A Sneak Peek At The Next Five PWHL Draft Classes

This year's PWHL Draft class might be one of the weakest to hit the league moving forward, but it also has an exciting mix of talent at the top. The deciding factor on the depth of this draft is whether or not Abbey Murphy and Lacey Eden declare, along with the likes of Michelle Karvinen, Michela Pejzloza, and Hanna Olsson. If those five declare, this draft has an extra round of depth.

Regardless, the waves of skilled players at all positions coming to the PWHL over the next half decade will be significant enough that the league will continue to expand, and find new ways to keep their player pool improving and for those not quite ready, ensuring development paths are available.

Here's a look at some of the top players who will come to the PWHL in the next five PWHL Drafts.

2025 PWHL Draft

The top end of this draft will include Kristyna Kaltounkova, Haley Winn, Natalie Mlynkova, Nicole Gosling, Viivi Vainikka, Casey O'Brien, and Rory Guilday. It's a group of national team players from USA, Czechia, Canada, and Finland that will bring another layer of talent both up front and on the back end. If there is one weakness to this draft class, it's on the blueline. Beyond Winn, Gosling, and Guilday, there may only be 3-4 defenders, like Kendall Cooper, with the potential to steal roster spots without expansion. Goaltending will see players like Swiss starter Andrea Brandli, Finnish starter Sanni Ahola, and NCAA standout Hannah Murphy looking for jobs. The other interesting item in this draft is that if Abbey Murphy doesn't declare, there is no consensus top pick.

2026 PWHL Draft

This draft is already loaded at the top, and that's without Abbey Murphy and Lacey Eden whose NCAA eligibility will run out here. Caroline Harvey is the early favorite to go first overall, but she'll also be followed by a wealth of talent. If the league hadn't decided to expand next season, the 2026 class would have forced with with stars like Laila Edwards, Tessa Janecke, Kirsten Simms, and Sydney Morrow, Nelli Laitinen set to join. Where this draft gets truly interesting is in Europe. European national stars like Petra Nieminen, Elisa Holopainen, Hanna Thuvik, Sara Cajanova, Emilia Vesa, Sanni Rantala, and Lara Stalder will all be on expiring contracts and eligible to decide their future. The NCAA depth is also impressive with Josefin Bouveng, Isabel Wunder, Elyssa Biederman, Sarah Paul (could declare in 2027), Emma Peschel, and Emma-Sofie Nordstrom.

2027 PWHL Draft

We won't call this a weaker draft, yet, but compared to the 2026 and 2028 drafts, the depth of this group doesn't look as exciting. One of the biggest factors here will be European players who come available, which looking this far into the future, is completely unknown because no European players are signed through 2027. Looking at potential first overall picks, it's likely a fight between Joy Dunne, Jocelyn Amos, and Emmalee Pais. One strength in this draft is in the crease. There will be several top NCAA goalies available including Ava McNaughton, Annelies Bergmann, Eve Gascon, and Sedona Blair among others. By this point, the PWHL will likely have some goaltenders nearing the end of their careers. Other names to watch in this draft include players like Cassie Hall, Laney Potter, Sammy Taber, Adnrea Trnkova, Ava Lindsay, Molly Jordan, Ava Murphy, and Avery Pickering.

2028 PWHL Draft

This is the draft people will be looking at for a number of reasons. The first round of this draft will be stacked, and there's a long list of players who will make this a deep class. At the top, Chloe Primerano will get the long range forecast for first overall. But looking at the play of NCAA rookies Claire Murdoch, Caitlin Kraemer, Mackenzie Alexander, Maggie Scannell, Emma Venusio, and Mira Jungaker, among many others, this group has an abundance of skill that will span multiple rounds. Beyond this group, Lisa Jonsson, Hannah Clark, Julia Schalin, Josie St. Martin, Eloise Caron, Angelina DiGirolamo, Gracie Graham, Alexia Aubin, Tuva Kandell, Sage Babey, Emilia Kyrkkö, Lola Reid, Grace Outwater and the list goes on.

2029 PWHL Draft

The 2029 PWHL Draft class is going to bring interest on a number of fronts, specifically, it will be the next major class of European stars joining the league. There is a wealth of European players including Hilda Svensson, Adela Sapovalivova, and Sanni Vanhanen set to graduate from the NCAA this season. They'll also be joined by Stryker Zablocki, Sara Manness, and Maxine Cimeroni up front, and Rhyah Stewart, who is one of the top goaltending prospects in the world. Other names who will step into the NCAA next season, and look to crack the PWHL in 2029 include Tereza Plosova, Megan Healey, Bella Fanale, Jenna Raunio, Sanni Vanhanen, Ema Tothova, and Maxime Tremblay.