News has been trickling out for weeks about the upcoming PWHL expansion draft, which will stock the four new teams joining the league this offseason. Rather than walk through every rule and sub‑rule of the process, I’m focusing on how this could realistically play out for the Seattle Torrent.
Phase 1: Existing team protections & foundational signings
This is when existing teams submit their three-player protected lists for players already under contract for 2026-27. There is a wrinkle: a team can sign and protect a pending free agent from another roster. I don’t see Seattle using that maneuver, but another club absolutely could target one of the Torrent’s UFAs.
Of the Torrent players currently under contract for next season, and therefore eligible to be protected in this phase, the list includes Cayla Barnes, Lexie Adzija, Hannah Bilka, Jenna Buglioni, Mikyla Grant‑Mentis, Hannah Murphy, Corinne Schroeder, Danielle Serdachny, and Anna Wilgren.
My shortlist comes down to Barnes, Bilka, Murphy, and Serdachny. You can make a case for any combination of the four, and I am sure there are people projecting Schroeder to be protected. I am also assuming that the team does not sign one of their pending UFAs with the hope that they make it through the next phase of expansion and re-sign at a later date.
- Bilka looked like one of Seattle’s best players pre‑Olympics before her season‑ending injury. Her nine points in 14 games don’t jump off the page, but she led the team in points per game over that stretch and could really drive play with the puck on her stick.
- Serdachny brings a lot of speed to the Torrent’s game, and that can be used to exploit teams in a league with a wide talent range which will get even wider with the addition of the four additional teams. She stood out post‑Olympics as one of the best Torrent forwards and averaged 0.75 points per game.
- Barnes was the Torrent’s defensive anchor, logging the most ice time and regularly matching against top lines while running the power play.
- Murphy, at 22, split starts with Schroeder and posted a .908 save percentage compared to Schroeder’s .915. It’s not a huge gap, and there’s no question in my mind that Schroeder is the better goalie right now. But Murphy’s age and upside matter here, which is why she made my short list over Schroeder.
Seattle could sign and protect a pending UFA like Hillary Knight or Alex Carpenter, but if I’m the Torrent, I roll the dice and hope they’re still available after Phase 3 since neither of them are signed for next season.
I’ve gone back and forth, but my current protection trio is Bilka, Serdachny, and Murphy, which likely means Barnes and Schroeder get scooped up. I don’t feel great about it, but that’s the math.
Phase 2: Expansion team foundational signing period
Existing teams sit this one out, but it’s the phase where the Torrent could lose players, both UFAs and players under contract. UFAs like Knight, Carpenter, and Theresa Schafzahl could sign with expansion teams at this stage.
Seattle could also lose up to three players under contract, depending on who was protected in Phase 1. The likeliest names in play: Barnes, Bilka, Murphy, Schroeder, Serdachny, and I’d add Anna Wilgren as a real possibility.
Phase 3: Preliminary open signing period
Any unprotected, unsigned players on expiring contracts can now negotiate with all 12 teams. Existing teams also get to protect three additional players, regardless of contract status, though protecting someone you haven’t signed feels like a wasted slot.
This is the window where Seattle could re‑sign Carpenter, Knight, or Schafzahl if they’re still on the board. I think there’s a chance Wilgren survives to this phase, and if she does, she’s probably one of Seattle’s three additional protections.
Phase 4: Expansion signing period
Expansion teams now select from the remaining unprotected and unsigned players to fill out their rosters up to 10 players.
It’s hard to get a clean read on where Lexie Adzija, Jenna Buglioni, or Mikyla Grant‑Mentis sit in the leaguewide hierarchy, but it wouldn’t surprise me if at least one of them are taken here. Adzija and Grant-Mentis were good contributors for the Torrent, and Buglioni was a rookie, so a team might be willing to take a chance on her potential.
Phase 5: Existing team-exclusive re‑signing period
Existing teams can now re‑sign any of their own players who remain without a contract for 2026-27.
For Seattle, that list could be long. Beyond the big names (Carpenter, Knight, Schafzahl), the Torrent would likely want to bring back Aneta Tejralova, Emily Brown, and Megan Carter.
Phase 6: Open signing period
At this point, any unsigned player can sign with any of the 12 teams.
Anything could happen
I’ve seen some national chatter and a bit of local speculation, but I’ve tried to avoid diving too deep so I’m not subconsciously influenced by other projections. I’ll be wrong about some of this (probably several things), but the exercise is still worthwhile.
What is clear is that the Torrent roster is going to look dramatically different next season.
So now I’m curious: Who are you protecting? Who do you think the Torrent re-sign?