PWHL Trade Targets: 10 players to watch
We’re less than two weeks away from the 2026 PWHL Trade Deadline. While there might not be a ton of moves due to various circumstances, a few of the top teams in the league might be willing to take a chance and go for broke in hopes of making a deep run in the Walter Cup Playoffs.
For historical purposes, deadline has been a bit of a bore, as just three trades have been made in the minutes leading up to the final bell over the past two years. That doesn’t mean general managers’ phones will be turned off until March 30. We already saw one move this week, as the Boston Fleet acquired veteran scorer Jessie Eldridge from the Seattle Torrent. That might be the deal that puts a hole in the dam.
Today, I take a look at 10 players who are appealing options to potential suitors:
Alex Carpenter
Center, Seattle Torrent
Age: 31
Stats: 19 GP, 7 G, 6 A, 13 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA
Scoop: I was always curious about what the future would hold for the likes of Carpenter and Hilary Knight when they signed one-year deals with the expansion Torrent. Maybe they wanted to have a trial run before committing to staying in the Emerald City long-term. However, things have certainly not been working out. Seattle has been near the bottom of the league standings for most of the season, with no signs of that turning around.
That leads me to believe a playoff contender might be interested in pursuing Carpenter. Even on a struggling Seattle team, she’s been able to produce and could be an important veteran piece to help a team become championship material. You look at the Boston Fleet, which has just three players who have scored 10 points so far. They’ve been successful despite having few big-time scorers. Carpenter’s familiarity with the club could prove to be beneficial.
Claire Thompson
Defender, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Age: 28
Stats: 17 GP, 3 G, 7 A, 10 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA
Scoop: We might be looking at the possibility that Thompson’s career might be winding down. Not because of injury or age, but because of her pending career in the medical field. It’s what kept her out of action during the league’s inaugural season. Does that mean this is her final season? Only time will tell. However, given the fact that the Goldeneyes are falling further and further out of playoff contention, why not try to sell her off to get some players with terms that might be safe from the expansion process?
Thompson is one of the more versatile players in the game. She is reliable in her own zone, can log the heavy minutes, and is more than capable of contributing on the offensive end. There are a number of teams that could benefit from having another top-pair defender in their lineup. She also has the championship pedigree, having won gold medals at the Olympics and IIHF Women’s World Championship, as well as being a key part of the Minnesota Frost’s run to a second Walter Cup last season.
Natalie Mlynkova
Winger, Montreal Victoire
Age: 24
Stats: 19 GP, 4 G, 4 A, 8 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA
Scoop: Reports come out that the Victoire is looking at moving the rookie. Despite a positive start to her PWHL career, where she scored three goals and five points in her first nine games, the Czech scorer has gone relatively quiet, and her ice time has hit the skids as well. In the first three games since the Olympic break, Mlynkova has seen less than 10 minutes of game action. It’s hard to think that her game has tanked since the pause, as she does have two assists over the span.
A very creative player with a knack for finding the back of the net, a new home might be needed to jumpstart Mlynkova’s confidence. On an expiring contract, she could prove to be a cheap buy for a contender who needs a little more offense when things start to tighten up in the playoffs.
Shiann Darkangelo
Center, Montreal Victoire
Age: 32
Stats: 19 GP, 3 G, 2 A, 5 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining
Scoop: I’m not putting ideas in GM Daniele Sauvageau’s brain, but one of the things the Victoire have been unable to do in the playoffs is score goals. I love Darkangelo’s game, and I think she is a great depth piece on any team, but her centering the second line in Montreal hasn’t worked as the Victoire has hoped.
That doesn’t mean she couldn’t be of use to another playoff hopeful. She showed last year with the Charge that she can contribute offensively, posting a career-best 17 points during the regular season. Her two-way game is what has made her a constant on the pro scene for several years, including helping the Toronto Six win the last Isobel Cup three years ago. While returning to Ottawa seems to be out of the question, there are several teams close to a playoff spot that could use the Brighton, Mich. native’s services.
Michelle Karvinen
Forward, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Age: 35
Stats: 19 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 6 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA
Scoop: Coming back to the Goldeneyes, the Michelle Karvinen experience has necessarily translated well to the PWHL. Finland’s all-time leading scorer at the Women’s Worlds has seemingly fallen out of favor with Brian Idalski’s team, as her ice time has tanked since returning from the Olympic break. I’m starting to get the same feeling with Karvinen that I had about Noora Tulus at the end of her lone season with the New York Sirens.
