The 2025 offseason is well underway with expansion and the entry draft complete, the the free agent frenzy grinding to a halt. Teams are left looking to lock in their top picks and restricted free agents, and find ways to attract potential camp invites to compete for jobs.
One of the largest impacts of the expansion process was the stripping of bluelines across the league. A handful of teams were successful in rebuilding their blueline through free agency and the draft, while others struggled to retool after their losses.
1. Toronto Sceptres
Defenders - 1. Renata Fast, 2. Ella Shelton, 3. Kali Flanagan, 4. Allie Munroe, 5. Savannah Harmon, 6. Hanna Baskin, 7. Jessica Kondas
It's hard not to see the Toronto Sceptres with one of the strongest bluelines in the PWHL. They lost Megan Carter and Rylind MacKinnon, but what they've gained in Ella Shelton pushed their depth beyond their top four to be three units deep, each that could easily have players step into any top four in the league. Renata Fast was the obvious and only pick as the PWHL's Defender of the Year this season. There's a decided offensive look to their group with Munroe and Baskin capable of playing a more reserved style, but this defensive group is talented. Flanagan has become their secret weapon, and you saw it in playoffs when she topped all defenders in time on ice with Toronto. They also have size, mobility, and physicality. Toronto is a bigger, stronger team from top to bottom this season despite losing key offensive pieces. If an injury occurs, Toronto's bottom end depth could be a question mark. It's unlikely Anna Kjellbin is returning which is a head scratcher considering Toronto's need for 6-7 depth.
2. PWHL Vancouver
Defenders - 1. Sophie Jaques, 2. Claire Thompson, 3. Ashton Bell, 4. Nina Jobst-Smith, 5. Melissa Channell-Watkins, 6. Emma Greco, 7. Sydney Bard
Vancouver has it all. With Jaques and Thompson, they have an offensive punch that will help jumpstart their attack and be a benefit on the power play. Bell and Jobst-Smith are a combination duo who can play a mobile attacking game, but both thrive in shutting down opponents, breaking up plays, and blocking shots. Channell-Watkins has quietly been one of the more reliable and effective defenders in the league, including finding unique chemistry pairing with Jaques in Minnesota, while Emma Greco provides hard hitting muscle and a shutdown presence. Add in the versatile and mobile Sydney Bard, and this group is seven strong.
3. PWHL Seattle
Defenders - 1. Cayla Barnes, 2. Aneta Tejralova, 3. Anna Wilgren, 4. Emily Brown, 5. Mariah Keopple, 6. Megan Carter, 7. Lyndie Lobdell
There's upside and downside to this defensive group. The upside is, there's no defensive core in the PWHL more adept at taking care of their own zone. This group has a defence first focus and will be difficult to play against. They can jumpstart the play from their own zone, but there isn't a ton of offensive upside in the group. Cayla Barnes will be the go to defender on the power play, and Anna Wilgren had positive moments with Montreal, while Tejralova can chip in here and there. Overall, however, this is a defense first group
4. Montreal Victoire
Defenders - 1. Erin Ambrose, 2. Nicole Gosling, 3. Kati Tabin, 4. Jessica DiGirolamo, 5. Amanda Boulier, 6. Maggie Flaherty, 7. Tamara Giaquinto
The ability for Montreal to keep Erin Ambrose, draft Nicole Gosling, and re-sign Kati Tabin took their blueline situation from disaster, to desirable. They also signed DiGirolamo from Boston and Flaherty from Minnesota bringing in veteran experience to couple with Boulier who was still under contract. They grabbed depth in the draft selecting Boston University standout Tama Giaquinto. Overall, this blueline goes six deep in a way few teams will be able to.
5. New York Sirens
Defenders - 1. Micah Zandee-Hart, 2. Jaime Bourbonnais, 3. Maja Nylen Persson, 4. Jincy Roese, 5. Ally Simpson, 6. Dayle Ross, 7. Lauren Bernard
The loss of Ella Shelton to Toronto was significant as she's a top five blueliner in the league and arguably the world. It was a sacrifice the Sirens had to make to rebuild their gutted forward group and set the course for their organization moving ahead. New York was able to make that sizeable move because they remain with defensive depth including a strong top four with offensive upside, and solid young depth who should emerge as strong contributors in their second season in the league. There's no singular star on this blueline anymore, but there's also seven defenders who can step on the ice without concern.
6. Ottawa Charge
Defenders - 1. Jocelyne Larocque, 2. Rory Guilday, 3. Ronja Savolainen, 4. Stephanie Markowski, 5. Brooke Hobson, 6. Emma Bergesen
The Ottawa Charge lost Aneta Tejralova, Ashton Bell, and Zoe Boyd in a harsh expansion process. The ability to get Rory Guilday in the draft was a massive gain for Ottawa, but this blueline remains thin. There are still defenders on the market who can help Ottawa, and they'll be active looking for those solutions including through camp invites. At the moment, opponents will be able to expose the Charge on the road through line matching and find some mismatches that will be scary. Ottawa's top three will manage well, but they need to keep adding because Ottawa will need to mix and match and hope to find chemistry in three more balanced pairings.
7. Boston Fleet
Defenders - 1. Megan Keller, 2. Haley Winn, 3. Daniela Pejsova, 4. Zoe Boyd, 5. Rylind MacKinnon, 6. Riley Brengman, 7. Hadley Hartmetz
Drafting Haley Winn was a massive moment for Boston. Beyond their top pairing, this blueline is going to be a work in progress. Boston shot themselves in the foot to some extend with their misuse of Daniela Pejsova as a rookie. They'll need her to play a top four role this season, and before that's going to be effective, they'll need to rebuild her confidence and start coaching her instead of finding places to hide her. Zoe Boyd was a solid pick up for simple, physical hockey, and Rylind MacKinnon can contribute in a sixth defender role. The best possible scenario for Boston would be that Hadley Hartmetz arrives 100% healthy and capable of contributing after missing almost her entire rookie season. Riley Brengman might be a pleasant surprise as well for her steady and simple game. Boston should be looking at the available players in free agency to bring more competition to camp.
8. Minnesota Frost
Defenders - 1. Lee Stecklein, 2. Sidney Morin, 3. Kendall Cooper, 4. Natalie Buchbiner, 5. Mae Batherson, 6 Ava Rinker, 7. Brooke Becker
There's actually decent depth on Minnesota's blueline, better than Boston at the moment. What gave Boston the edge over Minnesota in these rankings however is what is possible on the top pairing. Stecklein and Morin are capable veterans and Stecklein should have been a finalist for the PWHL's Defender of the Year had an emphasis been put on actually playing the defensive position rather than simply looking at offensive production. In playoffs, Stecklein showed she can do that as well, and Minnesota will probably as her to take of the reigns a bit and run more free. Cooper can't be expected to fill the holes left by Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, but she's got a lot of promise. After losing Channell-Watkins, and Flaherty, Buchbinder will need to take a much bigger role this season, and beyond that, it's anyone's call who grabs the ice time in Minnesota. The good news for Minnesota, is that there will be opportunities for Rinker and Becker to get ice immediately, develop, and potentially show themselves as a draft day steal who contributes in year one. Minnesota has done a good job helping their role players thirve. This blueline can and might overperform in Minnesota's team structure, and that's one major bonus the Frost have - a strong team defence to support their blueline.