DETROIT — The PWHL is about to welcome its strongest class of collegiate players yet, with five American Olympic gold medalists headlining the 2026 draft on Wednesday night.
Being drafted will be yet another crowning achievement for a talented group of athletes, including Olympic MVP Caroline Harvey, who is already one of the best defenders in the world; Abbey Murphy, one of the most creative and skilled wingers in the game; Laila Edwards, who can play both forward and defense; Kirsten Simms, a two-time 70-point scorer in the NCAA; and Tessa Janecke, a total package and the best natural center in the draft.
Not to mention Lacey Eden, a strong two-way forward and one of the last cuts from Team USA, who became the first player to win four national championships in the history of women’s college hockey.
This kind of injection of talent in all stages of the six-round draft will be much-needed after the PWHL decided to rip the Band-Aid off and add four expansion teams for the 2026-27 season. The league’s eight existing teams have big holes up and down their lineups after enduring four phases of a complicated six-step expansion process.
To complicate matters, the draft order — which was announced little more than 48 hours ahead of draft day — also heavily favors the PWHL’s newest teams.
The Vancouver Goldeneyes, which won “the Gold Plan,” and the last-place Seattle Torrent have the first and second overall picks. Expansion clubs Detroit, San Jose, Las Vegas and Hamilton were given picks No. 3 through No. 6, and the right to draft four of the very best players available. According to a league news release, the order of the expansion teams’ selections was determined by a randomized draw in the presence of all general managers.
Vegas will select twice in the top five after sending Hilary Knight to Detroit in a sign-and-trade in exchange for Detroit’s first-round pick, which was revealed to be third overall. The league’s original teams, meanwhile, will have the final six selections.
There will still be talent available, with a record 235 players declaring for the draft this year, including 23 Olympians. The cream of the crop, however, will surely be off the board by the time the New York Sirens and Toronto Sceptres, which both missed the playoffs and suffered many major losses over the last two weeks, are on the clock.
At least that’s how things shake out in The Athletic’s first-round PWHL mock draft.
Note: The draft officially begins at 5 p.m. ET at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. The first two rounds will be available to watch in the U.S. on Scripps platforms and on TSN2 in Canada. The full draft will be available on TSN+ in Canada and internationally on the PWHL’s YouTube channel.
1. Vancouver Goldeneyes: Caroline Harvey, LHD, University of Wisconsin
Forget being the best prospect in this year’s draft class, Harvey has already shown in the NCAA and international hockey that she’s one of the very best players in the world. This season alone, she won an Olympic gold medal, tournament MVP, the 2026 Patty Kazmaier Award and her third career NCAA championship.
Harvey is a world-class skater who can jump into plays and generate offense like a fourth forward. But she’s also defensively responsible and quick to recover if the puck gets turned over. Harvey will give the Goldeneyes a formidable 1-2 punch on defense alongside Sophie Jaques, who is just the second of three defenders to ever win the Patty Kaz.
2. Seattle Torrent: Abbey Murphy, RW, University of Minnesota
There will be plenty of fans hoping to see Laila Edwards — a 6-foot-1 megawatt star who could realistically play on the top line or top D pair — taken at No. 2. But Murphy is arguably the very best forward on the board and will be hard for Seattle to pass up, especially after losing skilled winger Hannah Bilka and captain Hilary Knight in the expansion process.
Murphy was the most productive player in the NCAA this season, leading the nation in goals per game (1.29) and points per game (2.13). She’s a unique talent with a great shot, the ability to blow past defenders and go viral for her playmaking ability. Murphy also has an ultra-competitive spirit and is known for antagonizing opponents. Former Minnesota coach Brad Frost likened Murphy’s talent to “Connor McDavid with a chip on her shoulder.”
It’s easy to imagine Murphy stepping into a top-line role beside Alex Carpenter and becoming a nuisance from Day 1.
