It's the opening day of PWHL Free Agency. The market has already been pillaged for talent, but there remains impactful players out there that teams will covet, and attempt to sign. Here's a look on the opening day.
With the PWHL expansion process and 2026 PWHL Draft in the books, it's time for free agency to open. All unsigned players across the league, aside from qualified restricted free agents, are now on the open market and will be receiving calls to help fill in roster spots.
Each team can sign up to 19 players ahead of training camp, but no team is up against that yet. Entering free agency, Boston (9), Detroit (10), Hamilton (9), Las Vegas (8), Minnesota (8), Minnesota (9), New York (8), Ottawa (10), San Jose (10), Seattle (11), Toronto (7), and Vancouver (11) all have a start to their rosters with signed players, but all have significant room before they reach the 19 player mark.
Who Are The Restricted Free Agents?
The league's restricted free agents had to receive qualifying offers (3% raise) by June 18 to have their rights retained. These are players who were drafted last season in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Some of those players have already been qualified as a means to expansion protection in including Casey O'Brien in Phase 1 and Abby Newhook, Fanuza Kadirova, and Sarah Wozniewicz in Phase 4. Other notable players who will need to have received qualifying offers include Michelle Karvinen, Sanni Ahola, Skylar Irving, Kiara Zanon, Sara Hjalmarsson, Clara Van Wieren, Anna Bargman, Dayle Ross, Calle Shanahan, and Peyton Hemp, who is a member of PWHL Hamilton.
Will The New York Sirens Sign A Goalie?
Unless you believe the Sirens are set to skate 6-on-5 all season, or that they'll run it back with only Calle Shanahan and Kaley Doyle, the answer is unequivocally, yes. Many questioned New York passing on netminders throughout the 2026 PWHL Draft, but this is a team that always has a trick up their sleeve. The top available netminders include Elaine Chuli, Sandra Abstreiter, and Abbey Levy. It's not a wealth by any means, but New York, if they can sign Chuli and/or Abstreiter will be sitting in a much more advantageous and comfortable spot than they current are. Chuli has the most experience, but Abstreiter has the upside. The only other option out there for New York is finding a way to make a deal with Vancouver for Kristen Campbell. Campbell is on a club friendly contract in Vancouver, and doesn't seem to want to move. If she wants to be a starter, New York is the spot, but finding a return that makes sense for both teams is more of a challenge.
Are We About To See Montreal's Big Splash?
Emma Maltais signing with Montreal is one of the PWHL's worst kept secrets, but nothing is official in this league until the pen hits the paper and the league approves the move. Montreal doesn't have a ton of cap room, and when they selected Petra Nieminen in the first round of the draft, it caused some to pause and wonder if it's only Maltais, and not Maltais and Eldridge as many anticipated. There's believe Abby Roque, who already re-signed with Montreal, wanted to be reunited with Eldridge, and the duo may have agreed to Montreal with that in mind, but it's all speculation until a signing is announced. Eldridge has certainly fielded calls from almost every team in the league as the last big name scorer on the market.
All signs continue to point toward Emma Maltais and Jessie Eldridge heading to Montreal. Will such a move put Montreal in a position where we start talking about a trade?
Time For The Re-Signing Veterans
After early speculation tying Kendall Coyne Schofield to Detroit, that chatter ceased, and instead turned to messaging from Coyne Schofield's camp, similar to Blayre Turnbull in Toronto, that neither intended to go anywhere. There's no guarantee Coyne Schofield stays in Minnesota as she hasn't publicly stated that's her intent, but it would take a miracle to see Turnbull leave Toronto at this point.
Many believe Allie Munroe is expected to stay in Toronto as well to fill out their top four, especially after Kali Flanagan re-signed in Toronto, although Munroe may be open to seeing how large of a pay raise might be available on the open market.
One name that remains a major question mark is Claire Thompson in Vancouver. Most believe that the level of uncertainty in Thompson's future related to returning to medical school must be leaning toward leaving hockey, as her value in expansion was too high to ignore otherwise.
Top Remaining Unrestricted Free Agents
Denisa Krisova received a lot of calls in the early phases of expansion, and will be a sought after name this week. She's part of a group of forwards that also includes Claire Dalton, Emma Woods, Anna Meixner, Gabby Rosenthal, Mannon McMahon, Brooke McQuigge, Dara Greig, Jade Downie-Landry, Alexandra Labelle, Kaitlin Willoughby, Jamie Lee Rattray, Loren Gabel, Laura Kluge, Klara Hymlarova, Sam Cogan, Gabrielle David, Elizabeth Giguere, Alexa Vasko, Taylor House, Natalie Snodgrass and others who will be sought after veterans.
On the blueline, Mellissa Channell-Watkins could be heading to Detroit or she could be taking the best available option. Brooke Hobson will receive interest on the market, as will Jincy Roese, Amanda Boulier, Nadia Mattivi, Rylind MacKinnon, Noemi Neubauerova, Madison Bizal, Lauren Bernard, Nicole Vallario, Stephanie Markowski and others.