PWHL Expansion Draft Predictions: Boston Fleet

With the 2024-25 PWHL season now in the rearview mirror, all eyes have turned toward the June 9 expansion draft, which will see every team lose four players as Seattle and Vancouver build out 12-player rosters. The Boston Fleet have an agonizing choice to make with their initial three protected players. They are all but guaranteed to lose two of their best forwards, but things get a little murkier beyond that.

Initial Protections

Aerin Frankel (G). This one is an absolute no-brainer. Frankel is arguably the best goalie on the planet, and the Fleet go nowhere without her. If she ends up exposed, stop what you’re doing and go outside for a few minutes. No one should miss the chance to see flying pigs. 

Megan Keller (D). Keller wasn’t exactly a difficult protection pick to make either. Her 200-foot game is among the best in the world, and she’s the backbone of the Fleet’s d-core and heir apparent to the captaincy. You don’t let a player like that go, especially for free. Plus, the Fleet have precious few reliable two-way defenders to spare, so they simply can't afford to lose her.

Hilary Knight (F). In theory, protecting Knight is another easy choice. However, her age and the measly three protection slots make this an agonizing choice. Knight proved this past season that she’s still one of the best players in the world, but she’s 35 years old. The 2026 Olympics will be her last, but it seems like she intends to stick around in the PWHL for a little longer. However, the end of her career is a couple of seasons away, tops. While some may view exposing Knight as a strategic decision because of this, I don’t see a scenario in which she’d make it past the first round of the draft. She’s still too good on the ice, her leadership is invaluable off of it, and her name will help get people in the seats. The Fleet simply don't have two players that they’ll have to leave exposed that would be more valuable. So, I don’t envy GM Danielle Marmer having to choose between losing Knight or losing both Alina Müller and Hannah Bilka, who are a few months under nine and 12 years younger than Knight, respectively. But, at the end of the day, Knight is the Fleet’s captain, and given her skill and stature, if she doesn’t want to leave, I don't see Marmer exposing her.

Taken in Round 1

Now we’re at the part where the core of the Fleet gets gutted. If the Fleet protect the three players listed above, there’s simply no chance they hold on to these two. If one of them gets protected, they’ll surely lose whoever doesn’t make the cut from my projected list. Regardless, it’s going to be a huge blow to the team.

Alina Müller (F). Müller is one of the best centers in the world (even though the Fleet refuse to play her there), and letting her walk for nothing is an extremely difficult pill to swallow. Her playmaking is otherworldly, and she’s starting to get a bit more of an edge to her game and establish a more consistent finishing touch in the PWHL. She will be a core piece of whatever team selects her for many years to come.

Hannah Bilka (F). Bilka’s speed and craftiness led to her being the fourth overall pick in last year’s entry draft, and if left exposed, she’ll surely go in the first rounds of the expansion draft. She’s just 24 years old but has already been to three senior Worlds tournaments with Team USA, and she would’ve made it four this year had it not been for the knee injury she suffered in the Rivalry Series. If that wasn’t enough already, there’s little doubt that she’ll keep improving as she adjusts more to the pace and physicality of the PWHL. Like Müller, she has the potential to be a huge piece of whoever selects her for years to come.

Final Protection

Daniela Pejšová (D). The Fleet’s fourth protected player was a bit difficult to choose, but I have to go with Pejšová for a few reasons. For starters, the Fleet are likely to use two incredible younger players up front, and Pejšová is a young, offensively minded defender. Sure, her usage was odd this season and makes you forget that, but given what she does with Team Czechia, it’s not hard to imagine her growing into a similarly big role in the PWHL as she continues to adjust. There’s also the fact that the Fleet traded up in the draft last year to select her, and I'm not sure they'll want to risk losing their two top ten picks for nothing just one year after the draft. Pejšová might not be the player they’re hoping she’ll be yet, but she’s just 22 years old with a high ceiling, so she’s certainly worth keeping around.

Taken in Round 2 

Emily Brown (D). This pick may surprise some, but remember that the expansion picks will not solely be star players. For starters, there’s the salary cap to worry about. Plus, stars don’t generally do great in depth forward or shutdown defender roles, but they still need to be filled. So, the way I see this draft going is the first round will be star selections. Then, the second round will be the original six teams’ best role players. That’s where someone like Brown comes in as she's a true shutdown defender. She's incredibly underrated because of her infrequent scoresheet appearances, but she plays a clean, physical game and can eat big minutes in any situation. Seattle GM Megan Turner is certainly familiar with Brown after spending the past two seasons as the Fleet’s AGM, so while she might fly under the radar for many, you can bet on at least Turner knowing her value. That said, I also see a scenario in which the Fleet choose to protect her over Pejšová, particularly if they keep one of Müller/Bilka. If that's the case, expansion will almost certainly scoop Pejšová up here.

The Fleet have no obvious players for a fourth selection. Instead, it’s likely going to come down to who was poached from other teams and what roles are left to fill. Because of that, trying to guess which way they'll go is practically a fool's errand. So, instead, I’m going to detail a few scenarios and which player would likely be picked in each.

If an expansion team wants veteran leadership and/or an energy player and has cap space…

Jamie Lee Rattray (F). Rattray’s offense hasn’t been at the same level in the PWHL as it was elsewhere, but her energy is infectious and she can slide up and down the lineup as needed. Add in her leadership and the fact that she’s just about done it all in women’s hockey, and she could be an attractive option to expansion teams. That said, her contract is expensive, and it’s questionable whether she would stay out west for more than a year given she and her wife are starting a family and have planted roots in the Toronto area. So, this might be a one-year-only type of deal. But, if they have cap space to spare, Rattray could still be worth the pick to help set the culture of the new team and provide plenty of energy on the ice.

If they want to take a flyer on a young forward with upside…

Sophie Shirley (F). Shirley’s offense has not translated to the PWHL yet, and she has a penchant for taking poorly timed penalties. However, she’s still just 25, and she was explosive offensively in college. She just doesn’t seem to jive with Boston head coach Courtney Kessel’s system, which emphasizes physicality. But, it's not crazy to think that with a bigger role in a different, more finesse-minded system, she'd find her game again. 

If they want to take a flyer on a young defender with upside…

Sydney Bard (D). Bard may not have had the most consistent rookie season, but the speedy defender has plenty of upside. She’s excellent in transition and was working hard to add a physical edge to her game despite her small frame, which another offseason of training will help. So, she might be worth taking a flyer on if whoever selects her has selected a few established defenders to help guide her.

A Potential Wrench: Free Agents

It’s not expected that the expansion teams use the exclusive signing window from June 3-9. In my eyes, the only player that would be worth losing a first-round expansion pick for is Sarah Fillier if she’s left exposed by New York, which may not happen. However, I could see some free agents getting scooped up in the second round if the expansion teams value them highly enough.

Goaltender Klára Peslarová is one I could see falling into that group, especially with Turner leading the charge in Seattle. Both teams will likely grab their starting goalie through draft selections, but it's not a bad idea to have a reliable backup locked up by the end of the draft too. Another one that might be worth it is center Susanna Tapani, whose clutch goal-scoring, calm playmaking, and ability to eat big, difficult minutes were vital to the Fleet’s success the past two seasons. That said, given the fickle nature of goaltending, Peslarová seems like the more likely candidate to be signed from the Fleet if a team chooses to go this route.

The PWHL expansion draft is set for June 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT. The draft order and broadcast information will be announced in the coming days. Protection lists are due on June 3rd at 12 p.m. ET. We'll have lots more expansion content coming your way soon, so be sure to subscribe to stay up to date!