Canada's Sarah Fillier headlines talented crop available in 2024 PWHL draft
Examining each team's needs and best fit(s) ahead of Monday's draft in Minnesota
Sarah Fillier is a bit nervous.
Over the last six years playing at Princeton University and for Canada's national women's hockey team, Fillier has had her life mapped out. But as she approaches her 24th birthday on Sunday, Fillier isn't sure where she'll be living in the fall.
That answer will come on Monday, when Fillier is chosen in the 2024 PWHL draft in Minnesota.
Most expect she'll be packing her bags for New York, which owns the first-overall draft pick.
Fillier has found a way to score at every level, from the NCAA to the international stage, where she was the MVP of the 2023 Women's World Championship. She's won three world championships and an Olympic gold medal while wearing the maple leaf, and is now poised to become a face of the PWHL.
"She's a winner," said Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury, who is also Team Canada's GM.
"She wants to score. She wants the pressure. She wants to be the best athlete in the world."
WATCH | Previewing the 2024 PWHL draft on CBC Sports' Hockey North:
Fillier leads a group of more than 160 players who are eligible to be selected. Declaring for the draft is the only way to play in the PWHL, which means it's the entry point both for young talent coming from college and university, and for veteran players who'd like to come to North America from Europe.
The seven-round draft begins at 7 p.m. ET on Monday and will be broadcast on the PWHL's YouTube channel.
Ottawa picks second after New York, followed by Minnesota, Boston, Montreal and Toronto. The order will repeat over each round.
Here's a look at what each team needs going into the draft, and a prospect who could fill that need:
New York
After an inconsistent season, GM Pascal Daoust said last month that he's looking for a player who will compete for 60 minutes every night.
Enter Fillier, who has spent years soaking up lessons on work ethic from Canadian teammates Brianne Jenner and Marie-Philip Poulin, focusing on how they're always trying to get better.
She could slot behind Alex Carpenter as New York's second-line centre and force opposing teams to find a way to match both of them. Or Fillier could play on the wing, a position she's learned over the last few months, and see if she can use her hockey IQ to create magic with Carpenter, one of the best shooters in the game.
It's in the latter role that Fillier has found a way to open herself up to create offence off the rush.
"It's made me better at both positions, especially breaking out and understanding where people are going to be and where the best place to put the puck for people is," Fillier said.
She plans to spend her summer working on her puck protection, something she thinks will be key to withstand the increased physicality of pro hockey.
Ottawa
At second overall, Hirshfeld said he's looking for a "generational" player who can be with the team for the next three years.
"We're looking for someone who brings a ton of talent to the ice and can continue to grow, but also is a great person," the GM said.
He also wants to get tougher and grittier to play against next season. Assuming Fillier goes first, Colgate University forward Danielle Serdachny could check all those boxes.
She would give Ottawa three solid centre options with Gabbie Hughes and, assuming she is re-signed, Kateřina Mrázová.
Most of the forwards who had success in the PWHL last season were able to hold their own in front of the net, and that's something Serdachny should be able to do, given her size and skating ability. She also has a good shot and confidence to shoot, scoring the golden goal for Team Canada at the world championship in April.
Minnesota
Reigning Walter Cup-champion Minnesota is a team that thrives on skill and speed, with players like Taylor Heise, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Grace Zumwinkle locked up for another two years.
Adding left wing Hannah Bilka (Ohio State University) could make Minnesota's top-six scary.
"She's quick, she's fast, she's sporadic," said defender Cayla Barnes, Bilka's college teammate.
"You know you'll get a lot of creativity out of her and you know she can put the puck in the net. She's a super special player. She works really hard and any team would be super lucky to have her."
Minnesota could also go for a veteran in forward Amanda Kessel, reuniting her with several Team USA teammates including Heise, who she played well with at the world championship in 2022.
Boston
Boston's biggest problem last season was scoring goals.
Barnes could be a perfect fit alongside Megan Keller on the blueline, and could add another puck mover to a power play that struggled mightily.
Barnes isn't the biggest player but is a steady defender. She has a ton of experience, having won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2018 at only 19.
Boston could add more offence up front through free agency or in the second round, where Kessel or Izzy Daniel could still be available. Daniel won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in female college hockey last season with Cornell University, putting up 59 points in 34 games.
Montreal
A dream scenario for Montreal would see defender Claire Thompson, Erin Ambrose's former Team Canada defence partner, available at number five.
Ambrose logged a ton of minutes on Montreal's blueline last year, including more than 61 minutes in a triple-overtime playoff loss to Boston.
Another reliable defender is likely at the top of Montreal's off-season shopping list and Thompson fits the bill.
Thompson was on New York's reserve list last season while attending medical school, but couldn't play due to a visa issue. But she's shown her hockey IQ while playing for Team Canada in the past, setting a new record for points by a defender at the Olympics in 2022.
Montreal could also use another top-six forward but there should still be options available in the second round, whether it's Daniel, Ohio State forward Jennifer Gardiner or Abby Boreen, who enters the draft already a Walter Cup champion as a reserve with PWHL Minnesota last season.
Toronto
Toronto is preparing for the possibility that the team's best player may not be available to start the season. Natalie Spooner posted a photo on social media earlier this week that showed she's recovering from surgery, after a knee injury took her out of the playoffs.
With that in mind, Kingsbury said the team is looking for more offence this off-season, especially with the possibility that Spooner might miss some time.
Up front, a player who could replicate some of the elements Spooner brings is St. Lawrence University forward Julia Gosling, and she's someone both Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan are familiar with.
Gosling describes herself as a 200-foot power forward.
"I'm pretty tall and I have a pretty good shot, so whenever I can release that shot, I'm a pretty big threat in just driving pucks to the net, getting in front of the net," Gosling said.
"But also taking care of the D-zone and getting back and being a back checker, and helping out down there because I don't like getting scored against, either."
Should Toronto opt for defensive help, veteran Finnish defender Ronja Savolainen could add size and skill to the blueline. She'd fit in well on what is already one of the most physical teams in the league.
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