Top 10 PWHL rookies to watch for in 2026-27
The 2026 PWHL Draft was easily the most anticipated draft in Professional Women’s Hockey League history (outside of the inaugural selection process).
Along with the simple fact that there were four new teams added to the league, the best wave of players coming out of college and overseas were taken in Detroit in June, giving fans even more of a reason to be excited heading into the league’s fourth season. Of the 72 players taken in the draft, and the numerous names who are being invited to training camps later this fall, this batch of talent has a great chance of being in the Rookie of the Year conversation by next spring. Last season, Clarkson University grad Haley Winn impressed everyone with the Boston Fleet, taking home the honor after an incredible freshman campaign.
Today, I take a look at the 10 top prospects heading into the 2026-27 season.
Note: Players must be in their 25th birth year or younger to be eligible for the Rookie of the Year. That’s why players like Andrea Brandli and Petra Nieminen aren’t on this list.
Caroline Harvey (D, Vancouver Goldeneyes)
Let’s get the easy one out of the way.
Harvey is considered by many to be the best defender in all of women’s hockey…and she hasn’t even played a game in the pros, yet. Yet, what she has been able to do on the international stage, controlling the game at the best-on-best level, it’s hard to believe that she’s going to do anything but great things in the PWHL. Even though she’s joining the Vancouver Goldeneyes, who are coming off a tough inaugural season, the University of Wisconsin graduate has the ability to put the franchise on an upward trajectory with her speed, vision and awareness at both ends of the rink. Last season, Harvey won Olympic gold with Team USA, earning tournament MVP honors in the process, won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women’s college hockey, leading the Badgers to a second straight NCAA championship.
Laila Edwards (F/D, San Jose)
I might be in the minority, but I truly believe Edwards could play in the men’s game if she wanted to. She has the size, strength, speed and a wicked shot that is among the best in hockey, full stop. She’s such a dynamic player who probably could’ve had better numbers at Wisconsin had she not been focusing on transitioning from forward to defender throughout her last two years at the school. Yet, that’s what makes Edwards such a unique force. You want a player who can be dominant and tough to beat on the wing? Edwards can do that. You want someone to shut down the opposition and quarterback your power play? She can do that, too.
Abbey Murphy (F, Seattle Torrent)
Murphy is a terrifying force that has the ability to run roughshod over this league if she wants. She is incredibly gifted. She can skate like the wind and do wicked things with the puck that leave defenders spinning. Along with an impressive shot, the University of Minnesota product plays with an intensity that few players in any form of hockey can match. Murphy is going to fit right in with, dare I say welcome, the physical play of the PWHL. The Torrent might be a tough team to watch again this season, but whenever Murphy is on the ice, you better not blink because you might miss something.
Cap Summary
Draft Picks
Tessa Janecke (F, Las Vegas)
While it was a little surprising that Janecke was taken third overall by Las Vegas, what won’t be surprising will be the impact she’ll have with the expansion team. The knock on her was that her numbers were inflated because she played in a bad conference. That said, the Penn State product did more than enough to prove herself in the NCAA ranks and beyond. She was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, and powered Penn State to a stunning run to the Women’s Frozen Four this past spring. She can also rise to the occasion, something she showed at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Lacey Eden (F, Las Vegas)
While Eden didn’t crack the United States’ Olympic roster this past season, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the talent to rack up the points, especially since she’s going to be on a very young, but potentially exciting team in Sin City. Her playmaking ability and vision were second to almost no one in the college ranks, playing near the top of the lineup on an already stacked Wisconsin team. Though she played more games than some of the players on this list who went to Milan, Eden still led the NCAA with 48 assists and 77 points last season, which the super senior capped off with her fourth national championship.
Issy Wunder (F, Las Vegas)
The rich kept getting richer in Las Vegas. Thanks to some handiwork, Dominique DiDia was able to grab three of the first 13 picks in the draft. After taking Janceke and Eden, DiDia selected Issy Wunder, a standout at Princeton, who carried the torch after Sarah Fillier graduated in 2024. The Toronto native was a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kaz thanks to a second straight 40-point season, notching a career-high 27 goals. While some might slight players coming out of the ECAC, Wunder can use her platform on a young Vegas team to shine in her first season in the league.
Thea Johansson (F, Vancouver Goldeneyes)
Let’s get out of the desert and head back to B.C.
I have really enjoyed watching Johansson develop over the past few years. She lit things up at Mercyhurst for three years before transferring to Minnesota Duluth, and while the Bulldogs weren’t amazing in the extremely tough WCHA, the Swedish winger managed to be a consistent threat. On top of that, she was arguably Sweden’s best player at the Olympics in February, proving to be a key asset in getting the team to the semifinals for the first time in almost 20 years. I know Vancouver has a lot of players who have the ability to put the puck in the net, but if Johansson gets placed with the right cast, she can be the one filling up the stat sheet.
Elisa Holopainen (F, New York Sirens)
We’ve been wondering when, or if, Holopainen would ever make the jump to North America. With Frölunda HC over the past couple of seasons, she has been one of the league’s top offensive weapons in the SDHL. She scored 40 points each year in the league, tying with Petra Nieminen for the league lead in scoring and earning MVP honors in 2024-25, before finishing second to her fellow countrywoman last season, despite leading the SDHL in goals. Holopainen’s release and knack for finding open space in the offensive zone have made her one of Finland’s prized scoring threats. You have to think that if she can create similar time and space in the PWHL, she will be a needed offensive weapon in New York.
Kirsten Simms (F, Toronto Sceptres)
How Simms fell all the way back to No. 8 in the draft will remain a mystery to me. Yet, Sceptres general manager Gina Kingsbury was smiling ear-to-ear when she was able to pick up the Wisconsin standout. The Plymouth, Mich. native has so much talent, great hands and electric speed that made her a Patty Kaz finalist as a sophomore. Sure, there’s concern about her size, and the fact she hasn’t played any notable role with the U.S. over the past couple of years has some concerned about her ability to produce at a high level (not to mention the fact she’s joining a bad team in Toronto). Yet, she has the clutch gene and the will to score that sets her in the upper echelon.
Sara Swiderski (D, Minnesota Frost)
Another player who was surprisingly picked as high as she was, Swiderski has a lot of traits in her game that could translate to the PWHL. At Ohio State, she was a solid two-way blueliner who was extremely reliable in her own zone, while having the ability to chime in on the offensive end from time to time. What makes her a dark horse candidate to be considered among the best first-year players is the fact that she’s going to get a lot of playing time in Minnesota. With Mae Batherson and Kendall Cooper both joining Las Vegas, Swiderski is pretty much a lock to be playing top-four minutes with the Frost.