I think a change of scenery can boost the Danish-born forward’s confidence. Joining a team that can use her skill to make a playoff push could be good for all parties involved. She decided to give the PWHL a try because she feels she has plenty left in the tank. There are a couple of teams in the top four that could use someone like her. If you’re looking at it through Vancouver’s lens, with the possibility that you might lose her anyway to either expansion or Europe, why not try to get something back in return?
Klara Hymlarova
Center, Minnesota Frost
Age: 27
Stats: 19 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA
For the second year in a row, I’m curious to see if Hymlarova is on the move. It’s probably for the best that Ken Klee kept her on board, as she was a crucial part in the Frost winning a second straight Walter Cup. Yet she has once again struggled to produce in her bottom-six role during the regular season. She hasn’t really been much of a defensive stalwart either, as Minnesota still has plenty of holes despite boasting the league’s best offense.
Would using Hymlarova as bait help Minnesota acquire some better defensive players? The Czech national has shown, when given the opportunity, that she can be a solid scoring threat.
Sara Hjalmarsson
Winger, Toronto Sceptres
Age: 28
Stats: 21 GP, 3 G, 0 A, 3 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA
Scoop: Not going to lie, I was jacked when Hjalmarsson was finally drafted into the PWHL. She has been one of the premier scorers in SDHL for years, and I figured some of that production would carry into the pro ranks in North America. However, whether it be due to a lack of confidence or being stuck in a lesser role, things haven’t panned out for the Swedish star.
Hjalmarsson has started to find her groove lately, scoring a pair of goals coming out of the break. One has to wonder what she could do in a top-six role, or even see a greater role on the power play. She’s a strong net-front presence with solid hands. I don’t see her being packaged with anyone else, but other playoff hopefuls could possibly crack open the offensive firepower that Hjalmarsson possesses.
Daniela Pejsova
Defender, Boston Fleet
Age: 23
Stats: 17 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 Pts
Contract: 1 year remaining
Once again, I wonder whether Danielle Marmer plans to do something with Pejsova. I just feel like she has so much more potential than she’s been able to display with Boston over the past two years. Obviously, playing behind the likes of Megan Keller isn’t easy, but there have been nights where she’s been the seventh defender.
She has seen a little more playing time with Zoe Boyd being done for the season, but the Fleet could use Pejsova as an add-on piece to go out and buy some more talent at the deadline (a la Alex Carpenter). With a year remaining on her contract, playing on a team further down the standings might allow her the chance to show what she’s capable of, and maybe build her confidence heading toward 2026-27.
Jincy Roese
Defender, New York Sirens
Age: 28
Stats: 19 GP, 0 G, 6 A, 6 Pts
Contract: Pending UFA
Scoop: Jincy Roese has the ability to be a top-four defender in this league. She proved to be that last season with the Charge, playing a key part in the team making it to the postseason for the first time. I still wonder that, if she wasn’t hurt, would Ottawa have had a better chance against the Frost in the final?
So far, with the Sirens, Roese has seen some moments on the top pair, but with the likes of Maja Nylen Persson and Jamie Bourbonnais, the Missouri native has been a supporting character in New York. She’s a solid player in her own zone, and always finds a way to help out offensively. Not sure if she’d jump into a starring role with any of the teams currently in a playoff spot, but she certainly could help out.
Elaine Chuli
Goaltender, Toronto Sceptres
Age: 31
Stats: 3-3-0, 2.66 GAA, .903 SV%
Contract: Pending UFA
While most of the teams around the playoff picture have a definitive starting goaltender, there are a couple of teams that might need the services of a capable backup. Chuli seemed to be trading starts with Raygan Kirk for the first part of the season, but Kirk has been tabbed as the No. 1 in Toronto, leaving Chuli on the bench for the past few weeks.
Chuli can provide quality starts, something she has done in the past with the Victoire. While Minnesota and Montreal have a solid tandem, the Sirens and Fleet might take a peek at going after the former PHF champion. Boston has Abbey Levy, sure, but Chuli has a track record of success in the league. The Sirens have ridden Kayle Osborne, only occasionally turning to rookie Callie Shanahan. While the idea of New York trading an asset to a team it’s competing with for a playoff spot might seem far-fetched, the Sirens don’t want to head into the playoffs without a reserve plan if something were to happen to Osborne.