PWHL Ottawa addressed many of their needs at the draft, and now it's up to GM Mike Hirshfeld to finish re-signing his top players from last year. Here's a look at how PWHL Ottawa's current depth chart looks.
PWHL Ottawa addressed many of their needs at the draft, and now it's up to GM Mike Hirshfeld to finish re-signing his top players from last year. Here's a look at how PWHL Ottawa's current depth chart looks.
Following the draft, there aren't too many pieces left in PWHL Ottawa's puzzle. That is, as long as they can re-sign Daryl Watts and Katerina Mrazova. If Ottawa can't sign the duo, they'll actually enter next season with less scoring potential than they had this year, although adding Danielle Serdachny to their top line is a significant boost. Similarly, Ronja Savolainen will jumpstart offense from the back end.
Here's a look at Ottawa's depth chart following the draft.
Forwards
If Daryl Watts and Katerina Mrazova re-sign, this is an excellent top nine with proven chemistry, added size and depth, and more scoring options. Being able to move Gabbie Hughes down to the third line, and lining up Anna Meixner across from Tereza Vanisova makes this not only a veteran line that can be physical, but it also is a highly skilled line that can create in various ways.
Defenders
Ottawa fans rejoice. You once again have a full cupboard of defenders, even if an injury arises. Ronja Savolainen is an immediate boost to Ottawa's top four, where she'll provided size, snarl, and two-way impact. She can play the powerplay, she can transport the puck, and she can be down right mean. The fact this pushes Jincy Roese down to not be stuck defending top lines, and she can be paired with a more defensively reliable defender, probably Stephanie Markowski or Zoe Boyd depending how that camp battle plays out, and that the team still has big defender Madeline Wethington to push this depth, it's a great sign for Ottawa.
Goaltenders
No matter how much fans loved Sandra Abstreiter, the team needed an upgrade at the position. They got it in Gwyneth Philips, who is a goalie who could step in, get hot, and steal starts from Emerance Maschmeyer. It's a healthy situation to have where these two can push each other as a tandem, with the hot hand playing. More teams in elite leagues are going with 1A/1B goaltending pairs, not simply a starter and a backup, and Ottawa certainly has two goaltenders who can step in.
What are their needs?
Presumably, Ottawa's blueline is done. They have eight defenders in the organization and unless they feel there's a significant upgrade among the free agents available, this group looks set. In net, the same could be said aside from signing a third goalie, which at this point Sandra Abstreiter remains the leading candidate. Finally, up front, they need to get their big signings done, and then focus on hand picking 2-3 forwards to fill out their depth. It's spot work from here on out for Ottawa, but as GM Mike Hirshfeld proved last season, he's not afraid to make a move.