The Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League season is sort of right here.
Toronto and Boston will kick off the league’s second season on Saturday afternoon, with all six groups scheduled to play over the opening weekend. Each crew within the league improved over the offseason with dozens of latest faces anticipated to crack opening day rosters.
However how does everybody stack up? Are the defending champion Minnesota Frost the crew to beat? Is Sarah Fillier sufficient to dig the New York Sirens out of final place?
Let’s dive into all six groups, their strengths and the most important questions looming forward of puck drop.
Observe: The PWHL’s roster deadline isn’t till Wednesday at 5 p.m ET. Rosters proven beneath are projections and can be edited when formally launched.
Minnesota Frost
*Hymlárová can play wing, middle and protection, however is listed as LW for now after taking part in the place in preseason.
The strengths
The Frost received the league’s first championship – and obtained higher within the offseason.
Claire Thompson was one of the best defender within the draft, and provides Minnesota three legit No. 1 protection choices together with Lee Stecklein and Sophie Jaques. She’s a dynamic offensive defender who may pair effectively with Stecklein, a shutdown participant, or Jaques to present Minnesota an attack-first pair.
The ahead group is highlighted by playoff MVP Taylor Heise and rookie of the 12 months Grace Zumwinkle. Heise hasn’t performed within the lead-up to the season as a result of damage, however Zumwinkle is perhaps one of many largest gamers to observe. She has all of the instruments to be a star within the PWHL — dimension, skating capacity and an important shot — and appears assured heading into her sophomore season.
GRACE ZUMWINKLE INCREDIBLE GOAL 😱
USA scores two fast objectives to chop Canada’s result in 1! pic.twitter.com/7jlq9xJVPD
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 9, 2024
Newcomers Britta Curl, Brooke McQuigge, Dominique Petrie and Katy Knoll give the crew improved ahead depth and extra dimension, which ought to make Minnesota even more durable to play towards.
The massive query
Can Minnesota enhance on particular groups?
Minnesota’s single largest situation final season was particular groups. The ability play operated at an 8.2 p.c effectivity and the penalty kill was a league-worst 67.2 p.c.
These points caught as much as the crew down the stretch because the Frost went on a five-game dropping streak that just about value them a spot within the playoffs. In these 5 video games, the crew went 1-for-15 on the facility play and solely 5-for-14 on the penalty kill, permitting 9 objectives towards.
The hope is that new faces like Thompson and Curl can beef up each items. Minnesota additionally has a brand new assistant coach, Chris Johnson, the son of legendary Wisconsin Badgers head coach Mark Johnson, who can be answerable for enhancing the facility play. The opposite variable is the brand new “No Escape Rule” the league added this offseason, which implies when a crew takes a penalty, gamers on the ice should keep out for the primary penalty-kill faceoff. The rule would possibly make groups’ energy performs higher however sink some penalty kills within the course of.
Boston Fleet
LTIR: Hadley Hartmetz (D)
The strengths
It’s simple to overlook Boston regarded nice on paper final season and was fairly disappointing till it ran the desk and made the playoffs. So I’ll forgive you when you don’t belief me after I say the 2024-25 Boston Fleet don’t seem to have a evident weak point.
They’ve an elite goalie in Aerin Frankel who not solely carried the crew to the postseason however was the crew’s MVP over 14 playoff begins. There’s high-end ahead expertise with captain Hilary Knight, Swiss middle Alina Müller, 2024 No. 4 decide Hannah Bilka and a wholesome Loren Gabel, who might need one of the best shot in girls’s hockey. Susanna Tapani turned a essential participant for Boston after being traded midseason from Minnesota and must be a key middle-six middle from Day 1 this season.
The crew’s blue line, led by Group USA’s Megan Keller, must be higher after the addition of Czech defender Daniela Pejšová and Sydney Bard — two glorious puck movers who can enhance Boston’s play in transition.
The massive query
Is Hannah Bilka the lacking piece on offense?
Boston’s largest situation was its offense — they scored the fewest objectives within the PWHL (50) and obtained shut out in Recreation 5 of the Finals. Nonetheless, that wasn’t essentially as a result of an absence of gifted gamers on the high of the lineup. Müller and Knight definitely qualify, however they struggled to persistently produce, scoring solely 5 and 6 objectives respectively.
There’s motive to consider that Bilka might be the catalyst for Boston’s offense, particularly if she traces up with Müller and Knight on the highest line.
Bilka’s offensive expertise are exceptional and she or he calls for consideration with the puck on her stick. In an ideal world for Boston, she is going to create extra open seems for Knight, whose shot continues to be a weapon, and Müller, who is a superb playmaker in her personal proper.
