The PWHL expansion process is over. Now it's on to free agency and the PWHL entry draft. With so many holes punched in rosters through expansion, free agency will be hugely important process this offseason. Some teams like Minnesota and Montreal only have two defenders on their roster. Others like Toronto only have four remaining forwards from the group that finished on their roster in playoffs.
The biggest change for most however, is the lack of talent they have returning. For example in Boston, the Fleet only retained the rights to players who scored 29% of their goals last season. They could recoup a portion of that in free agency if they can bring back Susanna Tapani, otherwise the Fleet are going to be a bottom of the barrel team who struggles to score.
If this were a positional ranking, Seattle, Minnesota, Ottawa, and Vancouver have the top four forward groups in the league, while Seattle, Vancouver, New York, and Toronto have the top four bluelines in the league. The crease remains relatively stable across the league with only New York losing ground in that department.
Overall, there was a massive shake up in the PWHL. Following expansion, here's what our first offseason PWHL Power Rankings look like.
1. PWHL Seattle
No team in the PWHL will have a top six like Seattle who will step on the ice with Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Jessie Eldridge, Hannah Bilka, Danielle Serdachny, and Julia Gosling next season. With five defenders capable of playing in any top four in the league, and Corinne Schroeder, who remains one of the PWHL most consistent goaltenders, Seattle is already built to be the Walter Cup favorite for next season. The only question is, did the leave enough money in the bank for quality depth in free agency. Expect Seattle to target some physical bargains, and then do a lot of work at the draft to fill their forward corps.
2. PWHL Vancouver
Vancouver's blueline trio of Claire Thompson, Sophie Jaques, Ashton Bell is impressive. Vancouver took a completely different route in expansion from Seattle selecting more two-way players with grit. They brought in Sarah Nurse and Jennifer Gardiner as top offensive players, but will be a difficult team to face and hard competing group with the likes of Brooke McQuigge, Abby Boreen, and Denisa Krisova up front. They're banking to some extent on the upside of Izzy Daniel and Gabby Rosenthal. Watch for Vancouver to add Hannah Miller, and target others like Jesse Compher, Tereza Vanisova, or Michela Cava in free agency. Their biggest question mark is can they land the top six talent they need, and can Emerance Maschmeyer hold up physically over a full season.
3. Minnesota Frost
Minnesota was able to maintain a strong top six including Kendall Coyne Schofield, Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Kelly Pannek, and Britta Curl-Salemme. If they can re-sign Liz Schepers, they'll also have their most effective playoff line, which also feature Klara Hymlarova and Katy Knoll intact. Minnesota will push hard to bring back Maddie Rooney. The only alternative for Rooney is signing in New York. Lee Stecklein is going to have a huge weight on her shoulders this year, but it's also highly probable Minnesota can re-sign a group of their free agents on the blueline, and there's always a group of players looking to come back to the State of Hockey. The biggest question in Minnesota revolves around their defensive depth, and if they can retain Rooney.
4. Ottawa Charge
Ottawa kept the next best forward group with Emily Clark, Gabbie Hughes, Brianne Jenner, Anna Meixner, Katerina Mrazova, and Mannon McMahon. Their blueline losses hurt with Ashton Bell and Aneta Tejralova, who of their top four since day one gone. Ronja Savolainen has the ability to take a big step this year, and Jocelyne Larocque, although aging, remains a foundational player. Gwyneth Philips is a goalie who can steal games, but she'll be exposed far more often unless Ottawa can find help on the blueline. Jincy Roese is as good as gone as she's wanted out of Ottawa for a while. Ottawa is going to need to draft defenders and aggressively chase blueline help which is in short supply in free agency. Perhaps Dominika Laskova can be part of the answer if Carla MacLeod can lure another Czech national team member to town. Ottawa's ability to build a competitive blueline is their biggest question mark.
5. New York Sirens
For all the firepower New York lost up front, they have one of the best bluelines in the PWHL, and that includes the expansion teams. Their top four of Micah Zandee-Hart, Jaime Bourbonnais, Ella Shelton, and Maja Nylen Persson, along with a third pairing of Ally Simpson and Lauren Bernard gives New York unquestioned depth at the position that should help them stay in games, and jumpstart their offense...which will struggle. Sarah Fillier is the lone elite forward New York kept. The Sirens will need a new approach from Abby Roque, and they'll look for Noora Tulus or Elle Hartje to step into a top six role. Expect New York to swing for the fences at forwards in the PWHL Draft. They can easily pick up 2-3 offensive contributors in the opening rounds of the draft. Their process all but guarantees they'll take Kristyna Kaltounkova first overall, and outside of Seattle, it would give New York the best 1-2 punch down the middle in the league.
6. Toronto Sceptres
Toronto kept a strong blueline core of Renata Fast, Savannah Harmon, Allie Munroe, and Anna Kjellbin on board, and they still have Daryl Watts, Emma Maltais, and Blayre Turnbull up front. Undoubtedly Natalie Spooner will return as well, and with several additional months for rehab, she could be closer to herself than she was last year. Toronto is going to have a hard time replacing their firepower up front despite entering with considerable depth. The real question mark for Toronto is can they bring back either Hannah Miller or Jesse Compher up front. There's no guarantee they can re-sign Maggie Connors, Laura Kluge, or Hayley Scamurra either. It seems counterintuitive, but goal scoring could be Toronto's biggest concern.
7. Montreal Victoire
What Montreal has is a stellar top line with Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, and Lina Ljungblom, and a pair of solid forwards in Kristin O'Neill and Maureen Murphy to follow. They also managed to keep Erin Ambrose on the blueline and Ann-Renee Desbiens in net. Their blueline was completely gutted, and Laskova and Mariah Keopple will be highly pursued. They'll probably be able to keep Kati Tabin, who has a raise coming, which will significantly help, but it's a position of significant need without realistic avenues to replace what they lost. Where Montreal stands out, is in their potential in free agency. There are several Quebecois forwards including Elizabeth Giguere, Jade Downie-Landry, and Jill Saulnier, along with their own pending free agents who could give Montreal some of the better forward depth in the league if they go that route.
8. Boston Fleet
Boston is handing out bailing buckets, because the Fleet are taking on water. This roster was decimated. Boston must find a way to re-sign Susanna Tapani or lure another top free agent forward. They have to draft for offense in the first 2-3 rounds, and they have to re-sign, at the very least, Sidney Morin and Jessica DiGirolamo on the blueline. That will be followed by their need to find a backup goaltender to support Aerin Frankel. While every team has questions marks, they also have certainties. There just aren't answers in Boston. It's going to take a perfect storm of picks and signings wildly overperforming in Boston for the Fleet to find their way back into the playoffs over the next few seasons.