What Kristin O'Neill Brings to New York

As part of their draft-day trades that left fans shocked, the New York Sirens acquired Kristin O’Neill and the 28th overall pick in the 2025 draft. In exchange, Montréal received forward Abby Roque. 

This was a noticeable shakeup, as Roque totaled 30 points across her two seasons with the Sirens, making her one of the franchise's top five scorers. When she was dealt to Montréal, she and Sarah Fillier were the only two of those top five remaining on the New York roster – earlier in the draft, the Sirens traded star defender Ella Shelton to Toronto for the third overall pick. Shelton was one of the three players protected ahead of the expansion draft. New York lost leading scorers Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge, along with goalie Corinne Schroeder, to expansion.

Abby Roque is an aggressive player and excellent scorer who will be difficult to replace, especially considering the other holes in the New York roster. With that being said, the previous group of players lacked what was needed to win. It is looking like New York wants a full rebuild, and it could not come at a better time. It usually can’t get worse than being last in the standings for the first two seasons of the PWHL, but that isn’t the case with the two expansion teams and the pressure along with them. 

Five Questions with New York Sirens Forward Kristin O’Neill

Kristin O’Neill may be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to the Sirens’ struggling depth.

The Ice GardenSierra Mainard

One could argue that receiving Kristin O’Neill wasn’t a fair trade because she has not been as offensively productive as Roque, with only five goals and 14 points across her first two seasons. Roque was known to handle the physicality of the league well, and O’Neill has a smaller frame. What O’Neill lacks in size, she makes up for it in speed, a knack for game-winning and short-handed goals, and experience. 

Roque and O’Neill are both 27, but the quality of O’Neill’s experience is greater. She has many years of experience internationally with the Canadian team. She’s been with Montréal in the playoffs, which is where New York would like to see themselves sooner rather than later. O’Neill also has chemistry with Sirens defender Micah Zandee-Hart from their time playing together at Cornell. Her skating ability and these intangibles make her a useful center for New York.

New York has made it clear that they are centering their rebuild around rookies that can step up like Sarah Fillier did last season. With nine great picks in the 2025 draft, O’Neill’s experience and positive attitude will be an invaluable asset in the growth of the Sirens. Signing rookies is also more financially responsible, considering the salary cap. This helped them lock in Fillier’s contract, which was presumably their top priority as she tied for most points in the league her rookie season.

A culture fit is important in building an almost entirely new team. New York was careful in drafting scorers to replace what was lost in the off-season. Kristin O’Neill has the qualities of a strong leader to help with this rebuilding period this upcoming season.