If that high line clicks, it ought to enable Boston to roll out a extra balanced and constant lineup.
Toronto Sceptres
LTIR: Natalie Spooner (F), Megan Carter (D)
The strengths
Toronto enters the season with maybe essentially the most intriguing group of forwards within the PWHL.
Natalie Spooner had a dominant MVP season, main the league in each objectives and factors, and she or he can be massively missed whereas recovering from season-ending ACL surgical procedure in June. Toronto might want to discover methods to attain with out her, however ought to have sufficient new and returning gamers to be OK till she returns.
The crew nonetheless has Sarah Nurse, who completed second in league scoring, and Emma Maltais, who had a top-10 scoring marketing campaign of her personal. The Sceptres did effectively on the draft, including ahead Julia Gosling and 2024 Patty Kazmaier winner Izzy Daniel, a wise playmaker.
The crew additionally signed the summer time’s high free agent, Daryl Watts, who led Ottawa in objectives (10) and completed third in factors (17) final season. Watts is a extremely expert winger with elite imaginative and prescient and a pure scoring contact that ought to give Toronto one other dynamic scoring choice.
There’s additionally motive to consider captain Blayre Turnbull — who scored a modest three objectives and 9 factors — may flip in a extra productive season, and Maggie Connors may take a step ahead offensively.
It would take a while to kind out the road mixtures or for incoming gamers to regulate to the PWHL, however the group seems actually sturdy on paper. In fact, how Spooner would possibly look is a giant query, however when she does finally make her comeback, there must be sufficient expertise round her that she received’t be required to hold the crew seven months post-operation.
The massive query
Are they deep sufficient on the blue line?
Whereas Toronto beefed up its ahead group, its blue line is wanting fairly skinny.
Toronto’s projected high 4 — Renata Quick, Jocelyne Larocque, Allie Munroe and Kali Flanagan — is unchanged. That group fared effectively final season, however it was largely stored afloat by Larocque and Quick logging at the very least 25 minutes of ice time per evening.
To be truthful, Larocque and Quick are able to consuming minutes on the blue line. And 2024 second-round decide Megan Carter beginning the season on LTIR is an surprising loss. Toronto performs effectively sufficient inside Troy Ryan’s construction for rookies Lauren Bernard and Rylind MacKinnon to be OK in sheltered minutes.
Nonetheless, whereas each different crew seems to have gotten higher on protection, Toronto is taking a look at one other 12 months of relying closely on its high pair.
Montreal Victoire
Observe: Kennedy Marchment (F) and Dominika Lásková (D) have been on LTIR final season and are anticipated to overlook the beginning of the season.
The strengths
Like final 12 months, Montreal’s largest power is elite expertise on the high of the lineup. That begins with Marie-Philip Poulin, who was the one one who may have realistically challenged Spooner for MVP. She led the league in factors per sport (1.10) and Montreal misplaced all three video games Poulin missed as a result of damage. She performs in all conditions and elevates everybody round her. So long as Poulin is in Montreal, this crew goes to be good.
However she’s not the one elite participant. Laura Stacey scored as many objectives as Poulin final season (10), largely taking part in on her wing. Erin Ambrose was the 2024 Defender of the Yr. Including Cayla Barnes, a longtime high defender for Group USA, to the highest 4 when she returns from damage quickly will improve Montreal’s blue-line star energy. And Ann-Renée Desbiens continues to be the most effective goalies on the earth.
The massive query
Did they add sufficient depth within the offseason?
Poulin and Stacey scored double the quantity of objectives as their next-highest teammate final season. Ambrose performed over an hour in Montreal’s triple-overtime thriller towards Boston within the playoffs.
A purpose for Montreal heading into the draft and free company was to make sure they added gamers who may play significant minutes and reduce the load of the crew’s high gamers. On paper, it seems like GM Danièle Sauvageau did that.
Stealing Abby Boreen from Minnesota — the place she was a reserve participant — ought to show to be a savvy transfer, as Boreen has already confirmed to be a top-line participant within the PWHL. Lina Ljungblom, the reigning SDHL MVP, might be a pure match on the highest line subsequent to Poulin, whereas Jennifer Gardiner and Dara Greig will add extra offense to the highest 9, significantly on the wing. If nothing else, coach Kori Cheverie has extra choices this season than final.
If Barnes misses the beginning of the season as she recovers from a lower-body damage, Montreal’s high 4 seems a little bit too just like the one which ended final season in a first-round playoff loss. That being mentioned, Anna Kjellbin and Anna Wilgren can be an actual improve on the third pair as two dependable defensive defenders.
