Gina Kingsbury responds to a question asking if her team will return with the same goaltenders next season during a Tuesday media availability PWHL teams are currently not allowed to trade players, but when inter-team player movement is again permitted, it is believed the Toronto Sceptres are looking to move goaltender Kristen Campbell. Campbell was the inaugural PWHL Goaltender of the Year in 2024 [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/pwhl-hands-out-year-end-awards-spooner-named-mvp], but had difficult starts to both seasons in PWHL career. Last year, Campbell struggled with consistency, and ultimately the team opted to start third goalie Carly Jackson in Campbell's place in a deciding playoff game four in their opening round series against Minnesota, which the Sceptres ultimately lost [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/heise-wins-series-for-frost-in-overtime-sceptres-eliminated]. In three playoff games this season, Campbell posted a 4.75 GAA and .813 save percentage. In the regular season Campbell recorded a 2.25 GAA and .910 save percentage. Campbell also represented Canada this season appearing in her first games for Canada internationally posting a 3-0-0 record at the World Championships along with a sparkling 0.67 save percentage and .959 save percentage. According to sources, the Toronto Sceptres made an offer to Montreal Victoire goaltender Elaine Chuli during the exclusive signing window for PWHL expansion during which teams were allowed to speak with pending unrestricted free agents. While nothing can be made official until league-wide free agency opens, it's believed Chuli intends to join the Toronto Sceptres. The situation could change based on other signings, but according to sources, Toronto intends to move forward with a tandem of Chuli and Raygan Kirk, who was the team's second goalie last season before suffering an injury late in the year. Chuli backstopped the PHF's Toronto Six to an Isobel Cup championship in 2023 and previously played with the Toronto Furies in the CWHL. This season Chuli appeared in 11 games for the Montreal Victoire posting a 2.42 GAA and .910 save percentage. There are several teams in the PWHL looking for another goaltender including Ottawa and New York who both lost goaltenders in the expansion process, as well as the Boston Fleet, who are expected to lose Emma Soderberg to Sweden. Campbell's contract as one of Toronto's six original players signed to three-year deals worth at least $80,000 might be prohibitive for teams to carry two high priced goaltenders. Ottawa and New York are the lone teams without a goaltender paid in this range. SEVERAL PLAYERS ALREADY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING Chuli isn't the only player reportedly on the move. Several across the PWHL have already agreed to join new teams whenever free agency opens and they're able to sign elsewhere. General managers actively laid out contract offers during the exclusive window doing their best to lure players to fill holes opened in the expansion process and address roster needs. Until the ink hits the paper, anything can change as all current agreements are verbal and in principle alone, but many of the reported moves sound set. One of those players appears to be Ottawa Charge forward Shiann Darkangelo, who is believed to be heading to the Montreal Victoire next season. Darkangelo had a spectacular season with Ottawa finishing tied for 21st in league scoring with eight goals and 17 points in 29 games. WILL MORE TRADES OCCUR? In his post-expansion media availability, New York Sirens general manager Pascal Daoust stated that he's open to moving one of his defenders to acquire scoring to help replace what was lost in Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge up front. New York used three protections on defenders in the expansion process securing Ella Shelton, Micah Zandee-Hart, and Maja Nylen Persson. That leaves Jaime Bourbonnais, Ally Simpson, and Lauren Bernard as potential trade pieces. Considering the ability to, and timeline for trades to be permitted is currently unknown in the PWHL, any conversation teams might be having with potential trade partners would be preliminary in nature. Minnesota, Montreal, and Ottawa are all short on their bluelines making them potential trade partners for New York. The problem for many teams when looking at players like Kristen Campbell, or one of New York's blueliners, is that most teams only have a handful of players currently signed, so the pool of available players for trade is limited. On Tuesday there were murmurs that New York and Ottawa could become potential trade partners with Jaime Bourbonnais being a name thrown around in league circles. We'll continue to update this story and other news and rumours from across the PWHL leading to and throughout the forthcoming PWHL free agency period.
