Mock Draft: Exploring How The Opening Rounds Of The 2026 PWHL Draft Might Unfold

The 2026 PWHL Draft order has been unveiled. It was an announcement met by excitement from fans in Vancouver and Seattle who kept their draft position at the top, and anger from fans in Seattle and Toronto who lost their draft positions despite the PWHL's own rules.

There's plenty of talent to go around, but the draft order dramatically changes how teams prepare to approach this process, and the positional gaps formed in expansion will have teams targeting needs over best available throughout.

Here's The Hockey News' 2026 PWHL Mock Draft.

A generational defender. Vancouver lost two defenders in expansion, and now they only D they need is sitting ready for them. She'll be a game changer for the Goldeneyes.

Forget the rankings, Laila Edwards is the player Seattle should select. They are shockingly thin on the blueline after losing Barnes, Carter, and Keopple in expansion, and Edwards' versatility is what they need. More than that, she's the type of person Seattle needs in their room.

Unless Manon Rhéaume finds a way to get out of what now looks like a very bad deal for PWHL Detroit in acquiring Hilary Knight, Dominique DiDia and Las Vegas are about to get a pair of offensive superstars. Murphy will be an immediate top ten scorer in the PWHL, and a menace on the ice. 

Janecke fits Troy Ryan and San Jose's mold so perfectly it hurts. She's a top centre, a physical two-way player, and she can produce. In other words, she's exactly the type of player San Jose needs and can build around.

Who needs to sign scoring when you can select scoring? Simms has magical hands and will lift Vegas fans out of their seats. Whether it's with Murphy or Edwards, Vegas now has an electrifying group up front.

With four defenders under contract, Lace Eden makes sense to fill out a wing. Hamilton could go a different direction here, especially if Brad Frost who is consulting with the team sells Meghan Duggan on the idea of Nelli Laitinen in her top four, but Eden would be a steal.

If New York were picking third overall, they would have been able to wait until round two for a goalie. Now, it seems impossible to avoid taking Brandli far earlier than should happen for New York, unless, as he did last year, Pascal Daoust makes a trade, likely down. 

Toronto needs scoring, so grabbing a hometown power forward capable of scoring from day one is the obvious decision. Plenty of D available here, but Toronto needs scoring. Watch for Wunder to the Sceptres.

Losing Kendall Cooper and Mae Batherson, Nelli Laitinen is a full replacement for half of that. She's a stellar blueliner with ties to the state, who can contribute on both sides of the puck.

Emma Peschel is best available, but Boston doesn't need another big defender, they need scoring. Nieminen comes with built in familiarity and chemistry with Susanna Tapani from Team Finland making this the obvious pick.

An obvious and nearly immediate replacement for Rory Guilday. Big two way defender who moves well, can be physical and can play top four minutes. 

Montreal will need to anchor Morrow to a defensive defender, but she is the answer to some significant losses including Ambrose and Gosling on the blueline. Morrow can provide offense from the backend while learning to pick her moments, but her offensive upside to help jumpstart what looks like a dynamic attack in Montreal will be welcomed.

After getting Harvey in round one, Vancouver can double-down, especially if they're losing Thompson, and add a defender who is physical, and takes care of her own zone first. If they can get these D, Vancouver will look very, very good.

Whether it's Swiderski or Vivian Jungels, Seattle still needs defensive help. Taking a D in the second round will be mandatory if they pick Murphy in the first. If they take Edwards, they could wait and instead grab one of the elite forwards still available.

In any other world, Detroit would take a goalie, or Little Caesars product Alyssa Biederman, but no other goalie belongs here, and Detroit needs defenders. Jungels adds another Wisconsin connection and is a mobile, two-way defender who would fit well.

It's like the gift horse keeps dropping presents in San Jose's lap. Holopainen is a skilled forward who can score from the wing. If San Jose does have Janecke and O'Neill down the middle, adding another winger before they switch to selecting blueliners is wise.

Even after getting a pair of star forwards in round one, Vegas should got for a third with their defensive group and crease looking solid. Vainikka brings diverse skill sets, can play the bumper on the power play, and is a speedy two-way presence with oodles of experience.

Hamilton has a stellar blueline, but you know what they don't have? A calming veteran. Gosling and Boyd are close, but Fortino, who wants to be in Hamilton, is the perfect fit for this roster, and to give Hamilton another leader who could wear a letter for their team.

If she's still available, and it's a major if, Biederman to New York is done. She's a buzz saw, she's relentless, and she can play alongside Kristyna Kaltounkova and score in bunches like hey did at Colgate under Sirens' head coach Greg Fargo. She's exactly the kind of player the Sirens need.

Toronto needs help down the middle, and they also need scoring. The scoring need could push Sloane Matthews, Lily Shannon, or Thea Johansson into their lap, but Adam is a familiar quantity to Kingsbury, and could shift to RW too.

Big, can score goals, from Minnesota. All the boxes are checked, and Minnesota has picked Northeastern products in the past. 

Played in Boston with Northeastern, and is an upgrade to Boston's second pairing. Gets pucks through, and good in both directions. Reigning Hockey East Defender of the Year.

Ottawa needs goal scoring, and they have a strong tie to Minnesota-Duluth products trusting how they play. Johansson was a top scorer at the Olympics, and is a character player Charge fans will love.

Doubling down on puck moving defenders, Borgiel will excel in this league due to her skating and ability to transport the puck.

Bouveng is a stellar playmaker. Whoever takes Abbey Murphy might actually shoot for Bouveng earlier to steal their Minnesota chemistry, but if she's free, Vancouver could find an upgrade on the wing.

It didn't go perfect last year when Seattle chose Jenna Buglioni from Ohio State, but Sloane Matthews is a different player, and she will be a solid middle six forward. She can play down the middle and Seattle has a third line centre role open.

Assuming Detroit gets a free agent goalie, they still need another, and the NCAA Goaltender of the Year is a good bet. They could also chase Hailey MacLeod or even Darya Gredzen, but Chan is the safe pick.

Time to take a defender and Troy Ryan has seen Regalado, a member of Canada's national development team for three years is very familiar to Troy Ryan.

A former client of DiDia's with CAA, Disher is a known quantity and would give Vegas a solid defensive defender.

With the abundance of talent and the style Hamilton is building, Iginla's two-way game would be a perfect fit for Hamilton's third line.

New York has picked Yale players before. DiAntonio is small, but dynamic. They could also choose Jordan Ray here. Both are dynamic forwards with elite offensive upside. Their left side is weak, so DiAntonio gets the nod.

Toronto needs scoring on the wing. Jordan Ray is a top offensive threat, and an intelligent player. 

Staying in the State of Hockey, Nelson seems like a prototypical Frost forward. Capable of two-way contribution.

Lighting fast, persistent, and capable of creative offensive production. And Marmer loves Quinnipiac.

Ottawa is going to takes shots in the dark, and the Russian connection is clear. This could be Maria Batalova or Nina Pirogova believing both could be in the top four in this league, which many presume, but few have the guts to make the pick. Bratishcheva however, is Fanuza Kadirova's former linemate, and Ottawa needs offensive help.

Some believe Gredzen is the best goalie in this draft, but she hasn't been tested. Still, at 22, giving her time to mentor under Ann-Renee Desbiens, where she doesn't need to play much at first, is ideal. Abstreiter will likely leave for more opportunities elsewhere, opening the door.