One of the more unique aspects of the PWHL's expansion roster building process is the "exclusive signing window" that follows the submission of protected lists, featuring three initially protected players, and precedes the expansion draft itself. 

Opening June 4 at 9am, PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle will have until June  8 at 5pm to speak to any unprotected player they want, potentially signing up to five of these players prior to the expansion draft.

Both Seattle and Vancouver could opt to sign no players, or they could sign five.

Players Can Re-Open Contracts

If Vancouver or Seattle wants to lure a specific player without giving the other expansion team a chance to pick them, or to lose someone after the fourth player protection per team is activated, signing them in this period could be advantageous. One way Seattle and Vancouver could lure players who would like to choose their destination, is by offering to re-open their contract. 

Players in this period could request a raise from their current salary, and they could request additional term to their contract. For example, if Boston's Alina Muller and Hannah Bilka are in fact left unprotected, and Seattle and Vancouver both decided to target Muller, they could both offer to re-open her contract ahead of next season. Muller has one season remaining on her initial three-year deal, but either team could offer her an immediate raise of $10-20,000 for next season to get her to re-open her contract and sign before the draft. They could also offer extra seasons at this increased rate. For some players about to come off their two or three-year contracts signed in year one who have outperformed players in the league making more, it's a bargaining chip that could benefit them, that will no longer be available once the PWHL expansion draft occurs and their current contracts transfer, as they are, to the new clubs.

Current Free Agents Could Sign, And Will Count Against Their Former Team

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, but what if you could have it all? It's a risk Seattle and Vancouver will need to weigh, and depending on the approach of the other expansion team, ever signing decision they make will impact the other team. It's perhaps one of the biggest flaws in the PWHL's expansion process. Many foresee Vancouver attempting to sign Hannah Miller, a pending free agent, during the exclusive window. That signing however, would reduce the number of players Toronto can lose to three, and also removes the ability of Seattle to select additional players from Toronto's roster.

It seems more advantageous for a future GM in Vancouver to have contract discussions with Miller during the exclusive window, tell her what their offer will be, and wait until after the expansion draft. Why would a team like Vancouver sign Miller and get only 1-2 other players from Toronto, when they could potentially take 2-3 of Toronto's best players left unprotected, and then sign Miller following the expansion draft.

Proper planning, and contract discussions in the expansion draft could allow Seattle and Vancouver to target more low cost, high impact players in the expansion draft, and then sign one of Miller, Kali Flanagan, Tereza Vanisova, or Susanna Tapani after the draft rather than burning a free expansion draft pick. It could be the difference between having 12 quality players on their roster heading into the entry draft, or 13-14 veteran pros signed following. If done properly, the expansion teams could save enough money in their budget targeting younger, lower cost players in expansion, and still have ample money to outbid existing teams in league-wide free agency.

While it will be tempting for Vancouver to look at Miller, patience knowing she'll be a free agent at the end of the day no matter who they select, could mean they can have their cake and eat it too.

Decisions Of One Will Impact The Other

The biggest challenge for the expansion teams could be how the other approaches this period. If, for example, Vancouver signed Miller and a player like Emma Maltais in the exclusive window, it would instantly activate Toronto's ability to protect a fourth player, reducing the calibre of players available for Seattle.

Similarly, if both teams were bidding for players from the same team, it could come down to who signs first. For example, if Vancouver was negotiating with Jennifer Gardiner while Seattle was negotiating with Erin Ambrose and Cayla Barnes, whichever two signed first would likely result in Montreal immediately protecting the third, negating any efforts and negotiations the expansion team had with those players. In other words, if Seattle signed Ambrose and Barnes on day one, Gardiner would be off the table for Vancouver.

How will the "exclusive signing window" impact draft order?

Right now, fans and players would anticipate that the expansion teams will alternate picks with Vancouver and Seattle flip flopping their way through the expansion draft. It doesn't, however, take into account the exclusive signing window. The league did not unveil how they plan to design the selection order, and that could be due to the unknown impact of the exclusive signing window.

For example, if Vancouver signed all five players eligible in the exclusive signing window, and Seattle only signed one, would Seattle get the first four picks in the expansion draft followed by a resumption of the traditional back and forth picks? Or would the teams begin the draft on a level field alternating picks until Vancouver hit their 12th player leaving Seattle to finish the draft alone. 

As the league has stated, the details surrounding order of selection will come later, and although they haven't said it, will likely depend on how Seattle and Vancouver approach the signing window.