3. Las Vegas (via Detroit): Tessa Janecke, C, Penn State University
Vegas general manager Dominique DiDia has been building her roster from the blue line out with four defenders already signed to her inaugural roster. It would make sense to continue the trend, selecting Edwards at third overall. However, the Vegas forward group needs some work with several solid albeit defensively-minded players signed such as Hayley Scamurra and Maureen Murphy.
At this stage, Scamurra, typically a winger who won a Walter Cup with Montreal as a middle-six center, is Las Vegas’ 1C. That’s where Janecke comes in.
A top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier, Janecke is the most elite center in the 2026 draft class. She’s a complete two-way package, which would fit the current defensive-first identity, but is also a gifted offensive player. She’s a good skater, can make plays, finds the back of the net and might be the injection of skill Vegas needs at the top of the lineup.
4. San Jose: Laila Edwards, RHD/RW, University of Wisconsin
Edwards dropping to No. 4 would be a gift for general manager Troy Ryan, who has built an intriguing young roster but appears to be banking heavily on potential when it comes to offensive production.
Edwards would give the team an immediate boost regardless of the position she plays in the PWHL. Nobody scored more goals than Edwards (35) in the NCAA in 2024-25 when she was playing forward. But as a defender at the Milan Olympics, Edwards finished second in scoring (8 points in seven games) and shot the puck that captain Hilary Knight tipped in to send the gold medal game to overtime.
As a defender, Edwards can get more minutes and more time working in the offensive zone with her big shot and could be an intriguing partner for 5-9 shutdown defender Rory Guilday.
If Edwards gets to San Jose, she will immediately be the team’s best offensive piece.
5. Las Vegas: Kirsten Simms, LW, University of Wisconsin
With their second top-five pick, Vegas can add some dynamic offense to the forward group in Kirsten Simms, who might be the second most skilled forward in the draft this year.
She is the only player available in the 2026 draft to score 70-plus points twice in her NCAA career. She is an incredible playmaker with some of the best hands in the sport, and a great shot of her own.
6. Hamilton: Lacey Eden, RW, University of Wisconsin
Between coming through college with Harvey, Edwards and Simms and getting cut from the Olympic team, Eden hasn’t gotten as much notoriety as her Wisconsin teammates. But Eden leaves Madison ranked third-all time in points (248) and tied for third in goals with Hamilton GM Meghan Duggan (108).
She’s also built a reputation as a strong two-way forward capable of providing energy to whatever line she’s on. She has the ability to be a productive force, as she did when her Badgers teammates went to Milan for the Olympics; Eden scored 17 points in eight games in their absence and led the NCAA with 77 points this season.
With her penalty-killing ability and willingness to play whatever role necessary, Eden feels like the perfect fit for what Duggan and coach Kris Sparre are building in Hamilton.
7. New York Sirens: Issy Wunder, RW, Princeton University
This pick embodies just how poorly the draft order has shaken out for the original six teams, but particularly the Sirens and Sceptres. New York has lost four key forwards in expansion and their No. 1 goalie, Kayle Osborne.
Now general manager Pascal Daoust must decide if he will jump for a goalie in the first round or take the best forward available. Swiss star goalie Andrea Brändli coming to the PWHL is big news and she’s surely the top goalie available after posting a .953 save percentage at the Milan Olympics, helping Switzerland win a bronze medal.
However, the team also has an opportunity to bolster its forward group with Issy Wunder, who ranks second in NCAA goals per game over the last two seasons, behind only Murphy. She has a great shot and could work well with former Princeton teammate Sarah Fillier on the top line, which could allow New York to spread its stars, including Casey O’Brien and Kristýna Kaltounková, more evenly throughout the top six.
It’s certainly a risk, as Detroit (which has yet to sign a goalie) could snag Brändli in the second round. But there’s no guarantee Brändli will be markedly better than college prospects like Tia Chan (UConn) or Katie DeSa (Penn State) in the PWHL.
