Trade talk is heating up in the PWHL, and the Vancouver Goldeneyes sound like they're involved.
The PWHL season is nearing the midway point and what has become abundantly clear is that teams falling behind are looking to make moves.
The only trade to date in this PWHL campaign came on the eve of the regular season when the Vancouver Goldeneyes sent Denisa Krisova to Minnesota in exchange for Anna Segedi.
There were a trio of trades on PWHL Draft day as well with New York swapping players with Toronto and Montreal, and Toronto and Vancouver also making a deal.
As the league standings continue to take shape, familiar trade partners could be in the mix again.
Is Vancouver About To Make A Move?
Vancouver came out of the expansion process with a roster that looked completely stacked with talent. What’s transpired since has been a run of underwhelming performances for the Goldeneyes, and the belief that despite a wealth of talent on their team, the mix isn’t working.
With Nina Jobst-Smith returning, followed by the return of Sarah Nurse, both coming back from injuries, the Vancouver Goldeneyes have experienced a influx to their roster.
Vancouver however, also has a group of players vastly underperforming from previous seasons who have seen their ice time on the decline as well. It's a long list for the Goldeneyes that could involve Brooke McQuigge, Michela Cava, Emma Greco, Izzy Daniel, and others.
General manager Cara Gardner Morey has been active in her early stages as a general manager making multiple deals, and another sounds like it's in the works.
Vancouver is certainly in the mix for an imminent trade.
Who else is looking to make a move?
Everyone in the PWHL is open for business right now. The Ottawa Charge are believed to remain active on the trade market as they've been since the league was founded. General manager Mike Hirshfeld has made bold moves before such as a deal bringing in Jocelyne Larocque.
One area of need for the Charge remains their blueline where the Charge lack depth. With the loss of Shiann Darkangelo and Tereza Vanisova in the offseason however, secondary scoring in Ottawa has also been a concern. It's an issue that's been magnified by the early season struggles of Emily Clark, Katerina Mrazova, and Gabbie Hughes, as well as the transition time it's taking Anna Shokhina and Fanuza Kadirova to acclimatize to North America.
The Toronto Sceptres are another team who could be involved in a deal in the near future as the Sceptres continue to struggle to find chemistry both up front and on the blueline. Gina Kingsbury has pulled off multiple blockbuster deals including sending Larocque to Ottawa for Hayley Scamurra and Savannah Harmon, and the deal that brought Ella Shelton to Toronto at the draft. Kingsbury also has history with Vancouver making a draft day deal sending Kristen Campbell out west.