2025 PWHL Expansion Draft: Best Players Remaining
The exclusive signing period of the 2025 PWHL Expansion roster-building process has concluded. Who are the best players remaining?
The exclusive signing period of the 2025 PWHL Expansion roster-building process has concluded, as both Seattle and Vancouver have made their five signings. Now, all eyes turn to Monday’s expansion draft. The league has shared that details on draft order and format will be revealed at the beginning of the broadcast.
Current Expansion Team Rosters
Seattle
Vancouver
Best Remaining Players by Position
Going into the draft, Seattle and Vancouver will have to take external factors like the salary cap into account, more so than they did during the initial exclusive signing period. Both teams now have a not-insignificant amount of money tied up in their five signings, and will have to be mindful of that. There's also lineup dynamics to keep in mind. Seattle has a potential first line of Knight-Carpenter-Serdachny. As they select more players, they'll have to consider whether a player would fit playing in, say, the bottom six. But for the sake of this article, let's assume that they will be selecting the best players left at each position. These are just a few of the best players remaining at each position before the Expansion Draft on Monday, June 9.
Forwards
Hannah Bilka
Bilka had a phenomenal rookie campaign with the Fleet, and proved a crucial part of their forward core. Despite being injured for the first half of the season, she put up 11 points in her 16 games played, adjusting quickly to the pace of the PWHL. Her .69 point-per-game pace was second only to Sarah Fillier among rookies. She is a young talent bursting with potential, and Seattle particularly might be interested in reuniting her with Hilary Knight.
Grace Zumwinkle
Zumwinkle was the first winner of the PWHL Rookie of the Year award in 2024, and for good reason. Though this season was a down year for her in terms of Zumwinkle in terms of production, her age (26) and goal-scoring touch make her very attractive to expansion teams. She ranks 15th all time in goals scored in the PWHL, and 1st all-time in short-handed goals with 2.
Jessie Eldridge
Eldridge has often been overlooked on the Sirens, in the shadow of players like Alex Carpenter and Sarah Fillier. Her own elite offensive talent is nothing to sniff at, though--she had 24 points in the 2024-25 season, good for 7th in the league. She is also a very versatile player; she was frequently moved up and down the lineup during the season to help get other lines going.
Defenders
Jaime Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais was a mainstay on New York's top defensive pairing in her first two seasons. She was fifth in the league for total ice time, beaten only by Renata Fast, Megan Keller, and her own teammate Micah Zandee-Hart (all of whom, notably, have been protected by their teams). While she is not the most offensive defender, she has been a strong defensive presence on a Sirens team that has often struggled with its blueline. Bourbonnais had 2 goals and 5 assists this season for 7 points.
Aneta Tejrelová
Tejrelová was a crucial part of the Ottawa Charge's blueline this year. She posted 10 points during the season in addition to being utilized in difficult on-ice matchups. Given Ottawa's struggle to score, it was their defense and goaltending that allowed them to make it to the finals of the Walter Cup Playoffs, and Tejrelová played a significant part in that.
Ashton Bell
If you ask an Ottawa Charge fan who the player is that they're the most afraid of losing in expansion, probably ninety percent of them will answer Ashton Bell. In addition to being a fan favorite, Bell was a phenomenal shutdown defender this season. She is an excellent presence on the penalty kill, and one of her three goals this season was short-handed. A team looking for a genuine defensive defender would be remiss to overlook Bell in the expansion draft.
Goaltenders
Nicole Hensley
Though both expansion teams have elite starting goaltenders locked up, they will be looking for backups. Nicole Hensley has been a strong backup goaltender to Maddie Rooney this season after they were run as more of a tandem last season. Though she often faced long stretches between starts, she still managed a 7-3-1 record for the Frost along with a .900SV%. She would be an excellent choice to backup in net for an expansion team.
Raygan Kirk
Raygan Kirk has more experience in the backup role, and was often called upon to backstop the Sceptres this season as starter Kristen Campbell occasionally struggled. She showed up when Toronto needed her, posting a 5-1-1 record in her starts and .917SV%. She also performed well when being brought into a game in relief. At 24 years old, her age will also make her attractive to expansion teams as she is likely to only improve as she gains more experience.
Kayle Osborne
As a rookie goaltender backing up Corinne Schroeder, Kayle Osborne performed very well. Despite playing behind a team that often struggled defensively, she managed a .916SV% and just a 2.22 GAA. Given Osborne is only 23 years old, she is another young goaltender who an expansion team might look to develop as a future successor to their veteran starters who they've signed.
This is not a fully comprehensive list; there are many excellent players remaining at all positions. The pool of available forwards is particularly rich. Who gets taken and who remains with their current teams will likely come down only partly to talent and partly to the strategy and priorities of Seattle and Vancouver's GMs.
The 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft is Monday, June 9 at 8:30 EST. It will be streamed live on the PWHL Youtube channel.
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