Fans in Vancouver and Seattle shouldn't get too friendly with their top stars, because with more expansion incoming, the PWHL's newest teams are going to get a harsh lesson in losing players through expansion.
Fans across the PWHL were unhappy with the league's expansion process that stripped scoring line players, top rookies, and defensive standouts from rosters concentrating them in Vancouver and Seattle.
While chemistry has proven to beat skill early in the PWHL season as both Vancouver and Seattle have struggled, the league's two newest teams are going to face the harsh realities of expansion and see many of the players they have come to know switching teams for the second time in as many seasons.
For their inaugural expansion, the PWHL allowed teams to protect only three players, with a fourth protection added after they lost two players in the expansion process.
If that pattern repeats, Seattle and Vancouver have some difficult decisions ahead. Luckily for Vancouver and Seattle, they knew the expansion process and rules when building their rosters.
Who will Seattle lose and protect?
Seattle will only be able to protect three of the following - Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Julia Gosling, Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes. And that's not to mention Hannah Murphy, Danielle Serdachny, Anna Wilgren, Corinne Schroeder, and Jessie Eldridge.
It's likely Seattle will lose four of those players, or more, depending on the number of expansion teams and new rules.
The team has one significant advantage, which is the fact players saw more expansion coming. Hilary Knight, Alex Carptenter, Jessie Eldridge, and Julia Gosling are all scheduled to be free agents after this season. It means they don't need to be protected, and can choose to stay in Seattle if they want, or sign a new contract with an expansion team, or any other or that matter.
It shrinks Seattle's pool of players to protect to Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes, Hannah Murphy, Danielle Serdachny, Anna Wilgren, and Corinne Schroeder, among others.
From that list it's likely Bilka, Barnes, Murphy, Serdachny, and Wilgren will be their primary targets to keep, but at least one of those players could be on the move.
Who will Vancouver lose and protect?
More than Seattle, Vancouver has some difficult decisions to make. Claire Thompson, Jenn Gardiner, Kristen Campbell and Sarah Nurse are the team's notable free agents who won't need protection.
But Vancouver will need to protect or risk losing Sophie Jaques, Hannah Miller, Abby Boreen, Michelle Karvinen, Tereza Vanisova, Michaela Cava, Ashton Bell, Nina Jobst-Smith, and Emerance Maschmeyer.
There's no easy solution here for Vancouver. If they protect captain Ashton Bell, defender Sophie Jaques, and a forward like Hannah Miller, they'd lose most of the remaining group. If they protect Maschmeyer knowing Campbell might sign with an expansion team, their group gets smaller still.
Either way, Vancouver Goldeneyes fans can expect at least 3-4 of Jaques, Bell, Boreen, Miller, Karvinen, Vanisova, Cava, Jobst-Smith, and Maschemeyer to expansion, and there's no guarantee their free agents like Sarah Nurse will stay in town either.