Six On Six: Comparing Each PWHL Team's Six Three-Year Contracts

Each of the PWHL six teams have secured their six guaranteed three-year contracts. Here's a look at how each team's three-year deals stack up.

The PWHL collective bargaining agreement mandated teams sign six players to guaranteed three-year contracts. Those six players represent the core, and the lions share of salary cap allocation through the 2025-2026 season.

Who each team chose to take these six contracts will have a significant impact on their success over the first three seasons of the league. Here's a look at each of the PWHL's six team's six three-year contracts.

Three-Years Contracts: Hilary Knight, Megan Keller, Aerin Frankel, Alina Muller, Sophie Jaques, Jamie Lee Rattray. 
Average Age: 27.33
Danielle Marmer found a good combination of veterans and youth in her six signings. Alina Muller will be the centerpiece of this team for as long as she wants to stay in Boston, and if the performance of Aerin Frankel internationally is any indication, Boston has a goaltender who will remain in her prime, and dominant, throughout the three year deal. In terms of guiding a new team through the early phases of a season, no one will set a better example than Jamie Lee Rattray, who is impactful in all three zones, never takes a shift off, and does it regardless of what line she's on. Megan Keller will be the staple to Boston's blueline. One of the best in the world at her position, Keller also loves to join the rush. She has a solid mix of blueliners to work with, but Keller will take the workload in all situations. Sophie Jaques is a player with immense ceiling if Boston can smooth out her defensive issues. Her offensive output in the NCAA was off the charts; transferring that to the PWHL without sacrificing solid defensive play will be the task, but if she can figure it out, few are better at generating offense from the back end. Finally, Boston inked legend Hilary Knight. The key to Knight's success over the next three years will be combining her veteran savvy and physical presence with youthful speed. Truthfully, with Muller and Loren Gabel, among others in the lineup, Knight doesn't need to carry the load, but she'll continue to provide key contributions on the top powerplay unit and as a net front presence. 

Three-Year Contracts: Kendall Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein, Nicole Hensley, Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, Grace Zumwinkle
Average Age: 27.17
This is an exciting core. Taylor Heise will continue to evolve as one of the world's top players, and will be the focus for every team to shut down. While fans know what they're getting with Heise, the return of Kendall Coyne Schofield will be the true benchmark for Minnesota's ceiling. If she's the player she was before her maternity leave from the game, this team will have two of the top forwards on the planet running and gunning. Kelly Pannek brings more energy, leadership, and a versatile, two-way approach to the game. A secondary contributor on the USA national team, Pannek was a go-to player last year in the PWHPA and has a game built to thrive in a pro league. Not to be overlooked is the physical presence and high end scoring ability of NCAA grad Grace Zumwinkle. Ignore that she was left of USA's most recent national team, Zumwinkle has all the tools to be a force in this league. The concern here is her health following an injury in the PWHL preseason in Utica. Watching Heise and Zumwinkle, a pair of University of Minnesota alumni grow alongside each other will be exciting for Minnesota fans. On the back end, few in the world make the same impact as Lee Stecklein on the blueline. She contributes offensively, but also uses her size and reach to smother opponents in her own zone. That will be welcomed on what is currently one of the PHWL's thinnest bluelines. Luckily for Minnesota, Nicole Hensley looks sharp and ready to prove she's one of the elite goalies in the world.

Three-Year Contracts: Ann-Renee Desbiens, Erin Ambrose, Marie-Philip Poulin, Laura Stacey, Kristen O'Neill, Maureen Murphy
Average Age: 27.83
There's almost nothing that can be said, that hasn't already been trumpeted about Marie-Philip Poulin. She remains the best all around player on the planet. Finding her running mates who can feed off her play and read the game at the same speed she's seeing things will be the challenge. Ann-Renee Desbiens remains one of the top goalies in the world, and will be the consummate starter in Montreal and backbone to their roster. You can play with confidence knowing the big game experience of Desbiens is waiting to clean up mistakes. Still, taking any goaltender on a three-year deal seems risky in a league with so much depth at the position. Laura Stacey is a true powerforward who fans will love, and players will dread facing. Kristen O'Neill will provide a two-way impact with offensive upside. She's played a depth role with Canada, so it will take some reps to rebuild her scoring. Erin Ambrose is one of the best blueliners on the planet. Montreal's blueline will have skeptics throughout the year, and Ambrose, who is currently injured, will need to carry a heavy load, which luckily, she's capable of doing. The final choice was a mystery for many until Montreal answered with Maureen Murphy. This signing will be one that is watched closely and critiqued heavily as the term continues, particularly as next season's stars like Sarah Fillier and Hannah Bilka enter the league without the ability to sign contracts with these protections or remuneration. 

