The PWHL Draft order is set. Although we don't know every player who has declared for the PWHL Draft...yet, here's an early look at how the PWHL Draft's first three rounds could play out.

With the PWHL's inaugural season ending last night, the draft order came into view. New York will pick first in each of the PWHL Draft's seven rounds, followed by Ottawa, Minnesota, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto. 

Last year, the order reversed each round, but this year the draft will follow a traditional format. 

Knowing the order, and the roster needs for teams heading into the offseason, here's a look at how the first three rounds of the PWHL Draft could play out. There are still a number of variables at work here, most specifically, will there be surprise stars who declare for the PWHL Draft, either from the NCAA's senior class, or from elsewhere in the hockey world. Of the players we know are heading into the draft, here's a look at how the first three rounds might play out. 

First Round

1. New York - Sarah Fillier - A complete player with the star power to shake New York’s dynamic in the right way. Can play center or the wing, and already a fan favourite in New Jersey as a Princeton star if New York moves more games to the Prudential Center.

2. Ottawa - Danielle Serdachny - Top line center of the future could be the best scorer in this group. Ottawa has plenty of character, but they lacked the ability to close out games. Serdachny will help with that consistent pressure and attack. 

3. Minnesota - Hannah Bilka - Uniting Bilka with Taylor Heise on a line would generate speed and creativity unseen anywhere in the league. It would be a decade long connection that would define this franchise. 

4. Boston - Cayla Barnes - Boston cut their time with Sophie Jaques short when they anticipated she’d be the running mate to Megan Keller. If Cayla Barnes remains on the board beyond Minnesota, Boston will certainly pounce giving them one of the best top pairings in the world.

5. Montreal - Ronja Savolainen - Claire Thompson or Ronja Savolainen. Some might think this is obvious, but Montreal beats by their own drum at the draft and it pays off. Savolainen or even Nylen Persson or Pejsova could bypass the Canadian star here as Montreal rests heavily on analytics and may be looking longer term.

6. Toronto - Claire Thompson - If Thompson doesn’t go to Montreal, there’s no way Gina Kingsbury and Tory Ryan pass on their former Team Canada standout. She’s one of the best skaters and puck movers in the game, and Toronto desperately needs help on their second pair alongside Kali Flanagan.

Round Two

7. New York - Daniela Pejsova - It’s not just about getting another defender for New York, as they went heavy on defenders in year one. Rather it’s about defenders who can take care of their own zone, play physically, and turn the puck up ice quickly without losing sight of where that are. The 21 year old can fill that need. New York might swing at big forward Julia Gosling here and build defensive defender depth later in the draft. 

8. Ottawa - Maja Nylen Persson - Defensive depth sunk Ottawa late in the season, and grabbing a defender of Nylen Persson’s calibre, specifically a right shot would have changed Ottawa’s date. If it’s not Nylen Persson here, it’s Pejsova or Savolainen. 

9. Minnesota - Julia Gosling - Minnesota’s forward depth just couldn’t get it done, and adding another big bodied forward here would open up a world of options and give Minnesota a top six that is deep and talented.

10. Boston - Noora Tulus - This pick makes a lot of sense for Boston. It reconnects Tulus with Susanna Tapani, and it gives Boston the speed they lack. Tulus has game breaking wheels and can push the pace for Boston opening up space for their slower m, yet skilled, players.

11. Montreal - Izzy Daniel - Following Montreal’s thoughtful approach to the draft, Izzy Daniel is a two way player with high on ice intelligence who can single handedly alter possession for her team. She’d be another diverse weapon in Montreal.

12. Toronto - Jennifer Gardiner - Sticking to the trend of Team Canada members, Gardiner was the last cut this year up front, and she would pad an already deep forward group in Toronto allowing them to make more positional targets later.

Round Three

13. New York - Elle Hartje - Hartje has a high IQ, and is a playmaker who is responsible at both ends of the ice. She’s also another character player to help fix New York’s issues. She’s not going to quit on plays, and she’s excellent in the face off circle. 

14. Ottawa - Allyson Simpson - Ottawa has drawn on American defenders before with Savannah Harmon and Jincy Roese and they built out scouting in the States this year with Kathy Pippy. Simpson fits what they need in terms of a blueliner who can play tough two-way minutes. They could also take Megan Carter here. Either way, Ottawa can completely re-make their blueline by the time round three is done and focus on positional and role needs later.

15. Minnesota - Abby Boreen - This may not be the choice Minnesota wants to make here as they need another defender, but they can’t wait much longer on Abby Boreen without losing her elsewhere. 

16. Boston - Anna Meixner - More speed, this time on the wing for Boston to compliment the pieces they have, and a veteran to boot. Meixner can fit into Boston's top six, but even more, has known chemistry with youngster Theresa Schafzahl on the international stage. Reuniting these two gives Boston the known element, speed, and another veteran face to push them over the top.

17. Montreal - Britta Curl - It’s hard to predict where Britta Curl will land in this draft. She could be off the board by now, or she could slide farther. She’s landed herself on “do not draft” lists for multiple teams in the league so it’s a question of who sees the risk versus reward to their fan base as worth the chance. In a third line role, Curl will definitely make a team harder to play against, and would be able to do some of the heavy lifting down the lineup to take pressure off Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and others. She'd also have some of the best people in the game around her to help educate and guide her in a direction that won't isolate fans and put marginalized groups at risk. Someone is going to take her, it just depends who and when.

18. Toronto - Megan Carter - Another Canadian connection, Carter could easily be off the board by now. If they add a skilled defender earlier, Carter can become the sandpaper to a pairing taking care of business in her own zone, making good outlets, and being another physical presence who can compliment a player like Kali Flanagan in a way that Jocelyne Larocque and Renata Fast compliment one another.