Boston signed Hilary Knight, Megan Keller, and Aerin Frankel in PWHL Free Agency. What does that mean for the draft? What did they get? And what do they need?
Boston made a splash in PWHL free agency signing American national team members Aerin Frankel, Megan Keller, and Hilary Knight. The moves start to guide Boston's direction moving forward, but what will general manager Danielle Marmer need to find in the draft, and what does she have now?
Here's a look at how these signings impact Boston's plans.
Goalie Of The Present And Future
Aerin Frankel was one of the few netminders on the market who looked like a safe bet to serve as a goalie of the present and future. She's the youngest player currently signed to the league at 24, and has a bright future ahead taking over USA's crease this year as the national team starter.
Using a free agency signing on a netminder has pros and cons, but grabbing Frankel with that selection makes more sense than perhaps any other goalie.
Who will support USA's all-time leading scorer?
At the other end of the spectrum, Hilary Knight is the oldest player signed to the league, and on a three year deal, the 34-year-old comes with risk. While Knight showed she can still score at the 2023 World Championships, her production in the PWHPA was a significant dip, and without players like Tessa Janecke, Taylor Heise, and Hannah Bilka using their speed to win pucks and feed the veteran, her effectiveness will dip. Knight has elite scoring ability, but at Worlds the drop in her speed was notivceable.
Boston GM Danielle Marmer will undoubtedly go out of her way to draft those workers and playmakers to feed her star. Perhaps some of the best fits are ex-PHL players like Kennedy Marchment or Elizabeth Giguere, or NCAA grads like Gabrielle David, Chloe Aurard, Alina Muller, Jesse Compher, or Grace Zumwinkle. Speed and youth will be a priority after going all in on Knight, especially in a few years. With only one forward on the roster, Boston will need some running mates for Knight, which will be a likely early priority in the draft.
Keller is a true number one
There are only a handful of true number one defenders in the PWHL, and Megan Keller is one. Others will step forward with the opportunity to join that list, but for now, Keller provides immediate muscle on the back end, and will be a core feature on Boston's powerplay.
By grabbing Keller, Marmer has given herself the freedom to build her blueline with up and coming players who can benefit from Keller's guidance.
If Marmer can land Boston staple Kali Flanagan, there might be no better top pairing in the league.
