These players won't be in the 2024 PWHL Draft, but when they declare for the league, they'll bring an immediate impact to the game on a number of levels.
The 2024 PWHL Draft will be filled with talented players like Sarah Fillier, Hannah Bilka, and Cayla Barnes. It will also be the first time for a real wave of European players to make the jump to North America at once. But looking forward at players still competing in the NCAA, or yet to have even join the NCAA, the talent pool is deep, and year after year there will be stars ready to change the face of professional women's hockey and step into the spotlight.
Here's a look at seven players who won't be in this year's PWHL Draft, but will change the league in the future.
Caroline Harvey - There is no player in the world who could step into the PWHL and have the impact Caroline Harvey would have. She's quite possibly the best defender on the planet right now. Know for her skill and offensive tools, Harvey is also a fierce competitor who doesn't back down from confrontation. It's a combination that should thrive in the PWHL.
Nelli Laitinen - Defenders are the biggest need in the PWHL right now, and aside from Harvey, Nelli Laitinen is the next best thing in the NCAA for a future cornerstone in the league. She's a fantastic two way defender who can truly do just that, defend, which has been an issue in the league at times. She eats big minutes in the NCAA and internationally with Finland, and will be a game changer for whatever team snaps her up in the future.
Kirsten Simms - Kirsten Simms is sublimely skilled. If women's hockey media were already at the fever pitch frenzy of men's hockey when it comes to prospects, fans would be salivating over the possibility of picking Simms, much like they were in the NHL with Connor Bedard. She dazzles with the puck, and uses her footwork to protect, create space, and at times, flat out confuse defenders. Yes, she is this good, and looks like a player who will become a leading scorer almost instantly.
Abbey Murphy - There are a few considerations here. One, Abbey Murphy kills with speed, and can score with the best of them. The other thing is, teams will want Murphy on their roster just so they don't have to face the nightly abuse she'll send their way on the ice. Murphy will need to learn to harness that, as she can cross the line to a point where she hurts her team, and looks like she's trying to hurt opponents, but if she can manage that task, her impact will be felt in many ways.
Chloe Primerano - One caveat to a claim that Caroline Harvey may be the best defender on the planet is Chloe Primerano. Few have seen her and questioned her position as a generational talent. Primerano could likely earn a spot on Canada's senior national team and in the PWHL today...and she's not even in the NCAA. She's that good. Her skating is elite, her vision is several steps ahead of the action, and she can dangle with the puck. A year or two in the NCAA will allow her to mature on the defensive side, but if there was ever a case where we might someday see a talented young player leave the NCAA early for the pro game, Primerano could be it, because she could step into the league at 18 without issue.
Tessa Janecke - Tessa Janecke drove momentum for Team USA last year, and took a major step forward in the NCAA this season after a bit of a slow start. It's hard to forsee her not coming into the PWHL and making a top line impact, but she's also a versatile star who as the league progresses, could be called upon to play a number of roles. Still, as the current cohort of American stars like Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield close in on the finale of their careers, Janecke will be one of the next generation American stars to drive interest in women's hockey in the USA forward.
Nela Lopusanova - Lopusanova stole the spotlight last year with her performance at the U-18 Worlds, and for good reason. One of the exciting parts about Lopusanova, is she's a few years away from the NCAA, and a few more away from the PWHL. To think what the league could look like when a star of her calibre, an international player who will have only briefly seen a hockey world without a singular pro future, is exciting. When she arrives, she'll already be a household name and the hype will be immense.