With Curl-Salemme Out, PWHL Detroit Has A Huge Hole To Fill Down The Middle

PWHL Detroit garnered plenty of excitement with their roster build during the PWHL's expansion process. The team loaded their roster with veteran talent including Daryl Watts, Hilary Knight, Jesse Compher, Hannah Bilka, Shiann Darkangelo, Taylor Girard, and Britta Curl-Salemme up front.

After Britta Curl-Salemme's announcement of her pregnancy, and that she'd subsequently miss the 2026-27 season after signing a three-year contract with PWHL Detroit in the offseason, however, Detroit's roster build looks to have a significant hole.

That hole is right down the middle as Detroit has no easy answers at center. Depth at the position has long been tied to team success, and Detroit's gap at the position was glaring to begin with, and now looks closer to a gaping wound than a gap.

Detroit's only signing in the offseason who spent their season as a full time center in the PWHL last season was Shiann Darkangelo. Darkangelo centered Montreal's third, and at times fourth line behind Marie-Philip Poulin and Hayley Scamurra in the depth chart. She won 52.2% of the 408 face-offs she took.

Originally, Darkangelo was anticipated to be Detroit's second line centre this season with Britta Curl-Salemme the probable top line pivot. Curl-Salemme only took 119 face-offs last season, spending most of her season on the wing, but won 56.3% of those draws.

It leaves Detroit with few options, and those they have will have trickle down impacts on the rest of their lineup.

Jesse Compher actually took more draws last season than Curl-Salemme, lining up down the middle in seven games last season taking 151 draws. She was less successful on the dot however, winning only 45.7% of those draws. Should Detroit shift Compher to the middle on their top line, which may be the only option they have remaining, it would leave a hole on their right wing. Behind Hilary Knight on the right side, Detroit would have only Akane Shiga, Kyla Josifovic, and Sena Catterall, a trio that did not play in the PWHL last season, and likely would not have made rosters in the significantly deeper pool last season.

Conversely, Detroit could shift Knight to the middle, which would leave a similar gap down the right side.

Detroit could try to convert one of their left wings, whether it's Daryl Watts, Hannah Bilka, or Taylor Girard to center, but more likely, they'll shift one of these players across the board to play their off wing up front.

In the draft, only MK O'Brien enters having played down the middle, and she will likely enter the season as Detroit's second or third line center. Even as Detroit's third line center, it's a significant stretch at the professional level as O'Brien was 142nd among NCAA players in draws taken last season, including being third on her own Minnesota-Duluth roster behind Caitlin Kraemer and Madison Burr. O'Brien won 51.5% of her draws in the NCAA last season.

Heading into their inaugural season, PWHL Detroit looked like a top heavy team up front, with restricted depth. With one of their top six forwards out for the season, Detroit's build will be tested further. 

What's clear however, is that Detroit did not plan for one of their most crucial positions in their build, and should the team suffer an injury or another absence up front among their early signings, they could be in considerable trouble.

How PWHL Detroit manages to adapt to their lack of organizational depth down the middle, could define their inaugural season.