The PWHL rumour mill has been swirling this week that some of the biggest free agents remaining on the market are looking to join the Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire. But can Montreal afford it?
The PWHL expansion rumour mill has been swirling, and when Phase 6 of the PWHL expansion process opens, some believe three of those top remaining free agents could all end up in the same market.
Those players are Emma Maltais, Jessie Eldridge, and Abby Roque, and the market is Montreal.
But can the Montreal Victoire possibly afford to add one or more new stars when many wondered if they could even keep Roque when expansion started.
Montreal Has Money Come Free
Based on their 2025-26 salaries, not including built in or negotiated raises, the Montreal Victoire have lost Erin Ambrose ($84,872.00), Maureen Murphy ($84,872.00), Hayley Scamurra ($62,500.00), Nicole Gosling ($50,000.00) and $10,216 (Marie-Philip Poulin pay cut) from their salary cap this offseason.
That's $292,460.00 in cap space freed, potentially more depending on the raise Gosling was about to get.
It is then conceivable that Montreal could sign two of the three, or potentially all three. They'd still need to find some more affordable replacements lower in the lineup, but it would give Montreal an elite and experienced forward core.
Are They Actually Signing?
Since new PWHL contracts can't actually be signed until Phase 6, nothing is official until pen hits paper. But when those signings open, everyone expects Emma Maltais to join the Victoire.
While she talked to multiple markets, Jessie Eldridge is also rumoured to be destined for Montreal. If it's not done, it's very very close.
While it doesn't seem plausible, it's still possible Eldridge or Roque could end up in another market. There were rumblings of Roque talking to Boston to some length earlier in the process. Some believe Roque and Eldridge, who were linemates flanking Alex Carpenter in New York, or with Roque down the middle and Eldridge on her typical right wing, are interested in being reunited on the same team. It all leads to the belief Montreal may have found a way to now only bring in two stars, but to keep Abby Roque. While they may not get all three, they'll certainly get one, and likely more.
It would take an impressive bit of work from Victoire general manager Daniele Sauvageau, but after what she was able to bring to Montreal, including using extra funds after she convinced her veterans to take cuts to help the team win, nothing seems impossible.
That roster building, of course, resulted in the Montreal Victoire winning the PWHL's regular season title, and to also win their first Walter Cup title.