After a relatively successful season that saw them come this close to the championship, the Ottawa Charge have a challenging road ahead. Like the rest of the PWHL teams, the front office has a number of decisions to make. The expansion process will see each team lose players, along with regular free agency. Who will the Ottawa Charge opt to sign/protect in the first phase?
Gwyneth Philips
The obvious choice, right? There’s no chance the Ottawa Charge leave Philips available. She has two years left on her current contract and was (rightfully) one of the top-paid goaltenders in the PWHL in 2025-26. Philips earned $91,200 in base salary; only Boston’s Aerin Frankel ($92,500) earned more. It’s a fitting paycheck for one of the league’s best netminders and a critical piece of the Charge’s roster.
This season, Philips played 91% of minutes in net for the Charge in the regular season. She had a 2.12 GAA, 16 wins and a .931 save percentage. She played every minute in the playoffs and registered a 1.99 GAA and .929 save percentage.
For the second straight season, the PWHL named Philips a finalist for PWHL goaltender of the year. To date in her pro career with the Ottawa Charge, Philips has averaged a 2.12 GAA and .928 save percentage over two seasons.
Rebecca Leslie
The Ottawa Charge have a lot of big names who could be protected, but up front, I’m going with Rebeca Leslie. Like Philips, Leslie was a key part of the team’s success this season. They wouldn’t have reached the Walter Cup Final without her.
Leslie had a breakout season with 23 points, including a team-high 14 goals. She continued to produce in the postseason, recording four goals and six points in eight games – both team-highs.
The 30-year-old has one year left on her contract. She earned $60,000 in base salary this past season.
Ronja Savolainen
I’d go on to use the final protection spot on defender Ronja Savolainen. The 28-year-old is signed with the Ottawa Charge for two more seasons, through 2027-28. She was a big part of the team’s defense this past season and would be a great piece to build the blueline around going forward.
Savolainen skated in all 30 games during the regular season and led Charge defenders with 10 points and 55 shots on goal. She also played big minutes, averaging 22:03 per game. She earned $55,751.70 in base salary this past season.
Check out more from The Ice Garden about which players could be protected, including for the Seattle Torrent, Toronto Sceptres, Vancouver Goldeneyes, Minnesota Frost and Montréal Victoire.