PWHL announces protection lists for expansion draft
We now know the players are not going to be moving west next year.
On Tuesday, the PWHL announced the protection lists for the original six teams as part of the expansion draft and exclusive signing window process. Each team was permitted to protect up to three players each, meaning several big-name players were left exposed to the new teams in Vancouver and Seattle.
The Boston Fleet made headlines by not protecting captain Hilary Knight. The future Hall of Famer had a great second season with the Fleet, finishing tied with New York Sirens rookie Sarah Fillier for the league lead in scoring with 29 points. Knight’s also a finalist for the Billie Jean King MVP Award.
However, general manager Danielle Marmer elected to go a different direction, protecting goaltender Aerin Frankel, defender Megan Keller and forward Alina Müller. Had the Fleet made the playoffs this year, Frankel probably would’ve been in the MVP conversation, as she was the driving force behind Boston this year.
Along with Knight, players like Susanna Tapani and Jamie Lee Rattray were left exposed to the two new clubs.
The two-time Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost left few surprised by protecting captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and talented forward Taylor Heise. However, the team decided to protect defender Lee Stecklein instead of players like Sophie Jaques and Claire Thompson. Stecklein played well this year, but one could argue she’s not been on the same level that Jaques and Thompson have been at in the PWHL.
The Montreal Victoire were boring in their choices, as many expected them to protect captain Marie-Philip Poulin, forward Laura Stacey and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens. Poulin led the league in goals with 19, earning the PWHL Top Goal Scorer Award for the first time. Her partner, Stacey, might’ve missed some due to injury, but she’s still one of the best players in the league.
With those three protected, defender Erin Ambrose and forward Jennifer Gardiner could be picked up by one of the new teams. Both were key players this year, with Gardiner standing out on the top line with Poulin and Stacey.
To no one’s surprise, Fillier is the notable name protected by the Sirens. The favorite to win the Rookie of the Year led a New York team that ended up finishing last in the PWHL for the second year in a row. Another no-brainer is defender Ella Shelton. The player who scored the first-ever goal in the league was able to be a stable force on the back end. Captain Micah Zandee-Hart was also protected by general manager Pascal Daoust.
That leaves several names open to be picked up, including goaltender Corinne Schroeder, as well as scoring threats Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge. Those two finished second and third, respectively, behind Fillier for the team lead in scoring.
This year’s runners-up, the Ottawa Charge, made a couple of interesting choices. Maybe one that isn’t a shocker is Gwyneth Philips, the rookie goaltender who took the reins after Emerance Maschmeyer went down with an injury. Philips won the Illana Kloss Playoff MVP Award, and is a finalist for the Rookie and Goaltender of the Year awards. However, that means Maschmeyer is left exposed in the upcoming expansion draft.
The other two players protected by the Charge are forward Emily Clark and defender Ronja Savolainen. That means the team’s leading scorer, Tereza Vanišová, and captain Brianne Jenner are available to be scooped up.
The Toronto Sceptres certainly made some choices with their protection list. Keeping Defender of the Year and MVP finalist Renata Fast is an easy move for GM Gina Kingsbury. Protecting Daryl Watts, who flourished in her first season in Toronto, was another decision that makes sense.
However, the Sceptres left players like Hannah Miller and Sarah Nurse, along with all of their goaltenders, exposed. Instead, the team is protecting Captain Blayre Turnbull, who has scored a combined 20 points over the first two years of the league.
Starting on Wednesday, Seattle and Vancouver have five days to sign up to five players during their exclusive signing window. Then, on June 9, the two teams will participate in the first-ever expansion draft, where the new squads will draft players until each has 12 on its roster.