One Camp Battle To Watch For Every PWHL Team

PWHL training camps are only weeks away, and there's already a lot to look forward to including some of the fierce battles shaping up for roster spots. Here's a look at one training camp battle to watch for each PWHL team.

There are a few battles here to watch. Seeing who Kaleigh Fratkin displaces on the Boston blueline will be one to watch, as there's a high likelihood she will usurp Jess Healey and Emma Buckles, and potentially climb into Boston's top four. The real battle however, will be for the final three forward spots on the roster. There are three spots available for Amanda Pelkey, McKenna Brand, Samantha Isbell, Sammy Davis, Nicole Kosta, Gigi Marvin, and Taylor Wenczkowski. 

This will be a fierce competition as each is a seasoned professional player who brings different attributes to the roster. Pelkey and Marvin are former national team members, Brand is one of the PHF's all-time leaders, and the list of accolades could go one. Boston will have a strong fourth line composed of these players despite the fact they lost Tatum Skaggs, a draft pick of the team's, due to personal reasons for the season.

There's competition to watch up and down Minnesota's lineup. In net, seeing whether Minnesota goes with Maddie Rooney or Amanda Leveille to back up Nicole Hensley in net. On the blueline, the real competition might begin after the first waiver wire additions as Minnesota will examine every option to fill their void here. But in terms of a battle to watch, it's among Minnesota young incoming invites looking to snag the final forward spot(s). Brittyn Fleming may have a slight edge given that she's got pro experience with the Minnesota Whitecaps, but Abigail Boreen and Catie Skaja who are both coming off strong senior seasons at the University of Minnesota. Claire Butorac and Brooke Bryant will also be in the mix. There's a lot of talent in this group, and it could be a positional decision, or one based on who can fill a bottom six role now, with potential to chip in offensively as they develop. Right now, the most likely trio vying for that spot are Skaja, Boreen, and Fleming.

One spot remains on the blueline, and one, maybe two up front depending on what happens with Lina Ljungblom. Up front, there's plenty of good options in Sarah Bujold, Leah Lum, and Alex Poznikoff, among others. The most obvious battle for a roster spot however, will come on the back end. Montreal has already acquired an intriguing mix of veterans and youth with PHF standouts Kati Tabin and Dominika Laskova, along with national team star Erin Ambrose, and the young duo of Maude Poulin-Labelle and Madison Bizal. A lot of analytics went into the draft in Montreal, but when camp opens, those predictions will go out the window as the coaching staff and GM finally get to see these players in action head-to-head. Catherine Daoust, Mariah Koepple, and Brigitte Laganière are likely fighting for two roster spots. Daoust has the edge as the most experienced of the three, although Laganière matched her offensive output with the Montreal Force last season and had a strong rookie campaign. Koepple on the other hand is by far the youngest of the three, and may have more upside when all is said and done. 

Roster spots are wide open in New York up front. New York has goaltending depth and a strong blueline core, but their forward corps is a group that will certainly find themselves fighting for where they fit in the lineup. Looking at New York's lineup, Abby Roque and Alex Carpenter will run the top two lines, but who will flank them? Jessie Eldridge is a good bet, as are Elizabeth Giguere and Chloe Aurard, but who and where? Jill Saulnier is another potential fit, and Jade Downie-Landry could be shifted to the wing if New York feels they're lacking scoring. How and were will Emma Woods fit? Could Madison Packer jump into the top six? It's all up in the air. Making New York will be one thing, and their top line should be easy enough to pencil in, but the competition for a middle six spot up front on opening night will be an ongoing process.

A handful from Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Becca Gilmore, Natalie Snodgrass, Akane Shiga, Fanni Gasparics, Rosalie Demers, Liliane Perreault, and Malia Schneider will be cut. No team in the PWHL will be releasing talent up front like Ottawa, and other teams will be waiting and watching to see who Ottawa releases, as it could come down as much to position as anything. The real battle to watch in Ottawa however, if for the final spot on the blueline. Ottawa is bringing two veteran pros to camp in Saroya Tinker and Tori Horwan. If one of those players is released, Minnesota will likely pounce. Given the fact Ottawa current has four left handed and only two right handed blueliners on the roster, Tinker has the edge. She also bring a ton to the community, the dressing room, and is one of the few true shutdown defenders in the league.

It wouldn't be a shock to see Lauriane Rougeau or Emma Keenan steal a roster spot from a drafted defender. It also wouldn't be surprising to see Toronto bring in waiver wire releases from other clubs to evaluate up front. They have potentially the best top six in the league, but also have only a handful of forwards attending camp, headlines by Samantha Cogan and Jess Jones. The obvious battle in Toronto's training camp however is in net. Kristen Campbell is the starter, and will take a heavy percentage of the games this season. Behind her however, are only openings. Erica Howe, Carly Jackson, and Amanda Mäkelä are the three goaltenders coming to camp. They may not be the only goalies Toronto is considering depending how other camp competitions play out. With no development system, most teams are expected to keep a third goaltender whether it's on their official roster or as a reserve, but at the moment, Toronto is focused on their backup role. It's a complete toss up right now, but Howe and Jackson are the likely two looking to earn that role.