Ranking The Available PWHL Goalies

No position has more competition in the new PWHL than goaltending. Here's a look at the top 10 goalies in free agency and the draft.

The declaration period is over, and teams are already signing players. This week we'll look at some of the available players by position.

Beginning with goaltenders, several factors play in to these rankings. These include recent performance across the past two seasons and any international competition, as well as physical characteristics including age. In terms of roster planning, we may only see this top ten signed or drafted with the remaining positions to be fought for at camp. Here's a look at the top available goaltenders for the 2023-2024 PWHL season, as well as a list of players to watch for the future.

1. Aerin Frankel - One of only two netminders available to play in the league who have won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the NCAA's top goalie, Frankel is only one season removed from a spectacular career at Northeastern. Frankel was the NCAA's top goalie in both 2021 and 2022 posting a career 1.31 GAA and .949 save percentage along with 49 shutouts in only 139 games. After playing a depth role with Team USA for two seasons, the 24-year-old finally took over the starting role this year at the World Championships and it resulted in gold. Frankel also had the best GAA and save percentage among goalies to play at least six games in the PWHPA. She's been linked to Boston in the PWHL.

2. Ann-Renee Desbiens - Long considered the best goaltender in the world, Desbiens was strong for Team Harvey's in the PWHPA this year leading them to a Secret Cup title and is the other goalie alongside Frankel to win a Patty Kazmaier Award. The 29-year-old is a bona fide starter posting a .935 save percentage in 12 games in the PWHPA. What dropped Desbiens behind Frankel was the World Championships where she looked, perhaps for the first time in her career, beatable. Team USA found her glove in the gold medal game and it hurt. That said, it was only a blip on the radar of Desbiens' illustrious career, which still has plenty of gas in the tank. She's almost certainly destined for Montreal.

3. Emma Soderberg - Perhaps another Canadian or American netminder could on paper take this spot from Soderberg, but the 25-year-old has shown years of consistency at the NCAA, SDHL, and World Championship levels, including being named top goaltender this year. The reigning WCHA Goalie of the Year and World Championship Best Goaltender can steal games, and will be a consistent presence for years to come.

4. Emmerance Maschmeyer - A veteran yet still only 28, if there's one downside to Maschmeyer's resume, it's that she hasn't played much since 2019. When she is in the crease though, Maschmeyer has performed closer to Desbiens than Canadian fans give her credit for. Got into 10 games this season with Team Scotiabank in the PWHPA.

5. Nicole Hensley - Hensley has done it at every level, showing she can play on the international stage, NCAA, PHF, and PWHPA. At 29, she falls into the group of being in her prime, but with young goalies ready to push her aside. Hensley kept the often outmatched Team Sonnet in games this year in the PWHPA, but lost her starters role to Aerin Frankel with Team USA.

6. Kristen Campbell - If there's one North American national team netminder who could step in and outperform the 'bigger' names, it's Kristen Campbell. The only thing she hasn't got with Team Canada is a chance. Campbell is only 25, and she boasts a modern 5-foot-10 frame, which will become more important moving forward in women's hockey. Campbell is a likely starter in this league.

7. Corinne Schroeder - Schroeder is a netminder who could shock people. She was nearly unbeatable as a rookie in the PHF last season with Boston posting seven shutouts and a 19-1-0 record. The 5-foot-11, 25-year-old Schroeder will likely start as a backup in the PWHL, but enters as one of the most game ready goalies on the planet having played five full NCAA seasons followed by a PHF year where she was named Goalie of the Year.

8. Sandra Abstreiter - Some people are overlooking Abstreiter, but they shouldn't. The 5-foot-11, 25-year-old recently finished a spectacular career at Providence. She's likely not slated in as a starter, but should be first on almost any team's list as a 1B or backup this year. She earned consideration at the World Championships for her performance with Team Germany to be named top goaltender. 

9. Abbey Levy - At 6-foot-1 and only 23, Levy will be the biggest and youngest goalie in the league. She's a star in the making, and similar to the other recent graduates listed, she's likely going to start as a backup, but there are no guarantees in the PWHL, and any one of the younger netminders could make the jump in and steal the show. Levy uses her size to her advantage, a point she proved with Boston College and then stealing USA's third goalie position.

10. Noora Raty - It's hard to discount a future Hall of Famer. What will give teams a moment to pause with Raty is her age. At 34, Raty still has a few seasons left, and every time she's stepped on the ice Raty looks dialed in. Raty paired with a budding star, whether it's Abstreiter, Levy, Schroeder, or someone else, would be a dream team to contend with. Raty would like to stay in Minnesota, and has something to prove. She was destined to make her North American return with the Metropolitan Riveters this year. To grab a player of this calibre, she's worth the short term risk.

Other goalies to watch: Genevieve Lacasse, Maddie Rooney, Amanda Leveille, Elaine Chuli, Shea Tiley, Kassidy Sauve, Lindsay Browning, Lauren Bench, Sydney Scobee, Marlene Boissonnault, Abbie Ives, Katie Burt, Carly Jackson, Erica Howe, Lyndsey Post, Tricia Deguire

Goalies for the future: Gwyneth Philips, Kendra Woodland, Kate Stuart, Anni Keisala, Felicia Frank, Ida Boman, Klara Peslarova, Andrea Brandli, Selma Luggin, Cami Kronish, JoJo Chobak, Amanda Thiele, Skylar Vetter, Eve Gascon, Pia Dukaric, Tia Chan, Ena Nystrom, Tindra Holm, Michelle Pasiechnyk, Hannah Murphy