The New York Sirens are the only team in the PWHL's short history to select first overall more than once. They did it in 2024 choosing Canadian forward Sarah Fillier, and they did it again in 2025 picking Czech forward Kristyna Kaltounkova. Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust doubled down in 2025 making a major trade to acquire the third overall pick which they used on talented American forward Casey O'Brien.
It was a complete refresh for the Sirens who finished last overall in the PWHL's first two seasons. With their roster no longer guided by veterans like Alex Carpenter, Ella Shelton, Jessie Eldridge, Abby Roque, and Corinne Schroeder, who all left via expansion or trade this offseason, the opportunity for a new direction in New York is clear. That direction could come with significant bumps in the road as New York's young stars face off against veteran laden teams across the league. That direction will also come with excitement.
And for the first time, the Sirens are headed on a multi-year path and plan after Daoust successfully locked in multiple members of his young core long term.
Fillier and Kaltounkova Commit
Last summer there was plenty of speculation surrounding the lengthy delay in New York getting Sarah Fillier under contract, and then critique when it culminated in only a one-year deal. But New York was rewarded with Fillier tying Hilary Knight for the league lead in scoring, and running away with the PWHL's Rookie of the Year Award.
When the season ended, New York got to work protecting Fillier in the expansion process, and then signing her to a two-year extension, which at the time made her the highest paid player in the PWHL.
The next order of business for New York was getting this year's first overall pick, Czech national team member Kristyna Kaltounkova to sign. When the calendar flipped to September, the Sirens made that happen as well, this time avoiding a single year pact and instead inking Kaltounkova for three-years.
It means New York is no longer playing year-to-year, instead they've got their top two young players locked in for multiple seasons. Signing O'Brien might take longer and could result in a one-year contract for the Wisconsin grad, but with O'Brien's rights protected for two seasons, along with Anne Cherkowski and others, the Sirens look like a team that will be trending up.
Expansion Is The X-Factor
The PWHL's highly critiqued expansion plan gutted almost all of the work teams had been able to do in terms of roster building following their foundational signings. With the exception of Sarah Fillier, every first round pick from the 2024 PWHL Draft, a list including Danielle Serdachny, Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes, Julia Gosling, and Claire Thompson, were all claimed in expansion by Vancouver and Seattle.
For teams like the Montreal Victoire, they lost almost their entire 2024 Draft class with Barnes, Jennifer Gardiner, Abby Boreen, and Anna Wilgren all being selected in expansion. It was an issue compounded for the Victoire by selected Amanda Kessel who, as it turns out, did not intend to play in the league unless Boston selected her. The Toronto Sceptres were in a similar boat losing Gosling, Megan Carter, and Izzy Daniel, their first three picks.
For New York, entering 2025-26 with as much young talent as they have, the team will need to hope and pray that PWHL expansion takes a year hiatus, or that the league comes to their senses when it comes to shuffling young players year after year. Under the expansion rules that just passed, New York would be able to protect Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O'Brien, but they would lose all of their secondary scoring and this time around, likely watch their blueline be erased. It's not a process New York could weather and remain at all competitive.
At the moment however, New York's future looks bright, and it's a future that for the first time with their young players extends beyond the season to come.