Looking At The Top Available Players For PWHL Expansion Teams With Phase Two Set To Open

Phase One of PWHL expansion is over. The league's eight existing teams have each selected and signed their three players to protect.

Now however, the player dispersal process hits the first step that will result in PWHL expansion teams in Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, and San Jose adding five players each as they begin building their inaugural rosters.

With players like Daryl Watts, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Julia Gosling, Claire Thompson, Hilary Knight, Grace Zumwinkle, Jessie Eldridge, Abby Roque, and others were left exposed, there will be no shortage of excitement, and big name players moving markets during Phase 2 of expansion.

Each PWHL expansion team has one binding Expansion Franchise Offer that would lock a player into a $100,000 (or more) contract. The other players entering expansion still have choice, and could decide to continue riding out the process until Phase Three when they can again sign with their existing team, and any team in the league.

But many of the available free agents will sign with expansion teams in order to get higher salaries. Toronto's inability to sign and protect Daryl Watts could mean the Canadian national team star will in fact be heading to a new team. The rumors of Kendall Coyne Schofield looking at Detroit remain, but she's also a player who could have no intention of leaving Minnesota at this point in her career, and even with an EFO, it could be difficult to force Coyne Schofield elsewhere. Team USA and Seattle captain Hilary Knight was left exposed in Seattle, and could be on the move for the second straight season continuing to collect new jerseys. Knight however, clearly stated she'd like to remain in Seattle. 

The league and union touted this year's PWHL expansion as preserving player choice, but the reality could be very different with expansion teams seeing the available talent pool of signed players. 

From Alina Muller, Britta Curl-Salemme, Hannah Bilka, Jesse Compher, and Emily Clark, there are Olympians sitting available up front. The blueline is perhaps the biggest area teams will see value in signed players with Kendall Cooper, Rory Guilday, Nicole Gosling, Ashton Bell, Kati Tabin and others on the market. The crease will see plenty of action as well after seven of the league's existing eight teams protected goaltenders.