u/Main_Photo1086

At first glance, sooooo many more weekend home games!

Announced by team on socials, full schedule out this Friday.

She’s the first player to be signed through the 2028-29 season. For those unaware, she was drafted 17th in 2025 but opted to play field hockey with the USWNT in hopes of playing in LA 2028.

I admit I was annoyed by this pick knowing she might not play but a response to a recent thread about her calmed me down a bit regarding her ability to play on the ice starting this season. So here we are!

I’m very intrigued to see how she does. Definitely a wild card but hope she does well for us.

Also when I searched to get the link for the story after seeing on the Sirens socials, I saw this article in the NY Post. I’m pleasantly shocked the Sirens have a featured article in their sports coverage.

And by fine, I don’t mean we are going to make a run for the cup or even a playoff spot lol. But the freaking out over a goalie can stop. It was clear we weren’t picking one at all once Braendli was gone and Daoust drafted Holopainen.

As a reminder, here are all the gaps we had before the draft given who’s under contract or needs a qualifying offer today (which I expect Daoust to extend to all of our RFAs so I’m including them here). Ignore where they fall among lines, I’m just trying to list out all in a visual way:

Fillier-O’Brien-Kaltounkova
Levis-Fecteau-Bargman
Hartje-OPEN-OPEN
OPEN-OPEN-OPEN
OPEN

Zandee Hart-Nylen Persson
Bourbonnais-Ross
OPEN-OPEN
OPEN

OPEN
Shanahan
Doyle

Look how bad that forward lineup was. Maybe it makes a little more sense now why he prioritized forwards over a goalie.

Now, here’s where our draft picks would go (again, don’t dwell on the lines/pairs):

Fillier-O’Brien-Kaltounkova
Levis-Fecteau-Bargman
Hartje-Holopainen-DiAntonio
Roberts-Boucher-OPEN
OPEN

Zandee Hart-Nylen Persson
Bourbonnais-Ross
Peschel-Wolfe
OPEN

OPEN
Shanahan
Doyle

So, potentially only four open slots. Here are our UFAs:

Bernard
Bujold
DeGeorge
Juodikis
Knowles
Krizova
Norcross
Vallario
Vespa

Frankly, we don’t know if a single of them would re-sign here, so we had to bet on drafting forwards. Remember, we are not an appealing team for skaters across the league either, so more than most teams we need to use drafting to fill out our rosters, and when we finally play well for a full season we may see interest in the future. But since I think all of our drafted forwards are better than most of the forwards above, I would prioritize only Krizova and DeGeorge and the rest can sign elsewhere. Krizova is a flight risk, but let’s not forget we may get Makenna Webster this year (which I wasn’t expecting but someone here posted a while back reasons to believe she would play next season). Vallario is worthy of the open D position so I hope she re-signs.

But, the one exception to us not being an in-demand place for UFAs to sign? Goalie. Every goalie wants a #1 job and would play in Timbuktu to do it if they had a team. Daoust knows this and is clearly betting on Phase 6, and I am 99% certain he will succeed. We are the only team without a #1. There are three UFA backup goalies who know they’d get more playing time here - Abstreiter, Chuli and Levy. Forget Levy because I don’t want her back, and I’m iffy on Chuli, but Abstreiter is the ideal target with international experience and serving as backup to Desbiens. She has shared she is looking for more playing time. UFA goalies would sign anywhere for a #1 job, so I’m betting on Abstreiter, especially after Montreal just drafted MacLeod. My second choice would be Peslarova who used to play in the league. And then we have to play Shanahan more, plus get Doyle in for a game or two. This will set us up better in the future.

We got screwed big-time with this draft order but I think Daoust made smart moves last night given the hand he was given and I can’t wait for our team to just get into fights all the time lol.

I’m going to assume this means no one wanted to sign anyone before the draft and that there will likely be a bunch of trades happening tonight. Then tomorrow will be interesting too.

(Yes I’m a little less saltier than I was on Monday about the draft but “boycotting” watching only because I have no idea whose bright idea it was to hold the draft at 5:00 pm ET and I’ll be in the middle of commuting.)

This phase is easy. Existing teams can sign any of their own UFAs, as many as they want. Phase 6 is when all the teams can sign anyone.

Here’s where we are at (obviously these lines could change, unsure about positions/bottom lines in particular):

Filly-OB-Levis
OPEN-Kalty-OPEN
Hartje-OPEN-OPEN
Fecteau-OPEN-OPEN

MZH-MNP
JB-OPEN
OPEN-OPEN

OPEN
Shanahan
Doyle

I would go ahead and bank on our 7th pick being a forward to play on the top 6, because otherwise it’s a bad situation.

