When the PWHL was formed, the six PWHL teams were formed, and contracts signed based on the name recognition and reputation of players from international events. It was an imperfect science causing many players to be overpaid, and others drastically underpaid, and some to be locked into lucrative three-year guaranteed contracts ahead of players better built for success in the PWHL.
That won't happen this time around.
Heading into the 2025 PWHL expansion draft and exclusive signing window, the league's newest general managers, Meghan Turner for PWHL Seattle and Cara Gardner Morey for PWHL Vancouver, will be able to build their team based on actual results in the league.
No One Knew What The PWHL Would Bring
It's hard to fault the inaugural general managers for some of their missed signings and selections, because no one knew what the on ice product in the PWHL would look like. In the NHL, stars are paid as stars for their performance in the NHL. In the PWHL, stars were paid as stars for their performance outside of the PWHL.
It was an inexact science and it shows in how several players who most expected would thrive, struggled. Conversely, many of the lesser known names in the women's game stepped forward to make considerable contributions to their teams over the last two years.
Hindsight is 20/20, and in the PWHL, PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle will have the benefit of hindsight on behalf of the original six teams. The existing teams also have that knowledge when choosing who to protect with their initial three selections, and fourth after the process has begun.
But from top to bottom, the PWHL's two newest teams have a distinct advantage of two seasons to evaluate the player pool, and to learn what type of player, and what attributes lead to success in the league. With that however, there will also be added pressure on the two new general managers to not "miss" on their expansion picks and signings, and to build a team while managing the contracts others signed for their players.
Making Picks Based On Performance
Prior to the PWHL, no one knew how successful players coming from the PHF, PWHPA, NCAA, U Sports, and Europe would be when they arrived in the league. The lesson learned is that it doesn't matter where you played before, it only mattered how you played.
Certainly many of the biggest names in the game from Marie-Philip Poulin to Renata Fast, Hilary Knight to Kendall Coyne Schofield have performed well, although even Knight took a season to adjust to the league.
But others who were passed over in free agency and several rounds of the draft have stepped forward to vastly outperform some of the bigger name players with national team experience. Members of the PWHL's top 25 in scoring this year like Shiann Darkangelo, Hannah Miller, Tereza Vanisova, and Daryl Watts were all passed over in favour of others. Similarly, defenders like Kati Tabin, Allie Munroe, Kali Flanagan, Sidney Morin, Emily Brown and Aneta Tejralova all stepped forward into significant roles.
As the expansion draft progresses, the PWHL's two new teams will certainly open with many of the top performers the league has come to know. With their final picks, when the consideration of salary cap also comes into greater consideration, the expansion teams will also look for younger players who have shown they can have an impact in the league on bargain salaries. This list could see players like Brooke McQuigge, Shay Maloney, Mannon McMahon, or Anna Wilgren.
Whichever direction the new teams go, they'll be working with the benefit of knowing what works in this league and what doesn't, and it's a prospect that will make them even more competitive from day one.