2024 PWHL Draft Grades: How all six teams did
The 2024 PWHL Draft is in the books. 42 players found their new homes, and for some, a chance to play professional hockey.
While some players fell into places they were expected to go, others fell down the board, with some notable names moving up. Daily Faceoff’s Hunter Crowther and Tyler Kuehl gave their grades on how they believed each team did in the second annual draft.
Boston
Key picks: Hannah Bilka (F), Daniela Pejšová (D), Sydney Bard (D)
Hunter (B): Wow, they took a Buckeye in the first round? Must be pretty smart up in Boston … okay I’ll stop. Hannah Bilka will provide a huge boost for a Boston team that ran out of gas in the PWHL Finals. T
The team swapped picks with New York to move up to No. 7, taking Czechia’s Daniela Pejsova. Scouts loved her two-way game from the blue line in Sweden last year, and her addition to a strong defensive core led by Megan Keller. Also, liked them picking up Sydney Bard and Hadley Hartmetz — a Buckeye! — to bolster their depth on the backend.
Tyler (B): I really liked the idea of trading to get a higher pick earlier in the draft, where they got Pejšová with the seventh overall pick, but I think their later rounds left more to be desired. Ilona Markova might end up being a big steal for the team, but they had an opportunity to draft Amanda Kessel with their second pick in the seventh round. Getting Bilka early will be huge for a team that struggled to score throughout the season.
Sydney Bard is a solid pickup for a third-pair defender, but I’m not sure what Shay Maloney will bring to the team.
Minnesota
Key picks: Claire Thompson (D), Klára Hymlárová (F), Britta Curl (F)
Hunter (C+): I thought Minnesota taking Claire Thompson at No. 3 was one of the best picks of the draft: a star at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, Thompson has proved that she can not only produce offense in the opponent’s zone, but she can shut down the opponent in her own.
But the club followed that by taking Britta Curl in the second round, a move that shocked everyone watching and following along, leaving a sour taste for many fans for the rest of the evening. You can make the case she was one of college hockey’s best players, but her social media activity and personal views on the LGBTQ+ and trans community leave many wondering how the league will navigate her entrance into the league.
Beyond that, I was surprised Mae Batherson, out of St. Lawrence, dropped to them in the sixth round. Nearly a point-per-game defender in the NCAA, she’ll add some nice depth for the defending champs.
Tyler (B): From a hockey point of view, Minnesota had a really good draft. However, they decided to add to their PR nightmare by taking Britta Curl. Yes, she is a really good player and will make an immediate impact in the league, but you would think a leader would have a better pulse on the situation. Obviously, Ken Klee does not.
Other than that, Minnesota did great. Getting Claire Thompson early will really bolster their back end and I am confident Hymlárová’s game will transfer to North America. Getting in-depth players like Dominique Petrie and Mae Batherson will be key to this team defending its title.
Montreal
Key picks: Cayla Barnes (D), Jennifer Gardiner (F), Abby Boreen (F)
Hunter (B+): If I were a betting man, I would put $5 on red, then take my winnings and bet on Montreal taking Thompson at No. 5 overall, pairing her with Erin Ambrose and instantly having one of hockey’s best D-pairing. But I never win my bets anyway, so don’t listen to me.
So I guess if you HAD to settle for a choice, Calya Barnes is a pretty damn good one. Taking Jennifer Gardiner in Round 2 (both Buckeyes … I”ll never stop), they chased it with disappointing everyone in attendance by selecting Abby Boreen in the third round, the Minnesota prospect who everyone and their Aunt Arlene assumed would be selected by the Walter Cup champions.
Screw it, I’m changing my grade: Montreal gets an A. Bonus marks for the chaos! The chaos!
Tyler (A-): Montreal started off strong and they ended strong. Having Barnes fall into their lap was huge, and then getting one of the best veterans in college hockey in Gardiner. After that, they stole Abby Boreen from Minnesota (though they had a couple of chances to avoid that from happening).
I really liked the Kessel pick. I know not many expected her to fall that far down, but if you place her on a line with Marie-Philip Poulin and Kristin O’Neill, and she will produce. Wilgren is also a nice addition to the back end.
