For the second straight season, there was only a single deal made on the PWHL Trade Deadline. Was there a winner and loser of the trade that sent Jincy Roese to the Minnesota Frost with the New York Sirens receiving Denisa Křížová?
The Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens made the only trade of the PWHL Trade Deadline, as the Frost acquired defender Jincy Roese with forward Denisa Křížová heading to the Sirens.
The lone PWHL Trade Deadline deal was the third trade of the season, and second of the season for Křížová, who was re-acquired by Minnesota from Vancouver on the eve of the 2025-26 campaign.
Both Teams Get A Positional Upgrade
The New York Sirens needed help up front, and the Minnesota Frost needed defensive depth. Both got what they needed.
Křížová adds another veteran presence to New York's young forward group, and will join the Sirens' middle six where they need stability and compete. Křížová has shown glimpses this season of a player who can contribute more offensively, but beneath Minnesota's high flying top six, that opportunity hasn't emerged. When Kristyna Kaltounkova returns, Křížová also has the potential to play a mentorship role with her Czech national teammate.
New York also had an abundance of defenders. With seven full time members of their roster, and two capable defenders in their reserve pool, New York had the flexibility to make a move.
In Minnesota, particularly following the injury of Natalie Buchbinder, Minnesota's lone deficiency heading to the playoffs was defensive depth. After signing Sam Cogan and getting Kendall Coyne Schofield back from LTIR, the Frost had depth up front.
After losing both Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson in expansion during the offseason, Minnesota hasn't had the same threat level from their blueline. Adding Roese, who is a bit of a risk taker defensively, but can generate offensively both on the power play and at five on five should make them a more dangerous team. For the PWHL's top offensive roster, that's not something opponents will enjoy.
Was There A Winner?
On the surface, this trade looks like the type of fair one-for-one that has become the norm in the PWHL. Without draft picks or prospects to trade, finding relatively evenly matched players to swap is key to PWHL trades.
Those trades however, rarely end up without a winner as chemistry is key in this league. As evidenced by the struggled of talent laden teams in Vancouver and Seattle, it's not just about stockpiling skill, it's about finding the right connections no and off the ice.
The same can be said about this deal. Roese and Křížová sit with similar stat lines, although they play different roles. How they meld with their new rosters will determine the eventual winner and loser of this swap.
For Minnesota the measure will be whether or not they can return to the Walter Cup finals. For New York, it will be the ability to end their losing skid and get back into the playoff picture.