The Boston Fleet welcomed five new members to their team last night during the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft. The nearly six-hour draft was six rounds, but Boston traded their second and third round picks to PWHL Detroit in exchange for Ella Huber and Detroit’s third round pick. With their five picks, Boston shored up their blueline with three defenders, while adding depth up front with two forwards. Four of their newest members are coming straight from the NCAA, while one has some professional experience under her belt overseas.
“All of the players we’ve drafted tonight have played on championship teams,” Boston Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said about her draft class via a press release. “We wanted players who are leaders. There are a lot of captains in this group and players who have played in really big moments in big games. They all add a skillset, an attribute or an identity that we need to round out our team after the first phases of expansion.”
Big game pedigrees and leadership aside, Marmer stuck to the kinds of players she knows in this draft, with all of them regarded as consistent, defensively responsible players. In addition, physicality, size, and Marmer going at least slightly off the board were other themes of the night. However, one thing Marmer did not do was shore up her team’s scoring issues. None of the selected players are likely to put up big offensive numbers in the professional ranks. So, that’s a problem she still must solve through free agency.
Now, without further ado, let’s discuss into the five newest members of the Boston Fleet.
Round 1, Pick 10- Grace Dwyer (D, Cornell University)
Marmer went off the board a little bit with her first pick of this year’s draft. However, considering she didn’t pick again until Round 3, it’s not a major surprise that she made a bold move to select a player she really wanted. Boston was in desperate need of more defenders after losing four to the expansion process, and Dwyer is an outstanding shutdown option with some offensive potential. Dwyer captained Cornell last season and produced 76 points (18 goals, 58 assists) in 134 career NCAA games.
Dwyer is a physical, mobile defender with a nice shot. She also has good size, standing at 5’8″. She played in all situations with Cornell, which is a skill the Fleet covet in players. However, with Megan Keller and Haley Winn headlining Boston’s defense corps, the Fleet won’t need her to play on the power-play much, if at all, barring injuries, which may limit her offensive upside in the PWHL. Still, Dwyer will be a hard-nosed, shutdown defender for Boston, while also being a good presence in their locker room.
“I think on the ice, I’m gonna bring the compete, battle, be tough,” Dwyer told reporters when asked to describe what she’ll bring to the Fleet during her post-pick press conference. “But I think off the ice I’m a pretty calm, chill person.”
Round 3, Pick 27 (from Detroit)- Leah Stecker (D, Penn State University)
Marmer went off the board again with her second pick of the draft. However, the Fleet like their reliable, physical defenders, and that’s just who Stecker is. Stecker doesn’t have much offensive upside, producing just 57 points in 151 NCAA games, but she’s a consistent shutdown defender who is solid transitionally. She’s also a bigger player at 5’9″, and she should thrive with the increased physicality of the PWHL.
“I’m really hard-working,” Stecker said when asked to describe her playing style during her post-pick press conference. “I’m gritty and I’m physical. I like to separate the body and the puck. I love to move the puck north, so you can expect a lot of getting it, moving it, and changing. A lot of hard work.”
Stecker helps further shore up Boston’s formerly sparse defense corps. Her consistency will likely give her the ability to play up and down the lineup, giving the Fleet some flexibility in their pairings. She’ll also have the chance to learn from two of the game’s best in Keller and Winn, and with perhaps some easier matchups than she saw at Penn State, she’ll have the chance to develop her offensive game a little more.
Round 4, Pick 46- Jaden Bogden (F, Northeastern University)
Another off-the-board pick, Bogden spent her final two collegiate seasons at Northeastern following four seasons at Clarkson University (although she only played just 18 games in her first year at Clarkson and two games the following one). Bogden isn’t known for putting up big offensive numbers, with just 55 points in 166 career NCAA games, but she’s a big, physical, defensively responsible player. Her game should translate fairly well to a depth role in the PWHL.
Round 5, Pick 58- Jenna Goodwin (F, Frölunda HC)
Goodwin made the jump to the SDHL last season after a solid collegiate career at Clarkson University. She produced 71 points across 157 NCAA games before tallying 13 points in 26 SDHL games last season. Like Bogden, she isn’t likely to put up big offensive numbers in the PWHL. Unlike Bogden, she’s a smaller player who is extremely speedy, which will help balance the Fleet’s usually heavy bottom six. Goodwin’s year in the SDHL should also help her make a smoother transition to the PWHL, as she’s already used to increased physicality and playing in a more depth role.
Round 6, Pick 70- Maeve Kelly (D, Boston University)
With their final pick of the 2026 draft, the Fleet opted to select a player who is already familiar with the city in Kelly. Kelly spent her entire collegiate career at Boston University, where she stepped into a bigger role this season. Kelly is a defense-first defender who isn’t afraid to play a gritty game. She’s also a bigger player, standing at 5’9″. Like several other Boston picks last night, Kelly will not be the flashiest player in the league. However, she plays a game that should translate fairly well to a depth role, which as mentioned earlier, Marmer appeared to prioritize for the second straight year over higher-risk, higher-reward players.
