Offseason PWHL Power Rankings

Table of Contents

It’s tough to have a bad offseason less than a year into the league with a wealth of talent still coming through the draft, but some PWHL teams certainly had more to do and more to fix than others.

There were big signings in Toronto, coaching changes in New York, controversy in Minnesotadraft picks who defected to Montreal and much more. Here is a ranking of how PWHL teams fared during the offseason. These rankings not only project on-ice success for 2024-2025, but also look at what each team was able to do during the offseason.

1. Toronto

All Toronto did was get stronger. They added depth on the blue line where they needed it most, brought in the The most important free agents on the market are Daryl Watts and Emma Woods, got another power forward via the draft in Julia Gosling… what more could you ask for? Natalie Spooner’s status is the only unknown heading into the season, but no matter when they get her back, it’ll be the rich who get richer.

2. New York

New York made big changes to its coaching staff Bringing in Greg Fargo as their new head coacha significant hire given Fargo’s NCAA success at Colgate. Next, Union College head coach and U.S. national team assistant Josh Sciba joined as an assistant in New York. They completed that hire with Mount Royal assistant Lauren WilliamsHer roster also got a boost from scoring by Sarah Fillier and Noora Tulus, and defensive power from Maja Nylen Persson and Allyson Simpson. If Fargo can teach her team to play defense, the New Yorker will take a big step from last year.

3. Ottawa

Some might say the loss of Daryl Watts makes this a losing season for PWHL Ottawa, Ottawa improved in almost every aspect and addressed their biggest need for defensive depth. Ronja Savolainen, Danielle Serdachny, and Anna Meixner automatically make Ottawa better. They also added depth via free agency with Rebecca Leslie and Alexa Vasko. Ottawa also showed something else: stability. Their staff remains the same, their venue remains the same, and their fan base remains strong. That’s a nice asset to have.

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4. Boston

Boston went with a quality-over-quantity approach in the draft, and on paper, it paid off as they landed two elite additions in Hannah Bilka and Daniela Pejsova. Getting Taylor Girard and Loren Gabel back to 100% health should be enough to add the scoring depth they need up front, but general manager Danielle Marmer also took a chance on Ilona Markova, a young Russian forward who could turn out to be the bargain of the draft or, at worst, skilled depth that needs time to develop and could be a big boost next year. Perhaps Boston’s biggest question heading into the offseason is whether they’ll return to Lowell or head to Boston. They have a nice mix of veterans and youngsters that should keep them in contention this season.

5. Montreal

Montreal had some bright spots, such as signing Swedish forward Lina Ljungblom to a three-year deal. They also added defender Cayla Barnes to their backline and signed her to a three-year deal. The real questions for Montreal are about addressing their scoring depth and whether or not they can find solutions for draft picks Abby Boreen and Amanda Kessel. After Kessel accepted a promotion with the NHL’s Pittsburgh PenguinsThat seems like a lost cause, but they still need to resolve the Abby Boreen situation, something that might not be possible until Minnesota gets a GM. Montreal doesn’t deserve any negative feedback for any of those picks. Daniele Sauvageau picked the players he thought were best available. Montreal was let down by the system here.

6. Minnesota

PWHL Minnesota wasted no time after their Walter Cup title became a controversy when the league parted ways with future Hall of Famer Natalie Darwitz. That continued with the firing of three more coaches, a divisive draft, and allegations surrounding coach Ken Klee and captain Kendall Coyne Schofield’s involvement in Darwitz’s firing. Minnesota has spent the entire free agency period without a general manager, and while they improved through the draft, They still had arguably the worst draft class of the six teams in the league..