The PWHL has finally announced the rules for the upcoming expansion process this offseason, and they will change the look of the inaugural six teams for next season. 

For the Toronto Sceptres, there are many players who fans could argue need to be protected, but with only three slots available, they will inevitably lose quality players. 

Here are three players the Toronto Sceptres could protect ahead of the upcoming expansion process. 

Protected Player #1: Renata Fast 

Renata Fast was the one no-brainer pick to be protected from this roster. She is one of the top three defenders in the world, and you could argue the Sceptres' MVP for the 2024-25 campaign. Add her leadership role within the organization, and it makes this pick quite easy because she is simply invaluable to this team. 

Last season, Fast led the league in ice time, averaging 25 minutes a game while also scoring 22 points, a number that ties her for first among defenders. Within those 22 points are three game-winning goals, which ranked third among skaters, and many power play points, as she was a key cog in the Sceptres' league-best unit.   

Defence has been at a premium through the first two seasons of the PWHL, and to give up a two-time nominee for defender of the year seems unthinkable. The loss of recent draft pick Lauren Bernard and the likelihood of Toronto losing another defender in the expansion process will leave their organizational depth limited as is. 

With no clear candidate to step up and take on the minutes that Fast does, it would be foolish to think that her loss would not leave a seismic hole within the Sceptres' roster, especially after trading veteran defender Jocelyn Larocque during the season. 

Protected Player # 2: Sarah Nurse 

There is no debate that when Sarah Nurse is at the top of her game, she is one of the best offensive players in the world. 

While she might not have shown the offensive prowess she displayed at the 2022 Olympics yet in PWHL, it’s hard to leave her exposed, knowing what she can do offensively. 

To give her credit, despite a devastating injury during the Rivalry Series this year, she still managed to produce for the Sceptres, scoring 14 points in 21 games. Throughout her PWHL career, Nurse has averaged a point in 82.2% of her regular-season games. 

It would be devastating to lose a player with her offensive gift, given that this roster will most likely lose one or two of its top offensive talents in the process. 

Protected Player #3: Daryl Watts 

The league's biggest fish in last year's free agency, Daryl Watts lived up to the hype in her first season as a member of the Toronto Sceptres. 

At the age of 26, it’s hard to lose an impactful talent like her, who also possesses such a high ceiling when it comes to her potential as a player. 

In the 2024-25 season, she finished third in the league and first on the Sceptres in scoring with 27 points in 30 games. On top of this, Watts put the puck in the back of the net with ease, scoring 12 goals, two of which were game winners. 

While Watts' defensive game does still need some development at the pro level, it’s hard to list that as a reason to leave her off the protected list, given how we have seen players both straight out of college and new to the league struggle to find consistent offensive production like she has. 

Honourable Mention 

Honourable Mentions go to Blayre Turbull, Megan Carter and Julia Gosling as clear choices to be protected next when the Sceptres are given a fourth spot. 

Turnbull is a player Toronto could choose to protect initially. She is the ultimate 200-foot center and brings a lot to the organization off the ice as well. She hasn’t quite found her offensive footing in the regular season, but when the lights are at their brightest, she has performed. 

Megan Carter is a rare breed of defender who, given a season or two, will develop into a top-flight defender in the PWHL. Natalie Spooner raved about her physicality and her big shot, which we didn’t get a chance to see as much this season. 

On the other hand, Gosling found her stride offensively during her first PWHL playoffs, scoring three goals in the Sceptres' four-game series against the Frost. Gosling is a player with a lot of upside, despite not showing her full potential. If you look at how sophomore players like Jesse Compher and Maggie Connors have improved with the Sceptres, it’s easy to see how she can develop into an offensive weapon in the PWHL.