The PWHL announced its draft order for the 2026 PWHL Draft, and for the Ottawa Charge, that means they'll draft 11th overall and then second-to-last in each of the following five rounds.
The Ottawa Charge enter the 2026 PWHL Draft with the 11, 23, 35, 47, 59 and 71 overall selections, and after seeing two top forwards, a top defender, and a gritty defensive forward all part with the organization through expansion, decisions have to be made in order to capitalize on those six selections.
"The best player available is always our approach through the first two rounds," said General Manager Mike Hirshfeld. "We've got some spots to fill in our forward group, we've got some spots to fill in our defender group, but the one area I know we're not drafting is goaltender." Hirshfeld also noted that draft day trades were a possibility.
When it comes to the draft, much of the talk has centred on the top-tier talent available in the first few picks, highlighted, of course, by the generational talent of defender Caroline Harvey. But the available talent doesn't end there, and as has been demonstrated as recently as last year's draft, the Charge have a knack for drafting very well, as Fanuza Kadirova fans will attest.
"We do a lot of work into the background of each of these players," Hirshfeld said. "We're looking for, first of all, who's a good person, who's a good teammate, who looks out for their teammates. We're looking for players who have strong character, and what are they willing to do in terms of the physical side of the game. Those would be some of the key ingredients."
Now that the organization has a clear view of the players lost through expansion and the draft order itself, the following are some options available to the Charge with the top three selections, along with why each would be a good fit for the organization.
First Round: Sydney Morrow (D), University of Minnesota
2025-26: 39GP | 8G | 30A | 38PTS
The Darien, CT, native has played the past two seasons at the University of Minnesota and continues to be one of the top-scoring defenders in the NCAA, finishing second in the country among defenders with 30 assists. She slows the game down and sees it at a very high level. Morrow also plays a physical style game, which speaks to what Hirshfeld mentioned.
Fast fact: Minnesota posted a 21-2-0 record when Morrow recorded a point.
Second Round: Thea Johansson (F), University of Minnesota-Duluth
2025-26: 30GP | 17G | 6A | 23PTS
The native of Ljungby, SWE has been a consistent offensive force throughout her collegiate career, dating back to her time at Mercyhurst. But more than that is her ability to be just as strong away from the puck, closing gaps and playing strong defensively. She brings an unmatched work ethic that drives individual success and sets the bar for the team. She's also great at finding lanes and generating chances.
Fast fact: Johansson led Sweden in scoring at the 2026 Olympics with four goals and three assists in seven games.
Third Round: Tereza Pištěková (F), SDE HF
2025-26: 34GP | 6G | 19A | 25PTS
Pištěková is a native of Tabor, CZE, and has good size at 5'9" and isn't afraid to be physical. Disciplined, experienced both domestically and internationally alongside head coach Carla MacLeod with Team Czechia, Pištěková can kill penalties just as well as she can play on the offensive side of the puck.
Fast fact: Pištěková, at only 21, already has three World Championship tournaments and an Olympic Games on her resume. Talk about experience.
The 2026 PWHL Draft offers another opportunity for teams to add to their rosters without the possibility of expansion looming on the horizon once again. And for the Ottawa Charge, the potential of adding the likes of Sydney Morrow, Thea Johansson and Tereza Pištěková to a group led by Rebecca Leslie, Gabbie Hughes and Gwyneth Philips will provide excitement for fans in the nation's capital heading into next season.