The Seattle Torrent do not have the luxury of starting over. After an inaugural season that mixed record-setting attendance with inconsistent results on the ice, Seattle enters the six-phase PWHL expansion process needing to preserve the players that can turn the franchise into a long-term contender.
During the first phase of expansion, existing teams can protect up to three players from selection by the league’s incoming expansion franchises. Any player left unprotected becomes eligible to be selected later in the process, putting pressure on front offices to identify the players most essential to both their present and future.
For Seattle, that decision comes down to protecting the franchise’s identity, top-end talent, and long-term foundation. That starts with That starts with Hilary Knight, Hannah Bilka, and Julia Gosling.
Hilary Knight remains the face of the franchise
Protecting Hilary Knight should be the easiest decision Seattle makes this offseason.
Even at 36, Knight remains one of the most influential players in women’s hockey and the centerpiece of the Torrent brand. Her stat line during the regular season does not fully capture her value. Knight finished with 14 points in 22 games despite missing significant time with a lower-body injury suffered during the Olympics. Seattle’s offense noticeably struggled during her absence, underscoring how much the team relied on her playmaking, leadership, and power-play presence.
When healthy, Knight still produced at a top-line level. She helped drive Seattle’s most dangerous offensive unit alongside Julia Gosling and Alex Carpenter, and she remained one of the league’s most respected two-way forwards.
The bigger reason Seattle must protect Knight goes beyond statistics. She instantly gave the expansion franchise legitimacy. Climate Pledge Arena sold out repeatedly during the inaugural campaign, and Knight became central to Seattle’s hockey identity from day one.
Just as importantly, Knight indicated she wants to continue playing in Seattle, giving the organization clarity that its captain still sees her future with the franchise. Seattle cannot risk losing the player most responsible for establishing the team’s culture, visibility, and credibility.
Hannah Bilka gives Seattle a future star to build around
If Knight represents the present, then Hannah Bilka represents the future.
Bilka showed flashes of becoming one of the league’s most dynamic young forwards before injuries interrupted her rookie campaign. In only 14 games, she recorded nine points while consistently skating on Seattle’s top line.
Seattle also saw Bilka thrive on the international stage during her Olympic debut in Milano Cortina Olympics. She posted seven points in seven games for Team USA and emerged as one of the tournament’s breakout forwards alongside Knight and Carpenter.
Expansion teams can recover from losing veteran depth. They cannot easily replace elite young offensive talent with top-line potential, and the Torrent simply do not possess many players with Bilka’s ceiling. Bilka already demonstrated she can contribute immediately while still having room to grow into a franchise cornerstone. That combination makes her indispensable during Phase 1 protections.
Julia Gosling quietly became one of Seattle’s most important players
Julia Gosling may have entered the season with less fanfare than Knight or Bilka, but she finished the year as arguably Seattle’s most consistent offensive player.
The 23-year-old forward became the first player in Torrent history to reach 20 points in a season. She finished tied for the franchise lead in scoring while appearing in all 30 regular-season games. More importantly, Gosling showed clear signs of developing into a long-term first-line forward.
After scoring only four goals during her rookie season in Toronto, Gosling took a major step forward offensively in Seattle. She developed strong chemistry with Knight and Carpenter and routinely delivered in important moments, including game-winning performances against Montreal and key offensive production during Seattle’s highest-scoring games of the season.
That growth trajectory matters. Seattle needs players entering their prime who can lead the franchise beyond the inaugural era. Gosling fits that timeline perfectly. She already proved she can handle top-line responsibilities while improving her finishing ability and playmaking confidence throughout the season.
For a franchise trying to build sustainable success, losing a young centerpiece forward like Gosling during expansion would be a major mistake.
Seattle cannot afford to lose its identity
Expansion drafts are designed to test how well organizations understand their own priorities. For Seattle, Phase 1 is about protecting the foundation of a franchise that is still defining itself.
Knight gives the Torrent credibility and leadership in a market that has already embraced women’s hockey at an elite level. Bilka offers the kind of explosive young talent teams spend years searching for. Gosling represents the next wave of offensive stars capable of carrying Seattle into sustained contention.
Losing any one of them would create a hole that goes beyond the scoresheet. It would weaken the culture, chemistry, and long-term vision Seattle spent its inaugural season building.
The Torrent do not need to overcomplicate this process. If they want to emerge from expansion stronger instead of scrambling to replace cornerstone pieces, Knight, Bilka, and Gosling need to remain untouchable.