Ottawa Cost
The strengths
Considered one of Ottawa’s priorities was so as to add depth on protection, which was a difficulty final season after dropping Zoe Boyd to damage.
Including Ronja Savolainen, one of many Finnish nationwide crew’s greatest gamers, will assist in that regard. She has best dimension (5-foot-9) coupled with reputable skating and ability on the blue line. Savolainen may play effectively with Aneta Tejralová, who was considered one of Ottawa’s greatest defenders final season. That duo, with Savannah Harmon and Ashton Bell, may give Ottawa the most effective high fours within the PWHL, significantly in terms of two-way capacity.
Fourth-round decide Stephanie Markowski — who received a nationwide championship at Ohio State final season — will add much more depth to the blue line with Boyd and Jincy Roese.
The goalie tandem in Ottawa seems like an actual power heading into the season, too, with Emerance Maschmeyer taking part in glorious hockey for Group Canada on the Rivalry Collection and in preseason and a younger participant in Gwyneth Philips as a dependable backup.
The massive query
Is there sufficient offensive depth?
Ottawa would possibly have the ability to adequately exchange Watts’ offense by means of No. 2 decide Danielle Serdachny, who was a pressure in school and has the power to be a difference-maker within the PWHL. Tereza Vanišová, acquired on the commerce deadline final 12 months, possible takes over Watts’ top-line job subsequent to Brianne Jenner and Kateřina Mrázová.
However exterior of its high forwards – together with Gabbie Hughes and Emily Clark – I’m unsure the place the offense is coming from in Ottawa.
Hayley Scamurra is a standout defensive ahead with excessive compete however isn’t essentially a dynamic level producer. Newcomer Anna Meixner might be a precious secondary scoring choice; she’s a artful playmaker however is unproven within the PWHL after principally taking part in abroad and within the decrease division of the IIHF girls’s world championships. Mannon McMahon is a superb 200-foot participant, however wasn’t a significant producer within the NCAA. Free-agent signings Rebecca Leslie and Alexa Vasko mixed for 4 objectives in 24 video games final season.
Ottawa scored the second-most objectives (62) and nonetheless missed the playoffs. Maybe specializing in the blue line, and slicing down on objectives towards, can be sufficient to make it in 2024-25.
New York Sirens
The strengths
New York made two main additions within the offseason: a high-level coach and one of the best participant obtainable within the draft.
Sarah Fillier is a real franchise participant who could make an instantaneous impression in New York. Final season, the Sirens relied closely on Alex Carpenter to provide – she factored in on 43.4 p.c of the crew’s objectives. This season, New York can deploy a very elite high line with Carpenter and Fillier, two good and gifted offensive gamers who already put their chemistry on show within the preseason.
In the meantime, the crew’s new coach, Greg Fargo, brings extra stability and expertise to the New York bench than Howie Draper did final season. Fargo is a extremely profitable NCAA coach with latest expertise teaching elite gamers to spectacular outcomes – he turned Colgate right into a perennial contender and coached Danielle Serdachny to 5 profitable seasons.
In an ideal world, Fargo — as a result of his techniques and training model — might help new gamers, and people who struggled final season, be extra impactful gamers this season.
The massive query
What number of gamers can truly flip issues round?
What made New York my preseason favourite final season was their depth on paper. However lots of these gamers didn’t meet expectations.
Abby Roque solely scored six objectives and 13 factors. Élizabeth Giguère, a prolific NCAA participant, solely tallied 4 factors. Paetyn Levis shot zero p.c on 32 pictures on purpose. Defenders Micah Zandee-Hart and Brooke Hobson weren’t as efficient as they’ve been in earlier seasons.
The optimist’s view is that each one of those gamers can solely get higher in 2024-25. The pessimist’s view is that banking on a number of comeback seasons is silly.
Even when some gamers from final season don’t make large leaps, the Sirens possible added sufficient by way of the draft to enhance as a crew past simply Fillier. Maja Nylén Persson was the SDHL’s defender of the 12 months for 3 straight seasons, whereas Allyson Simpson had an elite two-way impression for Fargo at Colgate. Noora Tulus, Gabby Rosenthal and Elle Hartje must be significant additions to the ahead group, with Tulus projecting as a dependable top-six scorer after main the SDHL (61 factors in 36 video games) in scoring final season.
(Picture of Daryl Watts and Sarah Fillier: Andrew Francis Wallace / Toronto Star by way of Getty Pictures and Elsa / Getty Pictures)
