The Vancouver Goldeneyes are shaking things up this Sunday evening. After a disappointing start to the 2025–26 season, in which they’ve put up a record of 3–1–2–7, Vancouver has completed a six-player swap with the Ottawa Charge [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/ottawa-and-vancouver-complete-six-player-deal]. Forwards Michela Cava and Brooke McQuigge and defender Emma Greco are heading to Ottawa in exchange for forwards Mannon McMahon, Anna Meixner, and Anna Shokhina. “Mannon McMahon can play all 200 feet, adding energy on the forecheck but also possessing great playmaking ability. Anna Meixner plays with grit and has a hard nose for the net. Anna Shokhina has really high-end skill and is an offensive shooting threat who can score goals,” Goldeneyes General Manager Cara Gardner Morey said of Vancouver's new players in a press release. “These players will make an impact at both ends of the ice. We want to compete with grit and speed, and these players embody those qualities and fit the way we want to play. We believe this move will strengthen our group both on and off the ice as we continue our inaugural season. We’re excited to welcome these three to Vancouver.” With Vancouver's performances so far throughout the season, it was clear changes needed to be made; particularly on offence. Shokhina, 28, will be the name to watch of the three players coming to the Goldeneyes, as the forward has the potential to contribute in droves offensively. Prior to joining the PWHL in the 2025–26 season, Shokhina scored 30 goals and 43 assists in 42 games played with Dynamo-Neva St. Petersburg in Russia. She scored her first PWHL goal in Vancouver against the Goldeneyes on December 16 in what was Ottawa's lone goal of the game. Sticking with the Goldeneyes' theme of grit will be Meixner, a second-year PWHLer who has scored two goals in 13 games with the Charge so far this season. The 31-year-old has been a consistent leader for the Austrian national team throughout her career, having been named captain for four different D1A World Championships. The final forward acquired by Vancouver is McMahon, 24, a former captain of the University of Minnesota-Duluth women's team and fifth-round pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft. McMahon comes to Vancouver with a goal and an assist in 13 games throughout 2025–26. While not particularly known for offence, McMahon will be able to provide depth on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. She'll fit somewhere down the middle behind the newly-returned Sarah Nurse and Hannah Miller. Generating offence has been the Goldeneyes’ biggest issue throughout the start of their PWHL campaign, as Vancouver has scored 22 goals since their home-opener. They’ve been shut-out three times and have scored one goal or less in seven different games this season. Vancouver has only surpassed the three-goal mark in three different games so far. Shot generation has been a difficulty for the Goldeneyes throughout the start of this season as well. During their 2–1 loss to the Toronto Sceptres on Saturday, Vancouver put only four shots on goal throughout the first period while allowing the Sceptres to register 20. Only a couple of games before that, in their 4–3 victory against the Boston Fleet in Detroit, Vancouver allowed 16 shots on goal and put up four of their own during the first period. The Goldeneyes have been outshot in 10 of their 13 games throughout 2025–26. Credit @ PWHL [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8c163fa8-1fe3-4411-88ed-ca5972ea79f4.jpeg] Credit @ PWHL While not to the same shooting level as Sophie Jaques (47) and Abby Boreen (36), Shokhina, Meixner, and McMahon should be able to help Vancouver in that department. All three forwards have 10+ shots on the season so far. Individual stats aside, McMahon's two-way game and Meixner's ability to drive the net should help Vancouver come into possession of the puck a little more than their current efforts. The 2025–26 season has also not gone to plan for the Charge, who currently sit at sixth in the PWHL with 17 points. Like Vancouver and the Seattle Torrent (8th), they also only have three wins on the season. In theory, this is the first trade to occur during the 2025–26 PWHL regular season. Vancouver conducted the league’s last trade, sending Denisa Křížová back to the Minnesota Frost in exchange for forward Anna Segedi. The Goldeneyes’ blockbuster comes one day after their 2–1 overtime loss to the Toronto Sceptres in the Battle on Bay Street. They’ll take on the Sceptres on home ice this Thursday, January 22, at 7:00 pm PT. With big changes now made to their lineup, Vancouver will be looking for a chance to snap their current three-game losing streak. Sophie Jaques discusses diversity in hockey
