Keys To Success: Boston Fleet

Things don't look great for the Boston Fleet's playoff hopes on paper, but then again, they didn't last season either. And the Fleet powered through becoming the first team in the PWHL to secure a playoff spot. 

When it came time for award season, the Fleet took home MVP and Goaltender of the Year honors to Aerin Frankel, Defender of the Year in Megan Keller, and Coach of the Year for Kris Sparre. 

Boston will look to again prove critics wrong and play their way to a winning season. They lost Alina Muller, Jamie Lee Rattray, Jessie Eldridge, Hadley Hartmetz, Daniela Pejsova, Riley Brengman, Hannah Brandt, Mia Biotti, Zoe Boyd, Abey Levy and Naomi Neubauerova to expansion, free agency, and for Brandt, retirement. It's a lot of loss that the Fleet just weren't able to recuperate, but the PWHL's talent pool as a whole is slightly diluted this season.

If Boston can find the keys to success, they could suprise.

Last season Megan Keller and Haley Winn were the best defensive pairing in the PWHL. They played major minutes, nearly half the game every game for Boston. They also finished first and third in team scoring with Keller leading the way with 22 points, and Winn with 19, behind only Alina Muller. As the Fleet's top returning point getters, Keller and Winn not only need to be the best defensive pairing in the league, but also the best offensive duo from the blueline. This pair needs to be at their best. The addition of Grace Dwyer should be a boost, and veteran Amanda Boulier is steady, but Keller and Winn are still the backbone of this team at both ends of the ice.

Assuming the Fleet don't become the highest scoring team in the PWHL this season, they're doing to need Aerin Frankel as a team that will win some low scoring games. Frankel is the reigning PWHL MVP and Goaltender of the Year, and won Olympic gold backstopping USA in 2026 as well. If she stays healthy, and plays the bulk of Boston's games, they have a chance to win on any given night. Having a netminder like Fankel in net allows a team to play a more open, forward pushing game, and Boston needs that. Amanda Thiele is next in line behind Frankel. She may be able to step in and provide solid goaltending as well, but it won't be to Frankel's level, and it could come with growing pains if Thiele has to learn on the fly. The best case scenario for Boston this season is a healthy Aerin Frankel, because she's a game changer.

Susanna Tapani must be at her best. She's Boston's top forward, and she'll have support from Abby Newhook, if she can repeat her rookie performance, but there's not a lot of proven scoring in this lineup. What there is, is a lot of depth and experience. There are players like Liz Schepers who have big game goals to their name, or an Olympic gold medalist like Jill Saulnier, or the gritty Shay Maloney and two-way Sophie Shirley who could step up and contribute. But it's players doing it in roles they've yet to consistently see in the PWHL. For Boston, it might mean more systems, set plays, and a focus on special teams. But the Fleet are going to need to find a way to score, whether they're pretty or gritty, it won't matter.

Francois Methot has a lot of playing experience. He's also a well respected skills coach who has worked with a number of PWHL players. He has head coaching experience the past three seasons with the NAHL's Rochester Jr. Americans. But not every coach has stepped into the PWHL and had success. Several, including both head coaches of the league's two expansion teams in Seattle and Vancouver, have not found immediate success. How quickly Methot can grasp the intricacies of the league, and identify what he has on his roster, and what the Fleet need to be successful, will in part decide their season.

With the loss of players like Muller, Eldridge, and Rattray, there's some offense to replace. Unfortunately for Boston, they didn't find a free agent addition on the market, and they spent their top picks at the draft on replacing their defensive losses. The best option for Boston is to find growth from within. Second year forwards Abby Newhook, Ella Huber, and Olivia Mobley are the key figures in this equation. Newhook had seven goals and 14 points last season as a rookie, outperforming many players picked ahead of her in the draft across the league. Ella Huber got her looks up front as well, but this year should be a lock to step into Boston's top six and stay there. She needs to be a contributor offensively this season, and it needs to be every night. Olivia Mobley missed the bulk of last season after a spectacular start. A full season from Mobley will be a key addition to their attack.