Forecasting the 2025-26 PWHL season: Most exciting and disappointing teams, predictions and more
The third season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League is shaping up to be an exciting one. With the hype surrounding the news team – the Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes – along with a plethora of faces in new places, the 2025-26 campaign has a lot to behold.
Now that most of the off-ice drama has commenced, it’s time to drop the puck. Daily Faceoff’s women’s hockey experts, Hunter Crowther, Tyler Kuehl and Ben Steiner project what could happen over the next few months.
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Which team are you most excited to see?
Hunter: It’s hard to see both the Vancouver Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent and not think, “Wow, look at the shiny new toys!” And who could blame you? They are loaded with talent through the expansion draft and free agency — heck, the Goldeneyes look like an Olympic roster. But this season, I’m most excited to see how the New York Sirens perform after back-to-back seasons of finishing last in the league. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick in Sarah Fillier, who was a Billie Jean King MVP finalist, will continue to improve, and the addition of this year’s No. 1 and 3 picks in Kristyna Kaltounkova and Casey O’Brien, respectively, brings optimism to a New York group that’s desperate for a playoff chase.
Tyler: I have ridden the Montreal Victoire for the past couple of years, and while they’ve been exciting, they have managed to let me down when it matters most. This year, I’m jumping on the Vancouver Goldeneyes bandwagon. The team is loaded from top to bottom. From big-name scoring stars like Nurse and Miller, to a strong D-corps headlined by Jaques and Thompson, and a veteran tandem in Emerance Maschmeyer and Kristen Campbell, there’s little doubt in my mind that this team is going to be near the top of the standings. Even their “depth” players like Tereza Vanisova and Ashton Bell are among the best in the league at their positions.
Ben: It’s got to be the Vancouver Goldeneyes for me, but the New York Sirens are right up there as well. With the Goldeneyes, I want to see just how quickly a group of talented players can get up to speed. On paper, general manager Cara Gardner Morey has established an elite group, but how do they compare with some of the more established teams? In New York, Sarah Fillier was great last season, but will they finally get some team success after a tough couple of years?
Which team is most likely to disappoint?
Hunter: As much as it pains me to say this, it feels like the Ottawa Charge are going to take a step back in 2025-26. Last season, a late surge saw them make the playoffs on the last day of the regular season and fall two wins short of a Walter Cup. But a mass exodus of talent in the offseason through free agency and an inability to address those losses in a meaningful way leave some wondering if they’re on the outside looking in. Unless Gwyneth Philips continues to improve and some of their players have career years, the Charge won’t make the playoffs.
Tyler: With all of the hype surrounding Vancouver, I have a lot of concerns regarding the other expansion team. The Torrent has some solid players – Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes – but there isn’t enough depth to keep up with other teams in the league. Yes, Hilary Knight is coming off an MVP-caliber season, but are we going to see her run it back, or will she struggle like she has historically in pro leagues? The goaltending is another massive question mark. Corinne Schroeder has had flashes of brilliance, but her inconsistency (on a rough New York team, albeit) makes me wonder if she can carry the load with Seattle.
All in all, while the excitement is high in the Emerald City, my expectations for this team are low.
Ben: It has to be the Vancouver Goldeneyes, no? The expectations heading into the season seemingly have some folks preemptively handing them the Walter Cup, and they’ve never even played a competitive game together. How will head coach Brian Idalski adjust to the PWHL, and if goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer runs into injury concerns, can Kristen Campbell return to her top goaltending form? There are plenty of ways Vancouver could go right…but also many ways it could go very wrong.
Who is your early MVP candidate?
Hunter: As long as Marie-Philip Poulin is in the league, there’s a good chance she will win the Billie Jean King. However, I’ll go a little off the board and say Minnesota Frost forward Taylor Heise will take the MVP in 2025-26. She finished last season with 22 points, and while her goal production fell off in the playoffs, she was still a dangerous force every night. Heise has had bursts of offense at different times in her career, and with the departure of several key offensive weapons like Michela Cava, Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner has an opportunity to fill the gap in Minnesota.
