of Hilary Knight to Seattle.
GM Danielle Marmer said that not protecting Knight was the most difficult decision she’s made in her professional career.
Boston also lost a smart, young forward in Hannah Bilka, who will join Knight in Seattle.
But Marmer’s priority heading into the off-season is to plug holes on defence, after two key defenders were taken by expansion teams.
New York Sirens
The good news is that the last-place Sirens are the only team that made it out of expansion without losing a single defender, an area GM Pascal Daoust prioritized when making his protection selections.
The bad news is the team lost its starting goaltender and two of its top-three forwards to Seattle. Star forward Sarah Fillier is also a restricted free agent who needs a new contract.
With several colleagues now in need of defenders, Daoust could use his wealth on defence to fix the holes up front via trade. He could also use the cap space freed up by the departure of players like Alex Carpenter, Jessie Eldridge and Corinne Schroeder to attract a big-name free agent.
What he is able to sell is opportunity — notably, the chance to play with an elite goal scorer in Fillier, assuming the team is able to re-sign her.
Minnesota Frost
The two-time champions enter the off-season with only one of the team’s top four defenders, Lee Stecklein, remaining.
Channell-Watkins is a free agent, while Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques were both lured away by Vancouver.
“It’s no secret that we need to kind of rebuild our [defensive] core right now,” Minnesota GM Melissa Caruso said. “I’d say that’s priority number one.”
Things are rosier up front. Caruso gambled by exposing Kelly Pannek and Grace Zumwinkle, and correctly guessing that Seattle and Vancouver might opt for cheaper options.
Cava, who wins championships everywhere she goes, will be a big target for other teams in free agency. But Caruso will be able to point to two Walter Cups as a reason for her stay and continue playing on one of the best top lines in the PWHL.
In addition to Cava, retaining Channell-Watkins and Rooney, who was stellar in net for the Frost during the PWHL Finals, should also be on Caruso’s list.