The PWHL draft officially kicks the league's offseason into high gear Monday.
Though this is the second draft in league history, it's the first for general managers with constructed rosters. It'll also have a significant format change from September's inaugural draft.
Instead of the 15-round, 90-pick snake draft that was held in September, Monday's draft is down to 42 selections across seven rounds and has a set order based on regular-season results.
Here are projected picks for the first three rounds.
1. New York - Sarah Fillier, LW, Princeton
Barring a stunning choice from GM Pascal Daoust, Fillier is bound for New York.
The Canadian star has a remarkable resume at just 23 years old. Fillier won gold at the 2022 Olympics and has three golds at the Worlds to go with it. She's twice made the All-Star Team at the World Championship and claimed tournament MVP in 2023.
Fillier was a one-woman scoring machine at Princeton this season. The Georgetown, Ontario, native tallied 30 goals in only 29 games, nearly 33% of her team's total goals all year.
Fillier's speed, skill, and lethal shot make her an immediate MVP-caliber talent. She'll make a dominant duo with Alex Carpenter on New York's top line and completely transform the team's top six.
2. Ottawa - Danielle Serdachny, C, Colgate
Serdachny has been excellent with Colgate the past two years, but her standout showing at the World Championship in April has helped her surge to the top three of the class.
The Edmonton native led the NCAA in scoring in 2022-23 and has been a member of Canada's national team for two years.
Serdachny ticks every box a PWHL GM would want in a prospect. She's fast and can play with speed but is also big at 5-foot-9 and can play a power game. Serdachny has a lethal shot and is adept as a netfront presence. Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner is a perfect mentor for the budding talent.
In what's a difficult choice between Serdachny and Hannah Bilka, Mike Hirshfeld and Co. opt for the size and positional versatility of the former.
3. Minnesota - Hannah Bilka, LW, Ohio State
With the draft order set by regular-season standings, Minnesota has the luxury of selecting third overall despite winning the league championship.
The Walter Cup victors add to their exciting group of young talent by snagging Bilka, an absolute speedster who's been with Team USA for three years.
After a productive career at Boston College, Bilka transferred to Ohio State for her final year of NCAA hockey. She didn't miss a beat, leading the national champs in scoring with a career-best 22 goals and 48 points.
Bilka and playoff MVP Taylor Heise tormenting opposing defenders is a tantalizing thought.
4. Boston - Amanda Kessel, RW, Did not play
Figuring out how to get the most out of Hilary Knight is offseason priority No. 1 for GM Danielle Marmer. The American superstar led the PWHL playoffs in shots but failed to register a single point and finished the postseason a minus-6.
While other options could be better long-term plays, Boston goes aggressive and takes Kessel at fourth overall.
Kessel didn't play last season as she focused on her front-office job with the Pittsburgh Penguins. She's a legitimate superstar when at the top of her game, but it's fair to wonder how much she has left. Kessel has dealt with concussion issues, will be 33 when the 2024-25 campaign commences, and hasn't played a game since April 2023.
But the upside is just so enticing. Knight featured on Kessel's line at the 2023 Worlds and was superb with eight goals and 12 points.
Kessel won't make it to Boston's next pick, so Marmer makes the tough choice to pass on younger talent in favor of Kessel's potential game-breaking offensive talent.
5. Montreal - Claire Thompson, LHD, Did not play
Thompson was a reserve player with New York last season but didn't play a game as she studied at New York University as a medical student.
The 26-year-old is ready to return to hockey full time and will be a top-pairing defender from Day 1. Thompson wasn't great in 2022-23 in the PWHPA and with Canada at the Worlds, but she was splitting her focus with school at the time.
Her last showing pre-med school was at the 2022 Olympics, where she set an Olympic scoring record among defenders with 13 points and a mind-boggling plus-23 rating in only seven games.
The early run on forwards allows Thompson to fall into the laps of Montreal, which needs defenders it can trust to take the workload off Erin Ambrose.
6. Toronto - Julia Gosling, C, St. Lawrence
Gosling had one year of NCAA eligibility remaining but opted to declare for the PWHL draft.
The 5-foot-10 forward made her World Championship debut with Canada in April and impressed in a depth role. Gosling's among the top budding young players with the national team and is set to blossom in the professional ranks.
