PWHL Montreal finds themselves in a unique situation with two players out of their seven player draft class who hoped not to be picked by the team. Here are potential trade options for Amanda Kessel and Abigail Boreen.
PWHL Montreal finds themselves in a unique situation with two players out of their seven player draft class who hoped not to be picked by the team. Here are potential trade options for Amanda Kessel and Abigail Boreen.
Amanda Kessel and Abby Boreen are likely both trade bait candidates for PWHL Montreal as the offseason approaches, and now with drafted players in the mix, the options grow for what Montreal could seek in return for each players.
As The Hockey News' Pat Laprade first reported, Amanda Kessel only wanted to be selected by PWHL Boston in the draft which is why she dropped to the final round where Montreal scooped her, and because of her obligations to schooling and the fact she played with the team last season, Abigail Boreen wanted to be picked by PWHL Minnesota, before Montreal selected her. Boreen has stated she's excited for a new adventure in Montreal, and had stated prior to the draft she was open to playing anywhere. Kessel on the other hand did not address media prior to the draft, nor did she attend the 2024 PWHL Draft.
Now, Montreal has to figure out if the two will play in Montreal, or if a trade can be facilitated to the markets they had planned to play in.
Options For Trading Kessel To Boston
Right now, PWHL Boston has three right wingers in their lineup. One of those is Hilary Knight, who won't be going anywhere. If Montreal wanted a position for position swap, that leaves Loren Gabel and Theresa Schafzahl as options. Schafzahl was set to play in Montreal this season as a member of the Montreal Force before the PHF was acquired by the Mark Walter Group. Both players have value in Boston, so it's a question of whether or not Boston believes Kessel adds more value. Gabel and Kessel are both pure goal scorers, and if there's a chance a one for one deal happens, this could be it. But it's likely Boston would need to find a way to sweaten the pot, and without the ability to trade future draft picks, it's a difficult proposition.
It's believed another aspect that turned some teams away from Kessel was that she's seeking a large contract. Boston might be the only team who could accommodate such a request given they traded Sophie Jaques, who was on a three-year guaranteed contract shedding some cap.
If Montreal knew they were also moving on from Abby Boreen, bringing in size from a player like Taylor Girard. This is not an easy trade to make, but there are options on Boston's roster that could help Montreal. That said, Montreal won't be gifting Kessel to anyone, and in fact, it's likely Boston will need to part with a player they otherwise had no intentions to trade to get this done.
Options For Trading Boreen To Minnesota
It's almost impossible to see a scenario where Montreal can find a player they'd take back in return for Boreen from Minnesota's roster. The only player it seems could be a feasible choice is Denisa Křížová, but Montreal likely selected Boreen for her size and her net front presence. Křížová is a great player, but she plays a different style to Boreen. Klara Hymlarova would likely be a player of interest, but Minnesota showed they value Hymlarova more than Boreen as they chose Hymlarova 15th overall, two picks before Montreal grabbed Boreen.
Without the ability to trade draft picks, it's hard to see a deal emerging here. And considering Montreal used their own third round pick on Boreen, they'd likely be searching for a third and fourth next season in return, and that's only if the league opens up the ability to trade draft picks. Also, future drafts will have less pro ready talent in the middle rounds as many of the top European players are now in the league, and more picks will be coming out of the NCAA and U Sports.
It's had to see any combination of Minnesota's picks from rounds 4-7 intriguing Montreal as none of them are guaranteed to play in the league, and Boreen likely has more immediate impact on the table. In other words, Montreal knows the value of Boreen, and Boreen is excited to play, anywhere, so unless the perfect situation comes up, Boreen is likely in Montreal to stay. Couple with that Boreen's open statements that she would play anywhere, and the ingredients look like they'll culminate in the now former Minnesota player making her next hockey stop in Quebec.
With that in mind, it's highly likely we see Abby Boreen bringing her physical and hard driving style of hockey to the wing in Montreal this season making them a harder team to play against each night.