PWHL camps are only weeks away, but there are still some significant roster and team building moves that need to take place. Here's a look.
PWHL camps open November 7 with teams hitting the ice with complete rosters a few days later. By November 19, teams will be locked into their 23-player final rosters, and the regular season will begin two days later on November 21.
With only weeks to go, there's still a lot to complete for some teams. Here's a look at three items that need to get finished across the league in the next two weeks.
1. Vancouver Still Needs To Hire Coaches
Technically, this is already done. Vancouver has hired a staff. Perhaps the more accurate statement is, the PWHL needs to announce Vancouver's coaching staff. The Boston Fleet announced their new coaching staff in the middle of October, leaving only Vancouver with a publicly unfilled staff. Brian Idalski is the leader on the bench as head coach, with an incredible asset in general manager Cara Gardner Morey bringing years of head coaching experience herself with Princeton. Still, this team's fan base won't find their true identity until all members, on and off the ice are known.
2. New York Inking Casey O'Brien
It might feel like a bit of deja vu for New York Sirens fans who waited last summer for the signing of Sarah Fillier. This situation is a bit different it seems. O'Brien's ask is simply too steep, no matter what team is on the other end. The belief is that she was looking to join an exclusive group making six figures. Despite her incredible numbers at the NCAA level, it's not really feasible because as the PWHL has proven, winning a Patty Kazmaier Award does not automatically translate to success in the league. Each of the past 12 winners of the award will be in the PWHL this season, including O'Brien, but they've had varying levels of success. It's a group that includes forwards Izzy Daniel, Daryl Watts, Alex Carpenter, Elizabeth Giguere, Taylor Heise, Loren Gabel, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Jamie Lee Rattray. The Sirens need O'Brien, and they need her to be confident and happy. But O'Brien also needs the Sirens. The sides will come together eventually, but expect it to be on a one-year deal unless something changes rapidly.
3. Several Roster Locks Remain Unsigned
While O'Brien is the lone first rounder remaining, there are a number of players who are locks to contribute to rosters across the league who remain unsigned.
Another top pick who needs is Natalie Mlynkova. Hearing the stories of Marie-Philip Poulin and co. taking pay cuts to make Montreal competitive, it's likely she's being asked to take a salary that fits that mentality. If she's being asked to take less than the market value of a second round pick, it could explain the delay.
Beyond Mlynkova, some of the draft picks who are locks for their teams include Nina Jobst-Smith (Vancouver), Kiara Zanon (Toronto), Makenna Webster (New York), Olivia Mobley (Boston), and Skylar Irving (Montreal) who all need contracts.