PWHL teams know there will be a shortage of starting goaltenders next season in the PWHL, unless they're willing to roll the dice on an unproven netminder. It could lead to more goalies than expected being protected, and those who are not getting sizeable raises.
When you looked at the PWHL's top four teams this season, they all came with goaltenders sitting in the top five in the league statistically.
For the second straight season, three of those goalies — Ann-Renee Desbiens, Aerin Frankel, and Gwyneth Philips — are the finalists for PWHL Goaltender of the Year.
They were joined by Maddie Rooney, who backstopped Minnesota to a Walter Cup in 2025, and played a key role in getting Minnesota back to the playoffs again this year.
The fifth goaltender in the mix at the top of the PWHL's statistical ladder this season was Toronto Sceptres netminder Raygan Kirk.
The group were the PWHL's top five netminders in both save percentage and goals against average.
When looking at goaltending depth across the PWHL, the position where depth will be impacted most with a four team expansion is in net. And although there are a handful of solid netminders entering the 2026 PWHL Draft, there's no guarantee any will immediately step into this upper echelon.
Andrea Brandli could be tasked with a starting job from day one after a stellar NCAA career, an SDHL Goaltender of the Year award, and this year being named Best Goaltender at the Olympics. Tia Chan is also the reigning NCAA Goaltender of the Year, an honor once held by Frankel and Philips. And there are others like Ohio State's Hailey MacLeod, Russian wildcard Darya Gredzen, former NCAA Goaltender of the Year Michelle Pasiechynk, and Penn State standout Katie DeSa. Add in Saskia Maurer, Grace Campbell, and Emma-Sofie Nordström, and the goaltending depth in the PWHL will be fine.
But at the top, teams have recognized the value of an elite goalie in the PWHL compared to other leagues.
Goaltenders Expected To Be Protected
Montreal has already stated they'll protect Ann-Renee Desbiens as one of their three expansion protected players. It doesn't need to be said in Ottawa and Boston where Philips and Frankel will also be protected.
On the opening day of the PWHL expansion process, it started to become clear that Minnesota, despite their abundance of high end free agent forwards, is leaning toward protecting Maddie Rooney. Through their negotiations and roster discussions, the importance of goaltending was a topic the Frost communicated.
Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey alluded to the importance of goaltenders and securing the position in expansion, which most believe means the Goldeneyes will use one of their three slots on Emerance Maschmeyer.
The other team that might protect their goaltender is Toronto, but they'll need to sign Raygan Kirk first as she's the lone free agent goaltender in this mix.
Top Targets In Net For Expansion
Kayle Osborne's phone has been ringing as one of the busiest goaltenders in the PWHL. Her early season play last year for the New York Sirens kept them in a playoff spot and earned her a national team spot with Team Canada until the Olympics. Returning from Milan, Osborne struggled, and the Sirens slipped from postseason contention.
But she's a PWHL starter, and with four new teams looking for a goalie, her services are in demand.
The same can be said for Raygan Kirk, a free agent who could be in contention for one of Toronto's protections. If she's not, Kirk will be receiving offers from other teams, as she was the main reason Toronto stayed in the playoff hunt as long as they did this season. Most expected Kirk and Elaine Chuli to split games this season, but Kirk won the spot as Toronto's unquestioned starter.
Beyond that pair, Kristen Campbell, Corinne Schroeder, Hannah Murphy, and Nicole Hensley are the next best options. Hensley, a pending free agent will certainly be on the move to take over a starting role. Campbell, Schroeder, and Murphy, however, are a little more restricted as they remais under contract in Vancouver and Seattle.
Sandra Abstreiter will also be in the mix for more, but she has seen limited starts. That said, she performed well in five games this season with Montreal.
Goaltending has played a significant role in deciding which teams climb to the top of the PWHL standings, and which teams fall. It's no surprise then, that teams are paying extra attention to the position early in the PWHL expansion player dispersal process.