PWHL New York will need to use every pick they have at the 2024 PWHL Draft to help remodel their roster into one that's more competitive moving forward. Here's a look at their biggest needs at the 2024 PWHL Draft.
PWHL teams are bound to change dramatically this offseason, not only through free agency, but through the draft. Looking at this season's rosters, some teams have glaring needs that will require deeper changes, while others will only need small alterations.
At the 2024 PWHL Draft, 42 players will see their rights added to the organization depth charts of the PWHL. Here's a look at PWHL New York's biggest needs at the 2024 PWHL Draft.
Returning Players
New York has Alex Carpenter, Abby Roqie, Jessie Eldridge, Chloe Aurard, Elizabeth Giguere, Jill Saulnier, Jade Downie-Landry, Ella Shelton, Micah Zandee-Hart, Jaime Boubonnais, and Brooke Hobson under contract next year. This group accounts for New York's top seven scorers, but there's also problems within it. Good, bad, or ugly, this is New York's core next year.
New York's Biggest Needs At The PWHL Draft
New York has significant needs across the lineup. With Carpenter, Roque, and Downie-Landry all on multi-year contracts down the middle, and scoring an issue, New York will need to target 2-3 scoring wingers, in the draft. They will also need to pay specific attention to players who can play a two-way game. Picking first overall, New York could choose Sarah Fillier and shift her or another player to the wing, or target Julia Gosling with their second pick and do the same.
In particular, New York's left wing needs help, so there is a realistic chance if New York selects first, they could go with Hannah Bilka. Beyond Bilka, wingers like Izzy Daniel, Britta Curl, Jennifer Gardiner, Noemi Neubauerova, and the versatile Klara Hymlarova would all be upgrades in New York. Whoever they pick, character needs to be at the forefront, off ice and on ice.
Defend, Defend, Defend
New York also needs defensive help, and not in terms of adding more offensively minded blueliners. This will start with adding more defensively responsible forwards, but it will also require defenders who can...defend. If she slides to round two, Daniela Pejsova would be an excellent fit for New York. She's mobile and skilled enough to play New York's forward moving game, but responsible enough to keep herself in position and focus on protecting her own zone first. NCAA grads Allyson Simpson and Megan Carter would also fit. New York needs to replace a pairing on the back end, but will likely spend their other five picks on forwards, and they'll still need to use the free agent market to get the help they need. It will be tempting to take Claire Thompson as she was technically listed as a reserve on their roster this year (although ineligible to play due to visa issues), her style is too close to Bourbonnais, Shelton, and Zandee-Hart. Perhaps it's not a question of who New York has on the blueline, but rather how they're being asked to play. All of these players can defend, but the system they're in encourages them to drive the offense their forwards are struggling to produce, and it's leaving New York's zone and goaltenders in danger.
Finally, it may not come in the draft, as New York doesn't have a lot of wiggle room and they'll need every pick they have to make their roster more competitive, but New York could be in the market for another goalie. This likely means they don't see Abbey Levy as an answer moving forward, while Corinne Schroeder has remained one of the best in the league despite the quantity and quality of shots she's facing. The answers there are Klara Peslarova, Gwyneth Philips, Ena Nystrom, or Gwyneth Philips. There aren't many goalies within the league who will be trading places, so looking outside to fill this spot will be their task.
Who goes first overall?
Some refer to the first overall debate as a three horse race. That group would be Danielle Serdachny, Sarah Fillier, and Hannah Bilka. Despite their accolades and national team experience, Serdachny has actually been the best of the three both internationally and collegiately over the last 12 months. Serdachny and Fillier are natural centers, but have played the wing internationally and could do the same in New York. This will be a debate of who the team likes best. All three are impact players for the next decade. Cayla Barnes is the consensus top defender, but New York (or Boston) will certainly select one of these offensive weapons first. Fillier is the odds on favorite, and she has the star power to disrupt New York's roster hierarchy in a good way.