Knight, Nurse among unprotected in PWHL expansion
Hilary Knight and Sarah Nurse highlight the group available for Seattle and Vancouver in the PWHL's expansion process, as the league announced the list of unprotected players Tuesday.
The original six franchises were permitted to protect three players in the initial phase of expansion. Once an established team loses two players, it can then protect a fourth.
Clubs can protect players who are under contract through the 2025-26 season or whose exclusive rights are held through the campaign.
Here's a breakdown of the protection lists.
Boston Fleet
| Protected | Unprotected |
|---|---|
| F Alina Muller | F Hannah Bilka |
| D Megan Keller | F Hannah Brandt |
| G Aerin Frankel | F Hilary Knight |
| F Shay Maloney | |
| F Ilona Markova | |
| F Jamie Lee Rattray | |
| F Sophie Shirley | |
| D Sydney Bard | |
| D Emily Brown | |
| D Hadley Hartmetz | |
| D Daniela Pejsova |
Keller and Frankel were obvious players to protect considering their talent, age, and position. What wasn't so clear was which forward general manager Danielle Marmer would opt to protect. She ultimately went with the younger Muller, who the Fleet selected third overall in the first PWHL draft.
That leaves Knight, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer and MVP finalist, available to head west. Soon to turn 36, Knight remains one of the league's best players after notching 29 points in 30 games, but Boston looks longer term with its protection list after narrowly missing the playoffs.
Bilka, a budding young offensive star who missed almost half of the season with an injury, is another very intriguing target for Seattle and Vancouver. The 24-year-old Texas native was taken fourth overall in last year's entry draft.
Minnesota Frost
| Protected | Unprotected |
|---|---|
| F Kendall Coyne Schofield | F Britta Curl-Salemme |
| F Taylor Heise | F Klara Hymlarova |
| D Lee Stecklein | F Katy Knoll |
| F Denisa Krizova | |
| F Brooke McQuigge | |
| F Kelly Pannek | |
| F Dominique Petrie | |
| F Grace Zumwinkle | |
| D Mae Batherson | |
| D Sophie Jaques | |
| D Claire Thompson | |
| G Nicole Hensley |
Heise, the league's inaugural first overall pick, was maybe the biggest lock in the league to be protected. The back-to-back champs chose to protect the core of their leadership group around Heise by locking in Coyne Schofield and Stecklein.
By doing so, the Frost value the now over the future. Jaques is unprotected despite being just 24 years old and a finalist for Defender of the Year after tying for the league lead in scoring at her position. Pannek, one of the game's best two-way centers, 2024 Rookie of the Year Zumwinkle, and another Defender of the Year finalist in Thompson will all be coveted assets.
Montreal Victoire
| Protected | Unprotected |
|---|---|
| F Marie-Philip Poulin | F Abby Boreen |
| F Laura Stacey | F Jennifer Gardiner |
| G Ann-Renee Desbiens | F Dara Greig |
| F Amanda Kessel | |
| F Lina Ljungblom | |
| F Maureen Murphy | |
| F Kristin O'Neill | |
| D Erin Ambrose | |
| D Cayla Barnes | |
| D Amanda Boulier | |
| D Anna Wilgren |
The Victoire are the only club to protect all three of their foundational signings from 2023. GM Daniele Sauvageau makes the tough call to leave 2024 Defender of the Year Erin Ambrose unprotected, making Montreal the lone team not to protect a defender.
British Columbia's Jennifer Gardiner and California's Cayla Barnes will be among the most coveted players in expansion as West Coast products coming off of excellent rookie campaigns.
New York Sirens
| Protected | Unprotected |
|---|---|
| F Sarah Fillier | F Alex Carpenter |
| D Ella Shelton | F Jessie Eldridge |
| D Micah Zandee-Hart | F Emmy Fecteau |
| F Elle Hartje | |
| F Paetyn Levis | |
| F Abby Roque | |
| F Gabby Rosenthal | |
| F Noora Tulus | |
| D Lauren Bernard | |
| D Jaime Bourbonnais | |
| D Maja Nylen Persson | |
| D Allyson Simpson | |
| G Kayle Osborne | |
| G Corinne Schroeder |
Fillier was drafted first overall last year. Though she's a restricted free agent this year with only one more season of team control, she was a clear choice to be protected. Shelton has been among the league's best offensive defenders, while Zandee-Hart is the team captain and ice-time leader.
Carpenter being left unprotected is the biggest surprise of the expansion's initial phase. She was a finalist for MVP last year, and the Sirens' campaign derailed while Carpenter was injured this season. New York went 0-4-0 in her absence, which culminated in a PWHL-worst nine-game losing streak.
Ottawa Charge
| Protected | Unprotected |
|---|---|
| F Emily Clark | F Gabbie Hughes |
| D Ronja Savolainen | F Brianne Jenner |
| G Gwyneth Philips | F Mannon McMahon |
| F Anna Meixner | |
| F Katerina Mrazova | |
| F Danielle Serdachny | |
| D Ashton Bell | |
| D Jocelyne Larocque | |
| D Stephanie Markowski | |
| D Aneta Tejralova | |
| D Madeline Wethington | |
| G Emerance Maschmeyer |
Clark and Philips solidified their spots as protected players with phenomenal performances in the playoffs. Savolainen is a more unexpected player to be protected after often playing on the team's second pairing. But the Finn is among the league's tallest defenders and is signed for another two seasons.
The Charge will hope Team Canada stalwarts Jenner and Larocque make it through the expansion draft due to their age. On the opposite end, last year's second overall pick, Danielle Serdachny, will be a prime target for Seattle and Vancouver as a potential long-term piece.
Toronto Sceptres
| Protected | Unprotected |
|---|---|
| F Blayre Turnbull | F Izzy Daniel |
| F Daryl Watts | F Julia Gosling |
| D Renata Fast | F Emma Maltais |
| F Noemi Neubauerova | |
| F Sarah Nurse | |
| F Anneke Rankila | |
| F Emma Woods | |
| D Megan Carter | |
| D Savannah Harmon | |
| D Allie Munroe | |
| D Anna Kjellbin | |
| G Kristen Campbell | |
| G Raygan Kirk |
Fast is the first defender to be an MVP finalist and was going nowhere. Watts established herself as a true offensive dynamo this season; she was another obvious player to protect as a local product who opted to return home through free agency.
GM Gina Kingsbury's final choice likely came down to Turnbull and Nurse. The two forwards were foundational signings, with Turnbull being named captain and receiving a heavy defensive workload, while Nurse has been leaned on offensively.
Nurse has just two assists in nine postseason games with the Sceptres, although she battled an injury both years. Turnbull encapsulates the team's identity and gets the nod over Nurse.
An exclusive signing window begins Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET, where Seattle and Vancouver can try to sign unprotected players or pending unrestricted free agents. The two new clubs can agree to terms with up to five players before the window closes Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
The full expansion draft takes place Monday. Seattle and Vancouver will finish the process with 12 players, and each established team will lose four.