Troy Ryan Wants The San Jose Sea Lions To Find Their Identity At Training Camp

The San Jose Sea Lions have assembled their first roster. Now comes the challenge of figuring out how all the pieces fit together.

For general manager and head coach Troy Ryan, that process begins at training camp, where the league's newest team will get its first extended look at what its inaugural group can become. There are established professionals looking for new opportunities, young players making the jump to the professional level and one particularly intriguing talent who could give the Sea Lions some flexibility at multiple positions.

Few players illustrate that last point better than Laila Edwards.

The San Jose Sea Lions selected Edwards fourth overall in the 2026 PWHL Draft after an outstanding career at the University of Wisconsin. The 22-year-old won three national championships with the Badgers, finishing her collegiate career with 199 points (81 goals, 118 assists) in 151 games. In her final season, she recorded 45 points (12 goals, 33 assists) in just 28 games.

She also won Olympic gold with the United States in Milan in February 2026, adding to an international résumé that includes two World Championship medals and tournament MVP honors in 2024.

Edwards has spent most of her career as a forward, but she's also been playing defense with the national team. Ryan isn't interested in limiting her to one position as she enters her first professional season.

"We have had those conversations, I've had plenty of little discussions with her, nothing really overly formal," Ryan said. "I think the one thing important with someone like Laila, a first-year player coming out of college, with all the accolades that she's had, there's a lot of pressure that comes with that. You want her to come into training camp as relaxed as possible."

The conversations have been about keeping her options open rather than establishing a permanent position. Ryan said San Jose could use Edwards at both forward and defense within the same practice or even the same game, depending on what benefits the team.

There's also a developmental component to the decision. With Edwards playing defense for the national team, Ryan wants San Jose to help her continue developing at that position while supporting her long-term international ambitions.

At the same time, her experience as a forward remains valuable to the organization.

"Selfishly, as an organization, what more do you want? A really skilled, great player that can play both forward and defense and is versatile to do so and is willing to do so," Ryan said.

Edwards is one example of the possibilities Ryan wants to explore during camp. Rather than entering the season with predetermined combinations and roles, he wants to give players opportunities to find chemistry and see where they fit best.

That's particularly important for a team that has never played a game together.

"The biggest thing is the chemistry, it takes some time to build, but we're going into it without a lot of predetermined thoughts, because you can paint yourself into a bit of a corner," Ryan said.

Ryan already likes what he's seen from the group off the ice, pointing to its energy and excitement heading into the season. But the more interesting questions will begin to unfold once players get on the ice together.

The Sea Lion's 29-player training camp roster features 17 forwards, nine defenders and three goaltenders. Eighteen players are already signed for the upcoming season, leaving the coaching staff with plenty of opportunities to evaluate the remaining competition.

Some of those answers could come from the forward group, where several players have an opportunity to take on different responsibilities than they previously held.

Natálie Mlýnková is one player Ryan believes could benefit from a change in opportunity. The forward signed with San Jose after spending her rookie season with the Montréal Victoire, where she recorded 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 30 regular-season games. She also appeared in all nine of Montréal's playoff games during its Walter Cup championship run.

Ryan sees an opportunity for Mlýnková to take on a larger offensive role with San Jose.

He explained that a player's production isn't always just about individual ability. Deployment, offensive-zone opportunities and the players surrounding them can all influence what they're able to produce.

He pointed to Montreal as an example, where Marie-Philip Poulin's line naturally commands a significant share of the team's offensive opportunities.

"She is someone that wants a good opportunity, she wants to be put in offensive situations," Ryan said. "We want to put her in those situations, and we're going to need her to produce."

Ryan believes San Jose's roster construction could create opportunities for players like Mlýnková to establish themselves offensively. Ultimately, though, it will be up to the players to make the most of those situations.

The same applies to several of the team's other additions. Although the Sea Lions have a young roster, Ryan also wanted to bring in players with professional experience who could contribute while helping the younger group adjust to the demands of the league.

"Obviously, we are a very young team, sometimes sprinkling in a little experience is good for a group," Ryan said. "I also think that there are some players, although they have had some pro experiences, are looking for a good or better opportunity for themselves to perform."

Those players serve a dual purpose. They have an opportunity to improve their own standing while providing younger teammates with the benefit of experience.

"They serve a purpose in coming in and making the most of an opportunity, but they also bring our younger group some experience, a little bit of been there, done that," Ryan said.

For Ryan, that balance will be important as San Jose navigates its first professional season. The roster has plenty of individual talent, but developing the chemistry to bring it all together will take time.

He doesn't necessarily know what every line or defensive pairing will look like when the season begins. That's part of the process.

The goal entering training camp isn't to force a predetermined identity onto the group. It's to give the players room to develop one.

With Edwards' positional versatility, forwards looking for bigger offensive roles and experienced additions hoping to make an impact, San Jose has several different pieces to work with. Now Ryan gets his first extended opportunity to see how they fit together.