The New York Sirens protected their three young stars up front. But what does it mean for their blueline exposed? And how does New York being the only team in the league not to protect a goaltender set them up for next season?
The New York Sirens will almost certainly have a new starting goaltender, new faces on all four lines and a defensive overhaul as a result of what has transpired in Phase 1 and ahead of Friday's PWHL's Expansion Team Foundational Signing Period.
That's the reality facing the Sirens, who have not made the playoffs in their first three years of existence. And despite protecting their three young superstars, New York faces much uncertainty up and down the remainder of the current roster.
While newly-protected Sarah Fillier, Casey O'Brien and Kristýna Kaltounková provide a formidable nucleus for the Sirens, there are plenty of solid contributors for New York who will likely be saying their goodbyes to The Big Apple in the coming days.
Let's start between the pipes. Kayle Osborne has already received numerous inquiries and -- barring something shocking -- will likely be the No. 1 goalie or at the very least a solid No. 2 in one of the four expansion markets.
Osborne was a stalwart in her 27 starts with the Sirens. Of the 693 shots she faced over a highly dependable season that included four shutout performances, the Colgate University grad and a silver medalist with Team Canada stopped 628 of them for a 0.906 save percentage.
Will GM Pascal Daoust and Head Coach Greg Fargo look outside the organization for a replacement in goal or perhaps give Callie Shanahan or Kaley Doyle a serious look? Then there's the possibility of scrutinizing the upcoming draft on June 17 for a netminder with starting capabilities like Switzerland's Andrea Brandli or Tia Chan of UConn.
Turning to the skaters, it gets even more depressing. Right off the top, signed players like Elle Hartje, Anne Cherkowski and Maja Nylén Persson appear poised to be prime targets of Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas or San Jose.
Despite never scoring a goal in her two years with the Sirens, Hartje nonetheless gave it her all shift after shift and her seven assists this past season always seemed to be attached to a crucial goal. She was always a factor in the dirty areas around the crease.
The Bloomfield Hills (a suburb of Detroit) Michigan native would appear headed back home. Her hustle and gritty play in all three zones -- which she showcased during a spectacular collegiate career at Yale -- was matched by Cherkowski, whose impact in her rookie season was significant to say the least.
The Clarkson alum's 75 shots on goal were third only to Fillier and Kaltounková. Cherkowski came through with nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in her first pro year. Her strong Canadian roots could make her a nice fit in Hamilton.
At the blueline, it's hard not to see Persson going elsewhere with her sterling resume in three years with the Sirens.
The 10th overall selection in the 2024 PWHL draft and a member of the Swedish National Team finished fourth overall in scoring this past campaign with 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists). She was a warrior in the trenches with 36 blocked shots. That was second only to Allyson Simpson's 38 denials.
Other signed players who are likely hearing offers from other teams include Sirens' captain Micah Zandee-Hart, Paetyn Levis, Emmy Fecteau, Jaime Bourbonnais and Simpson.
Restricted free agents now on the open market are Dayle Ross, Maddi Wheeler and Anna Bargman. Of note in that regard is that another RFA -- Casey O'Brien -- has been extended a qualifying offer by the team and is protected as part of the Phase 1 process.