The 23-year-old's blend of size, speed, and skill make her an enticing talent with the PWHL's more physical style. We saw how dominant Natalie Spooner was with her power game, netfront prowess, and speed. Gosling learning under Spooner's wing is a perfect situation.
7. New York - Cayla Barnes, RHD, Ohio State
If Barnes falls to No. 7, Daoust may literally run to the stage to announce the pick.
The 25-year-old already has five world championships and two Olympics under her belt, but the right-handed defender falls to the top of the second round with forwards dominating the top of the draft.
Barnes, who plays much bigger than her 5-foot-2 frame, gives New York a stellar top four of defenders in their mid-20s with national team experience.
8. Ottawa - Daniela Pejsova, LHD, Lulea
With Czechia's national head coach Carla MacLeod at the helm, no team will be higher on Pejsova.
Pejsova played over 24 minutes for MacLeod's Czechia squad in each elimination game at the Worlds. The offensive side of her game needs to develop, but the 21-year-old's a sturdy defender with huge potential. She also has built-in chemistry with Aneta Tejralova, assuming the Ottawa defender re-signs.
9. Minnesota - Abby Boreen, RW, Minnesota
Another team that won't risk losing a player it loves, Minnesota ensures Boreen stays with the champs at ninth overall.
Boreen was only eligible to play select games last season as a reserve player. She thrived when she was able to get into Minnesota's lineup and earned praise from head coach Ken Klee after the team's series against Toronto.
A big goal-scorer in her final two years at the University of Minnesota, Boreen helps diversify Minnesota's offense as a power forward. Klee called her a "bull in a china shop," after all.
10. Boston - Allyson Simpson, RHD, Colgate
Simpson ticks a lot of boxes for Boston. She's got size, scored at an impressive rate, blocks a bunch of shots, and fires a lot on net, too. The right-handed defender could easily slide into a top role beside Megan Keller or Jessica DiGirolamo next season.
11. Montreal - Noora Tulus, C, Lulea
A seven-time champion in the Swedish league, Tulus is ready for a new challenge in North America. She paced the SDHL with 61 points in 38 games but struggled to score at the Worlds with Finland, registering only one assist. Tulus can play down the middle or on the wing, giving Montreal another versatile option up front.
12. Toronto - Jennifer Gardiner, LW, Ohio State
Gardiner led Ohio State in scoring two seasons ago on a team that featured Toronto's Emma Maltais. Her production took a step back this year, but Gardiner remains a shifty, skilled left-winger. There's potential for a draft-day steal with this pick.
13. New York - Britta Curl, LW, Wisconsin
Curl has been a consistent top scorer at Wisconsin and has played for the U.S. at three World Championships as a depth forward. Her size and hard-nosed play mesh with Abby Roque's game, and the duo would be a nightmare to play against.
14. Ottawa - Izzy Daniel, RW, Cornell
The Patty Kazmaier Award winner lands in Ottawa. Daniel is a dynamic playmaker with some of the best hands in the draft, giving Ottawa insurance if Daryl Watts departs in free agency.
15. Minnesota - Ronja Savolainen, LHD, Lulea
After taking forwards in the opening two rounds, Minnesota addresses the back end with Savolainen. The 5-foot-10 rearguard gives Minnesota a one-two punch with Lee Stecklein of big, physical defenders on the left side. Savolainen has some sneaky offense to her game, too.
16. Boston - Maja Nylen Persson, RHD, Brynas
Nylen Persson has scored over a point per game in each of the past three seasons in Sweden. Boston needs more puck-moving ability from the back end and gets exactly that in the Swedish defender. The 23-year-old's game will find another level facing the best of the best night in, night out.
17. Montreal - Elle Hartje, C, Yale
Hartje was consistently productive at Yale, racking up 168 points in 129 games over four seasons. She won over 60% of her draws last year, too. Hartje's addition gives head coach Kori Cheverie another option down the middle, an issue Montreal had late in the season due to injuries.
18. Toronto - Megan Carter, LHD, Northeastern
Carter earned back-to-back Defender of the Year honors in the Hockey East conference. The 23-year-old was moderately productive at Northeastern, but her defensive game will be her strength at the next level.