Three-Year Contracts: Jamie Bourbonnais, Ella Shelton, Micah Zandee-Hart, Alex Carpenter, Abby Roque, Jessie Eldridge
Average Age: 26
If there's a team that should be praised for their approach to the three-year contracts, New York looks like an early leader. Of course time will tell, and their group of six could be a future flop, but there's a lot to love here. New York has by far the youngest core of six players, and their six provide perhaps the most positional flexibility. Securing three elite defenders with diverse skill sets was a coup, particularly given the lack of depth at the position league-wide. And there's no debating what Carpenter Roque, and Eldridge bring. Eldridge could be a top five scorer in the league, while Roque and Carpenter will contribute offensively, but are also going to make New York an infinitely more difficult group to play against. When you look at the fact New York signed this core, and still have Corinne Schroeder and Abbey Levy, who could turn out to be the best goaltending tandem in the league, it's impressive. The flexibility in net will be an incredible benefit to New York.

Three-Year Contracts: Emerance Maschmeyer, Ashton Bell, Savannah Harmon, Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, Gabbie Hughes
Average Age: 27.17
The upside in Ashton Bell and Gabbie Hughes in Ottawa is immense. Ottawa expects these two to be breakout stars in the near future, and given Hughes' performance at the recent Rivalry Series, and the unharnessed offensive skills of Bell, they might be right. Savannah Harmon is one of the most mobile defenders out there and will compliment Bell on powerplay opportunities, while also providing defensive zone stability. Ottawa will almost certainly have one of the most active bluelines in the league. Up front, Emily Clark was a star in the PWHPA last year, and should carry that offense in to the PWHL. She looked dangerous for Canada at the Rivalry Series, and was a noticeable presence in the PWHL preseason. She seems poised to continue showing she's more than the role she's been given with Canada. Brianne Jenner remains a power forward, and Canada wisely shifted her out of the middle of the ice to help prolong her national team career. At this point, she's more impactful on the wing, so the main point in conversation with Ottawa will be where they deploy the veteran. Finally, Emerance Maschmeyer will be handed Ottawa's crease. There's little to worry about with Maschmeyer.

Three-Year Contracts: Kristen Campbell, Jocelyne Larocque, Emma Maltais, Sarah Nurse, Blayre Turnbull, Renata Fast.
Average Age: 28.5
The league's oldest six player core will be hard to handle in year one and two. How they evolve moving forward will be the key to Toronto's success. Emma Maltais and Blayre Turnbull will provide energy, defensive reliability, and grit on the front end. Turnbull looked ready to hit the ground running with top line responsibilities in the preseason. Sarah Nurse, after a breakout at the 2022 Olympics, has at times been completely invisible, and often lackadaisical for Canada, but she can certainly break games open with her timely scoring. Surrounded by new linemates, perhaps it can jumpstart Nurse's game and get her firing on all cylinders consistently. Despite being the oldest player in the league signed to a three-year deal, Jocelyne Larocque's game is world class. Even if she loses a step, she'll remain one of the world's most effective defensive defenders, and perhaps with Toronto, we'll see her hidden offensive potential grow. Alongside that promise, Larocque is one of the best leaders, fiercest competitors, and character people in the game. Perhaps the biggest question mark for Toronto will be in net where Kristen Campbell was handed a three-year deal. Toronto is tied to their goaltending situation for this season, and given Campbell's performance at the Rivalry Series, PWHL preseason, and Canada's selection camp, there's certainly reason for concern, particularly given the fact Toronto will enter the year with the least goaltending depth of any organization. That said, Campbell can absolutely can steal games and was solid in the PWHPA. All she needs if the confidence and a decent start.