Which PWHL expansion teams will make the playoffs in Year 1?
The leaves are starting to fall, and it’s time to ponder what might happen in the fourth season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, particularly when it comes to the newest teams on the block.
The league made a massive move in expanding the league’s footprint to add four teams for the 2026-27 season – adding Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose. It brings a lot of intrigue as there are more players coming into the league, with even more big names moving to the new markets.
The four teams have been active building their rosters through their two exclusive signing periods and the PWHL Draft back in June. On paper, some teams have performed better than others, setting themselves up for a successful initial campaign in the league.
Today, we look at which of the four teams have the best chance to qualify for the Walter Cup Playoffs.
Editor’s Note: The PWHL has yet to announce a new playoff format for next season. The expectation is that it will expand from four to 6-8 teams.
Detroit = Lock
While there is still plenty of skepticism about what Detroit did during the signing phases – signing Britta Curl-Salemme and orchestrating the sign-and-trade for Hilary Knight – there’s an argument to be made that the new team in Hockeytown is the best among the new squads coming into the league.
I know I’m starting to sound like the guy who picked the Vancouver Goldeneyes to finish first in the PWHL last year, but it’s without question the group that general manager Manon Rheaume has put together is stacked. They signed Daryl Watts to the longest contract in PWHL history, signed Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes as well during Phase 2 of the PWHL Expansion Player Distribution Process and drafted a top-five goaltender in the world in Andrea Brandli. With many of the established franchises losing talent through expansion, Detroit is easily considered a top-five roster.
While camaraderie was an issue last year for the Goldeneyes and Seattle Torrent, this Detroit team shouldn’t have too much of a concern with that. Knight, Bilka, Barnes, Jesse Compher and Curl-Salemme have played together a lot with Team USA, and are expected to carry the offensive load, along with Watts and Shiann Darkangelo. I strongly believe the Montreal Victoire, Minnesota Frost and Boston Fleet will be near the top three in the standings once again, Detroit feels like they should be nipping on their heels.
Hamilton = Bubble Team
I go back and forth on how I feel about Hamilton. On one hand, I like the experience Meghan Duggan acquired in signing Brianne Jenner, Alina Muller and Emily Clark. Taking advantage of Kayle Osborne being available immediately gave the squad in Steeltown a starting goaltender, and Nicole Gosling has the makings of being a star defender in this league for years to come.
Cap Summary
Draft Picks
From there, it’s a lot of depth players, albeit quality assets. If she can stay healthy, Zoe Boyd is going to give Kris Sparre some heavy minutes, and Abby Hustler has the tools to be a key offensive weapon if given a top-six role. At the draft, Duggan took Minnesota defender Nelli Laitinen with her first pick, a solid choice, but not necessarily a needle-mover.
That’s what has me on the fence of Hamilton being a certified postseason contender. The talent is there to perform, and certainly be far from the Gold Plan conversation, but the lack of exceptional talent further down the lineup is going to hinder them down the stretch. We saw what can happen if Osborne gets overworked, and Clark and Muller are both very hot/cold players. While there is potential in players like Allyson Simpson and Peyton Hemp, it’s hard to say whether they can be go-to assets on their new team.
Las Vegas = Contender
I was a little confused on why GM Dominique DiDia would be willing to agree to the whole Knight deal, wasting a signing just to give her away. However, how she was able to manipulate expansion signings into acquiring draft picks (as she picked Abby Boreen, only to trade her back to Vancouver for the 13th overall pick), led to DiDia obtaining top-end rookies heading into the team’s first season. She ended up drafting Tessa Janecke, Lacey Eden and Issy Wunder, taking Josefin Bouveng and Kendall Butzee later on.
Las Vegas’ performance at the draft ended what was a fruitful start to the offseason for Sin City’s newest act. DiDia focused on defense early on, and locked down both experience and youth with the likes of Erin Ambrose, Kendall Cooper and Mae Batherson. On top of that, Las Vegas has a proven winner in Nicole Hensley in between the pipes, with role players such as Hayley Scamurra, Maureen Murphy and Katy Knoll more than capable of making an impact with their new team.
I really like how this team has been built, and cannot wait for them to hit the ice. If the PWHL does split into a East vs. West conference setup, they should have no problem against teams like Vancouver, Seattle and San Jose (more on them in a minute). Even then, I think Las Vegas has more than enough talent to hang in the top six of the league standings, if they can find a groove early on.
San Jose = Not a Chance
Sure, I liked how Troy Ryan did at the draft, but then again, selecting Laila Edwards was a no-brainer, and taking Sloane Matthews and goaltender Tia Chan gives San Jose some needed depth at their respective positions is crucial. However, the caliber of players Ryan acquired during the signing periods and free agency is cause for concern. Giving Kristin O’Neill the Franchise tag was extremely overzealous, and the team’s only other offensive weapons signed over the span was Anne Cherkowski, who had her share of struggles with the New York Sirens, and Natalie Mlynkova, who does have the ability to be a star in this league. However, with limited complimentary pieces around them, how does San Jose expect to score?
Defensively, San Jose is on par with the rest of the PWHL. Rory Guilday was more than impressive with the Ottawa Charge, and I do believe Daniela Pejsova has a higher ceiling than she was given in Boston. However, goaltending is going to be a huge question mark. Corinne Schroeder has elite tools, but has never found the consistency to help her teams staying the playoff hunt. Abbey Levy is a glorified backup and while Chan was one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA, her performance might’ve been a little inflated playing in Hockey East.
All that to say, I think San Jose will be competitive, but are far from being considered a team that will be in the fight for a playoff spot come next spring.
