PWHL Detroit's inaugural roster is starting to fill out. Where do they need to focus on filling spots? And who should they fill them with?
We’ve hit the point in the PWHL’s offseason where things have slowed down. After the draft and start of free agency, teams begin to assess what they have and what they will need as the season draws near.
During the offseason, teams are allowed to carry a roster of 19 players. Now, once the season starts, the roster elevates to 23 players and three reserve players. A caveat to this is three of the players on the 23 player roster must be goaltenders. In addition, every PWHL team is mandated to bring at least 29 players to camp.
With the recent signing of forward Akane Shiga, Detroit currently has 16 players signed to contracts for their inaugural season; nine forwards, six defenders, and one goaltender. They also have six draftees available to be signed; four forwards, one defender, and one goalie.
A look at Detroit's depth chart below gives a fuller picture of where Detroit needs to fill out their roster.
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Daryl Watts | Britta Curl-Salemme | Hilary Knight |
| Hannah Bilka | Shiann Darkangelo | Jesse Compher |
| Taylor Girard | MaryKate O'Brien | Kyla Josifovic |
| Georgie Schiff | Olivia Wallin | Akane Shiga |
| Sena Catterall |
| LD | RD | G |
|---|---|---|
| Melissa Channell-Watkins | Cayla Barnes | Andrea Brändli |
| Sydney Bard | Nina Jobst-Smith | Alice Philbert |
| Stephanie Markowski | Casey Borgiel | |
| Mia Biotti |
What should Detroit do next?
The most glaring need to be filled is at forward as there are currently only nine signed to contracts for the 2026-27 season. However, they are not looking for just any forward. They are in need of solid bottom-six forwards who are dependable enough to take on higher roles when the situation arises.
When it comes to the bottom-six role, coaches need to know these players are going to make the best use of their time, and that means not leaving the team short due to penalties. The below forwards had no more than 13 PIMs in any given season since 23-24.
Chloe Aurard-Bushee and Alyssa McLeod are both solid bottom-six forwards, who can be leaned upon if Coach Josh Sciba decides to roll lines or needs to elevate someone into a top six role. During the 2026 Winter Olympics, Aurard-Bushee played four games for France, notching one assist. For the ZSC Lions Frauen of the SWHL, Aurard-Bushee amassed seven points over the course of six regular season games and in the playoffs scored one goal in three games. Unfortunately, Aurard-Bushee recently signed a contract extension with ZSC. Unless she has an opt out in her contract, she wouldn’t be available for the 2026-27 season.
McLeod spent the 2025-26 season playing for MODO Hockey (SDHL), scoring 17 points over the course of 34 games. In her last season at St. Lawrence University, McLeod was a forward who could be trusted to get the job done, even if it meant setting a play up that didn’t result in her getting on the scoresheet. During the 2024-25 season, she scored 24 points over 39 games and finished with a +9 rating.
With Mellissa Channell-Watkins, Sydney Bard, Stephanie Markowski, Mia Biotti, Cayla Barnes and Nina Jobst-Smith signed to contracts, Detroit has a pretty solid blue line already. However, there are two free agents who are worth giving a camp invite to this year. Former Colgate University captain, Maggie MacEachern, who spent her fifth year of eligibility at Penn State, has been playing overseas the past two seasons in the WCIHL and SWHL A. She can easily flip between being a stay-at-home defender or a two-way defender who can help move a play along. Emily Zumwinkle only played one game for the Seattle Torrent during the 2025-26 season. However, she spent three years at the University of Minnesota before transferring to Ohio State University for the 2024-25 season, where she added solid depth on the blue line. When needed Zumwinkle was able to add to the scoring mix, scoring two goals and seven assists in 40 games.
In goal, Detroit needs one more netminder to round out their roster. They have Brändli and Alice Philbert signed, and the team is also bringing 2024 NCAA National Goaltender of the Year Michelle Pasiechnyk to camp. She took a year away from hockey after winning the award, but returned last season with Boston University, and could be a surprise find for the team.