Of our UFA forwards, I’d only prioritize Krizova and DeGeorge. Bargman deserves a QO. That’s three for our bottom six, but I think Krizova is a flight risk. I think the org likes Vespa. So let’s say 3-4 forwards get signed for those 6 open spots, plus at least our 7OA. We could check out the open market for the rest, or draft forwards in rounds 2 and 3.

D is easier. We should re-sign Ross and Vallario and they can be our bottom pair. JB needs a partner, though I wonder if Roese intends to come back and Daoust probably would sign her. She didn’t impress me at all but not sure we can attract anyone better and Bernard didn’t impress me either.

For goalie, Braendli is a goner so we can look at Abstreiter or Chuli in Phase 6.

Signing deadline is 3:00 pm ET.

San Jose is done with their 10 players. Las Vegas needs 2 players, Detroit and Hamilton each need 1 player. This is excluding the Knight deal.

Minnesota, New York and Montreal cannot lose any more signed players. Boston and Seattle can lose 1 each. Ottawa can lose 2. Toronto and Vancouver can lose 3 each.

UFAs don’t affect any of the above and expansion teams can opt to sign UFAs to reach their 10 too, but they cannot negotiate with any UFAs who were on their initial 20-player ENTL.

If any expansion team isn’t up to 10 players, there will be selection process for signed players only.

(Post assumes we still pick third in the draft next week, who knows if the league decides to insert expansion teams ahead of us.)

This whole time I told myself there’s no way we don’t draft whomever Seattle doesn’t draft between Murphy and Edwards. They are two generational players who would be the top pick any other year. And Edwards can play D, which is even more important for us. But…now that Hensley (the only UFA goalie who I feel certain about as a #1 goalie) has signed with Vegas, I am a bit more nervous. Here are our options left:

1. Sign either Abstreiter or Chuli (the best two remaining UFA goalies) and draft Murphy/Edwards at #3.

2. Draft Braendli with our #3 pick.

3. Draft Murphy/Edwards and make Shanahan our #1 and cross our fingers.

I have a lot of thoughts, but curious if anyone is going back and forth like I am.

Phase 2 is over and Phase 3 doesn’t start until tomorrow. I have thoughts but no need for separate threads for them, let’s use this thread for shooting the breeze about how we are feeling, random thoughts, etc.

First…how the heck is this league going to announce that Knight signed with Vegas today? I mean…they have to, right? Oof.

Also, I keep thinking about Watts and O’Neill just going where they were tagged and why Knight couldn’t do the same. Given that the EFO itself restricts a UFA from truly exercising freedom to sign anywhere, I was surprised the PWHLPA agreed to it. But maybe they did knowing they’d successfully fight for whomever was unhappy. And it turned out Knight was the only one unhappy.

Think about it - Watts was the runaway best UFA available, wanted to test the market, and she got herself a huge raise and the only 4-year contract in the league. If she was actually pissed, I think the PA would have tried to make a similar arrangement. O’Neill is more interesting - not the same caliber of player as the other two EFOs, and she did prefer to stay in NY per reports. But she was making $86k and I’m not sure the Sirens could have or should have offered more. Now, she’s making six figures for two years plus notched herself a $20k bonus, and will be coached by someone who thinks very highly of her and seems to bring out the best in her, which may help her a ton for her next contract. Maybe she wasn’t thrilled but also didn’t want to fight it for those reasons. So that left Knight, and here we are.

And that is to protect Nylén Persson in Phase 3 at all costs after she somehow went unpoached during Phase 2. I am pleasantly shocked even though I’m bummed about all the players we did lose. MNP is our best defender though and that would have been a huge loss for us.

I would also protect MZH next phase, not as much for her D (though it’s fine), but for her leadership.

After that…honestly, I’d go after a UFA goalie like Hensley and if we succeed, she gets protected. I don’t dislike all the other players but I think they’re all replaceable for one reason or another. We absolutely need a goalie though. If we can’t find a goalie worth protecting this phase, I suppose we can protect Simpson - three forwards and three defenders protected in all.

Detroit, San Jose and Hamilton will sign one more player before Phase 3 starts.
Las Vegas will sign three more players.

Minnesota and Seattle will not lose any more contracted players before Phase 3 begins.

Honestly? Even with Vegas lagging behind, I have to believe remaining contracted players feel like they are in a good spot right now. Vegas and Hamilton might even have outstanding EFOs we’re waiting to hear about. Detroit and Vegas also still need goalies, which they don’t have to sign in this phase but probably a priority for both. So I’m wondering if the slowdown in announcements is not only to the later EFO deadlines, but also because contracted players are feeling more confident about saying no and the few spots and needs left make it less likely they’d be drafted during this phase. UFAs who didn’t get EFOs are probably sitting pretty, so teams with lots of them like MN and TOR might see their more prominent UFAs stick around if their GMs still want them.