When the PWHL was founded, teams were asked to sign at least six players to contracts worth at least $80,000. Initially, this mandate led to multiple players receiving inflated offers. While the majority of the league scrapes by making under $40,000 per season, there is an upper echelon salaried group making six figures, with several exceeding $120,000 USD per season, and a smaller handful reportedly making $150,000 or more.
While many PWHL fans are fearful of how their roster might be impacted by the subtraction of four core players, not to mention potential losses via free agency, the inaugural bidding war could save some players.
Inaugural Contracts Will Be Restrictive
There's a reason the PWHL set a suggested six player mark for contracts worth $80,000 or more. It's because the league planned to operate with a $55,000 average salary per team with a 3% increase annually. What we know however, is that it is possible to carry 7-8 players in this range, but it means housing primarily players at the very bottom of the salary grid to fill out rosters. For example, Minnesota currently has seven players signed to inaugural three-year contracts on their roster after acquiring Sophie Jaques early in year one.
With that in mind, don't expect PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle to select more than six players on this inaugural contracts either. Next year the league average will climb to $58,349.50, but almost the entirety of that increase will be eaten by draft picks with set salary tiers, and built in raises to the inaugural six salaries.
What it means is, there's a chance some of those players may go unselected as Seattle and Vancouver begin to plan their salaries.
How teams could benefit from salary restrictions?
As much as the PWHL expansion teams will need to watch their tab as it climbs with each selection, existing teams might take the alternative approach and keep higher priced players exposed. In particular, this tactic might come into play when teams have the ability to choose their fourth player to be protected where it makes more sense to protect a budget friendly contributor. There are two reasons an inaugural six team would do this. First, is because there is a less likely chance expansion teams will select high priced players with their final picks. Second, it could also be in hopes that expansion teams do select highly paid players to free cap space to re-sign existing players. There's no greater example than in Toronto where the team will hope to make a pitch for players like Kali Flanagan and Hannah Miller, and will also need to plan for a significant raise if they hope to keep Daryl Watts beyond net season. In New York, freeing themselves of one of the initial contracts is almost a must as the team will look to re-sign Sarah Fillier to a multi-year deal, and they'll also need to plan for whomever they pick first overall this year.
Who might slip through?
There are several highly paid players in the PWHL who come to mind when looking at players who could slip through unselected in the expansion draft. In Ottawa, Brianne Jenner comes to mind based on her salary, and the fact her production dipped this season. Jocelyne Larocque is another in Ottawa based on age and salary, regardless of how well she has played since being acquired b Ottawa, who could be protected by her contract. In Minnesota, it could make players like Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Nicole Hensley less attractive, although it would not be surprising to see each PWHL team select a goalie, and Hensley could be the pick given she's on the lower end of the highest paid players in the league. In Montreal, Kristin O'Neill and Maureen Murphy likely haven't produced enough to warrant selection for their cost, and despite her outstanding performance, it could save a player like Laura Stacey if exposed initially in the second round of protections. For Boston, Jamie Lee Rattray is a likely pass from the new rosters, and Boston will desperately need her to find a way to score in a top six role next year compared to the fourth line spot she fell to by the end of this year. New York will want to lose someone and they'll certainly have to expose Abby Roque, Micah Zandee-Hart, Jessie Eldridge, and Jaime Bourbonnais off the bat. And based on their approach, that list could also include Ella Shelton or Alex Carpenter, although it's probable one or both is protected. New York will lose 1-2 of these players and although it will hurt now, it will also help them re-shape their roster to include Fillier and potentially Kristyna Kaltounkova in top six scoring roles. Finally in Toronto, given her fall at the end of the season, Kristen Campbell is the most likely to have her contract dissuade selection, and it's highly likely Blayre Turnbull or Savannah Harmon could also be salvaged due to finances alone.
While the PWHL expansion draft rules look bleak, the facts are that PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle won't be able to cherry pick the top paid players from every team. They'll be able to make 5-6 selections in this price range before shifting their attention to players on shorter and more affordable contracts.