Tyler: Regardless of how good the team is around her, Sirens forward Sarah Fillier has to be in the conversation. If the Sirens are anywhere close to a playoff spot, it’s going to be because of the reigning rookie of the year. We saw that, even on a team that finished last in 2024-25, Fillier is, by far, one of the most dominant players in the game. Yes, she’ll need some supporting characters around, but playing with rookies Casey O’Brien and Anne Cherkowski can help the former first-overall pick seize the opportunity to further dominate this league.
Ben: I’m going to join Hunter on the Taylor Heise call. Marie-Philip Poulin will always be in contention, and I like the Sarah Fillier shout, but Heise has already been among the best players in the first two seasons and could still improve her output in 2025-26.
Which goaltender is going to be the most impressive?
Hunter: Corinne Schroeder was arguably the best netminder in hockey in 2023-24, carrying a lackluster Sirens group as far as she could with a .930 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. Those numbers took a hit last season as New York continued to struggle to get out of the league basement, but a fresh start with the Torrent could be just what the doctor ordered. It remains to be seen if the blue line in front of her, which includes Calya Barnes, Anna Wilgren and Mariah Keopple, will be better than what she saw with the Sirens, but it may be enough for her to shine in the Torrent crease.
Tyler: I’d love to pick Frankel and Philips, but if you’re going off, which goaltender is going to excel this season, you have to look at Goldeneyes netminder Emerance Maschmeyer. While it’s hard to say that she lost her job just because she got hurt last season, she was left unprotected by the Charge. This is shaping up to be a redemption year for Masch. Along with gearing up for the Olympics, she’ll want to prove she still has what it takes to be a No. 1 goaltender. She might be platooned early on with Campbell, but I believe there will be a little chip on Maschmeyer’s shoulder, which will drive her to be one of the best in the PWHL. Playing behind a stacked team in Vancouver will give the veteran a chance to put up star-caliber numbers.
Ben: Emerance Maschmeyer. Some people have forgotten just how dominant the Team Canada goalie can be, and she will be playing behind a defensive setup headed by Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson, who were among the best blueliners with the Minnesota Frost last season. Injury concerns could always creep in, but the chance for Maschmeyer to re-establish herself as the league’s premier backstop seems quite likely.
Which college rookie are you excited to see?
Hunter: There’s no doubt No. 1 pick Kristýna Kaltounková will have plenty of eyes on her, but it’s her New York teammate out of Wisconsin who will burst onto the scene. O’Brien led the NCAA in assists and points, becoming the Badgers’ all-time scorer — passing Hilary Knight! — and finishing in the all-time top 10 with 274 points. With the departure of Alex Carpenter, Fillier will be looking for a new linemate to rack up points with, and who better to generate production than O’Brien?
Tyler: While everyone’s going to be curious to see what Haley Winn does with the Boston Fleet, her former Clarkson teammate Nicole Gosling has the potential to make some hay with the Victoire. If you look at how she’s been used in the preseason, she’s played a lot in the top four and in a variety of roles on special teams. The London, Ont. native was one of the best two-way defenders in the ECAC over the past couple of seasons, and will be given every chance to succeed in Montreal.
I’m not out here saying that Gosling’s going to win the Rookie of the Year, but she has the tools to be a difference maker for one of the top teams in the league.
Ben: Jenna Buglioni is my name to watch from the Torrent, especially considering that outside of Knight, the Torrent doesn’t have many elite goal scorers throughout their team. Buglioni helped lead Ohio State to two NCAA titles, and finished her Buckeyes career with 166 points in 170 games, including 20 goals and 51 points in 44 games last season. She has a chance to be an instant star.
Final standings predictions
Hunter:
1. Montreal
2. Vancouver
3. Minnesota
4. Toronto
5. Seattle
6. New York
7. Ottawa
8. Boston
Tyler:
1. Vancouver
2. Montreal
3. Toronto
4. Minnesota
5. Seattle
6. New York
7. Boston
8. Ottawa
Ben:
1. Minnesota
2. Vancouver
3. Montreal
4. Toronto
5. Boston
6. Seattle Torrent
7. New York
8. Ottawa