8. Toronto Sceptres: Petra Nieminen, C, Luleå (SDHL)
The hits haven’t stopped coming for Toronto, which lost top-six forwards Daryl Watts, Jesse Compher and Maggie Connors and has yet to re-sign Emma Maltais or captain Blayre Turnbull.
Now the team really needs a forward — ideally a center — and will surely miss out on Janecke. Unless Gina Kingsbury decides to go all-in on her blue line with players like Emma Peschel and Sydney Morrow still available, Nieminen looks like Toronto’s best forward option in the first round.
She’s led the SDHL in scoring in back-to-back seasons and is a mainstay on the Finnish women’s national team. Nieminen is a strong, competitive center and already one of the most productive Finnish players of all time at just 27 years old. Her production comes with some caveats coming from the SDHL, but her play internationally should solidify her as a worthy choice.
There’s also Colgate’s Elyssa Biederman, but after Toronto prioritized size in last year’s draft, it’s hard to imagine Kingsbury opting for a 5-1 center in the first round, no matter how talented she is.
9. Minnesota Frost: Emma Peschel, LHD, Ohio State University
Once again, the Minnesota blue line has been affected by expansion, with top-four defenders Mae Batherson and Kendall Cooper headed to Vegas. Lee Stecklein, Sidney Morin and Natalie Buchbinder are sticking around, but the Frost could stand to get another blueliner. And if Emma Peschel is indeed still available at No. 9, she’d be a natural fit.
Peschel, a Minnesota native, played big minutes in all situations for Ohio State over the last few years. She defends well, blocks shots — she had a team-high 34 blocks this season — and has pro size at 5-10. The team could opt for a more offensive defender, like Nelli Laitinen or Sydney Morrow, but Peschel looks like the best available.
The Frost could also opt for a forward, but with Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek and Grace Zumwinkle returning, it feels safe to grab forward depth after the top defenders are off the board.
10. Boston Fleet: Sydney Morrow, RHD, University of Minnesota
The Fleet have just two defenders signed for 2026-27. And while they’re two of the best defenders in the PWHL (Megan Keller and Haley Winn), Boston likely needs to add another in the first round. Especially after Danielle Marmer traded Boston’s second-round pick (22nd) and third-round pick (34th) to Detroit to get forward Ella Huber back — as well as Detroit’s third-rounder (27th overall).
Morrow and Laitinen look like the best two options. Morrow gets a bit of an edge as a right-shot defender in my books. She ranked third among all NCAA defenders in scoring last season and is very mobile and athletic, which allows her to make an impact in all three zones.
Given the Fleet have two excellent offensive defenders already, Marmer could instead look to Ohio State Buckeye Sara Swiderski, a right-shot with a more defensive game.
11. Ottawa Charge: Sara Swiderski, RHD, Ohio State
The Charge are a tough team to predict, with needs at both forward and defense. That the team was able to protect three young forwards in Fanuza Kadirova, Sarah Wozniewicz and Gabbie Hughes might make defense a priority. Swiderski feels like a solid Rory Guilday replacement, and a fit on Ottawa’s blue line with Ronja Savolainen with size (5-9) and solid defensive ability.
GM Mike Hirshfeld is often full of surprises at the draft, going for wild-cards like Kadirova or Anna Shokhina. So top European players like Elisa Holopainen or Viivi Vainikka could be options here as well.
12. Montreal Victoire: Nelli Laitinen, LHD, University of Minnesota
Assuming Abby Roque re-signs in Montreal, the Victoire would likely look for a defender in the first round after losing Erin Ambrose and Nicole Gosling in the top four.
At just 24 years old, Laitinen is already a seasoned veteran of Finland’s senior national team and a two-time Olympian. At the Milan Olympics in February — while the team dealt with a norovirus outbreak and a tournament-ending injury to veteran defender Jenni Hiirikoski — Laitinen was a workhorse, leading the team in time on ice and playing against top competition.
She was an all-situations defender over four years at Minnesota and has proven to be a smart two-way blueliner.