New York
Key picks: Sarah Fillier (F), Maja Nylén Persson (D), Noora Tulus (F)
Hunter (A+): If they only took Sarah Fillier and proceeded to draft six human beings who can breathe, it would still be a successful draft. But General Manager Pascal Daoust made out like a bandit, accumulating picks and talented prospects. The club traded the No. 7 and 37th overall picks to Boston for the No. 10, 16 and 28 picks, giving them three selections between No. 10 and 16.
They took two defenders in Maya Nylen Persson and Allyson Simpson, adding two players who could be in their lineup at the start of the 2024-25 season. New York also drafted Elle Hartje in the fifth-round, a point-producing machine at Yale whose game could translate nicely at the pro level.
Tyler (A+): When you have the first-overall pick and have more picks than any other team, you have to knock it out of the park. Pascal Daoust certainly did that. He didn’t do anything crazy with the No. 1 pick, and they picked up the best defender in Sweden in Nylén Persson and one of the best scorers in all of Europe in Tulus, which addresses needs at both ends of the rink.
I am intrigued to see how taking Kayle Osborne in the net affects their goaltending situation. I know the team hasn’t announced any signings yet, but unless Corinne Schroeder doesn’t want to re-sign, everything’s pointing to Abbey Levy being on the way out.
Ottawa
Key picks: Danielle Serdachny (F), Ronja Savolainen (D), Gwyneth Philips (G)
Hunter (A-): All the praise for getting Danielle Serdachny at No. 2, as she may be the most pro-ready player in the draft*, but I was especially happy to see them take Ronja Savolainen with the No. 8 pick. I had them taking her in the third round, but nevertheless, they got their player. She can play physically, and Ottawa has made it no secret that they want a wide array of passports on their roster.
I also liked them taking Gwyneth Philips, the top-ranked netminder in the draft. Emerance Maschmeyer played in all but one game last season for Ottawa, so it will be interesting to see how they use Philips next year. Bonus points for taking defender Stephanie Markowski out of Ohio State, simply because Ohio State is a terrific institution.
*I’d like to take this opportunity to challenge Tyler Kuehl and predict that Serdachny will be next season’s Rookie of the Year, NOT Fillier. “I’M CHALLENGING YOU, HULK HOGAN, AT WRESTLEMANIA V IN ATLANTIC CITY.”
Tyler (B+): I keep going back and forth with Ottawa. Yes, they nailed getting Serdachny and Savolainen. However, as much as I love acquiring Philips, if Carla MacLeod isn’t going to use her and ride Emerance Maschmeyer again like last season, it is a wasted pick. Stephanie Markowski has a lot of upside to her game, and can bring a little more depth to a d-core looking for more stability. Having Wethington fall to the seventh round helps there, as well.
I believe Anna Meixner will eventually become a useful asset, but that will take time.
Toronto
Key picks: Julia Gosling (F), Megan Carter (D), Izzy Daniel (F)
Hunter (B-):
Toronto took Julia Gosling with their first-round pick, a player one ECAC coach told me was going to end up being the one that teams look back on and think, “We should have taken her when we had the chance.” As I said after they took her, Toronto didn’t want to take that chance.
Megan Carter out of Northeastern will instantly provide some much-needed depth for a Toronto blue line that relied too much on Jocelyn Larocque and Renata Fast. This year’s Patty Kazmaier winner, Izzy Daniel, was taken in the third round, and while some may be worried about her size, her ability to generate offense out of nowhere is desperately needed in a league where every team has great goaltending.
Speaking of which, some wondered if the team was going to take a goalie, and they did with the very last pick of the draft, selecting Raygan Kirk out of — you guessed it — THE Ohio State University. Whether she’ll be Kristen Campbell’s backup or be a depth piece remains to be seen.
Tyler (C+): Toronto was going to be in a tough spot, having the last pick in every round, but they let a few talented players get by them. Gosling will need time to develop, as well as Daniel. I’m not sure if using a second-round pick on Carter will pay off. It is no secret that Toronto needs to deepen its blueline, but they passed up Wilgren and Wethington. I believe Lauren Bernard might turn out to be a better defender than Megan Carter…but now that I just said that, I will be proven wrong.