It’s been quite a long summer, but finally, hockey is almost back! The Svenska Damhockeyligan (SDHL), Sweden’s top tier pro women’s league, begins their 2026-27 season in a little under a month. As is the case with any league’s offseason, each of the SDHL’s ten teams look quite different from the groups they iced last year. All the player movement can be difficult to keep track of, so here’s a two-part look at each team’s offseason moves, and how they stack up heading into opening day.
We’ll start in alphabetical order with the first five teams; Brynäs, Djurgårdens, Färjestad, Frölunda, and HV71.
Brynäs IF (25-26 Placement: 1st)
Arrivals: D Lova Blom, F Lovisa Engström, F Anna Meixner, F Wilma Sundin
Departures: D Anna Andersson, D Emma Bergesen, F Anna Brenkle, G Pia Dukarič, F Tilda Edsman, F Julia Östlund, D Maude Poulin-Labelle, F Viivi Vainikka
PWHL Camp Bound: N/A
I decided against adding a “re-signed” list to the above section as to not make it too bloated, but in this case the lack of it fails to do the defending champs‘ offseason justice. While Vainikka moving over to the PWHL is a massive blow for Brynäs, it was an expected one. Managing to retain all of Ena Nystrøm, Sára Čajanová, Mina Waxin, Jenniina Nylund, Elin Svensson, and Hanna Thuvik puts them in great position to repeat. Honestly, with four impact adds highlighted by reigning Rookie of the Year Engström and the return of newly-minted captain Meixner from North America, they might even look better than they did before losing their Playoff MVP. Tidy work from Erika Grahm.
Grade: A-
Djurgårdens IF (25-26 Placement: 7th)
Arrivals: D Elsa Åberg, D Alexa Davis, G Pia Dukarič, F Tilda Edsman, F Johanna Eldebäck, D Sami Gendron, F Shelbi Guttormson, F Tea Løkke Nyberg, D Elina Sydenhag, D Adriana Van De Leest, F Claire Vekich
Departures: G Lauren Bench, D Emma Forsgren, D Klára Jandušíková, F Kaitlin Jockims, F Linn Mattsson, F Saga Odebrant, F Alice Östensson, F Brette Pettet, D Ella Planting-Bergloo, D Madeline Posick, D Selma Tyreskog, F Linda Vocetková
PWHL Camp Bound: N/A
A lot of turnover here, and not a lot of it good. Djurgårdens are now down six of their top ten scorers from last season, including their top two in Pettet and Östensson. The most interesting adds here are Van De Leest, who logged an incredible amount of minutes on last-place HV71 last season, and Dukarič in goal to replace Bench. The Slovenian hasn’t seen game action since 24-25, but had an absolutely outstanding run with Yale University prior to her brief retirement. Between the Bulldogs and the national team, Dukarič is well-accustomed to seeing a lot of rubber, and she might have to once again for this Djurgården team.
Grade: D
Färjestad BK (25-26 Placement: 8th)
Arrivals: D Kajsa Armborg, F Alexis Bedier, F Alli Borrow, F Alva Johnsson, G Emmy Nordström Åmark, D Krista Parkkonen, F Svenja Voigt
Departures: F Kelly Babstock, F Emilie Córdoba, D Alexie Guay, G Ellen Jonsson, F/D Michelle Löwenhielm, F Madison Mashuga, F Paige McGuire, D Grace Parker, D Lene Tendenes
PWHL Camp Bound: N/A
The departures aren’t as bad as they seem on first glance, given that a number of them were hired guns from the playoff push. However, losing Guay and Löwenhielm especially hurts for Färjestad. Nonetheless, many of their important pieces remain in place, most notably netminder Ida Boman, defender Annie Silén, forward Ella Albinsson, and, of course, forward-slash-general-manager Emma Murén. While they likely aren’t going to blow expectations out of the water like they did last season, with additions like Parkkonen, Voigt, and potentially others down the stretch once more, Färjestad certainly look like they can hold their own.
Grade: C+
Frölunda HC (25-26 Placement: 2nd)
Arrivals: D Linnéa Andersson, F Lisa Johansson, F Madie Leidt, G Kassidy Sauvé
Departures: G Andrea Brändli, F Edit Danielsson, F Jenna Goodwin, G Maja Helge, D Melissa Jefferies, D Nellie Svensson
PWHL Camp Bound: F Elisa Holopainen (New York)
Finally, someone in the “PWHL Camp Bound” section, and it’s who the category was made for. Holopainen’s got about ten games left in Göteborg before she’s off to the New York Sirens, almost certainly for the season. It’s a huge loss for Frölunda, but like Brynäs with Vainikka, they’ve set themselves up nicely to weather it by retaining most of their attack along with signing Johansson and Leidt. Sauvé’s a serviceable enough Brändli replacement, and by adding Andersson to a defense already boasting names like Sanni Rantala, Paula Bergström, Tuva Kandell, and more, Frölunda’s indisputably put together the best blueline in the SDHL. Not the flashiest offseason, but they did what they needed to do.
Grade: B+
HV71 (25-26 Placement: 10th)
Arrivals: D Jade Arnone, F Linnéa Johansson, F Thea Johansson, F Barbora Kapičáková, G Elin Löwenadler, F Katia Pelowich, F Justine Reyes, F Riley Walsh
Departures: F Evelina Arvidsson, F Evelyne Blais-Savoie, D Teghan Inglis, F Tea Løkke Nyberg, F Julia Nearis, F Emmi Rakolainen, D Adriana Van De Leest, F Rachel Weiss
PWHL Camp Bound: F Kennedy Bobyck (San José), T. Johansson (Vancouver), Reyes (San José)
While a number of their players are varying degrees of likely to jump to the PWHL in mid-November, it’s a little easier to swallow for HV71. This team is trying to avoid the relegation series for a fourth consecutive season. Compare that to a team like Frölunda who’ll be down Holopainen for a potentially lengthy playoff run.
With that consideration in mind, HV71’s offseason shoots up to genuinely outstanding territory. Johansson, Johansson, Reyes, and Walsh give some serious lethality to the forward group that last season’s sorely lacked, while Kapičáková and Pelowich are intriguing additions out of the NDHL and USports, respectively. Inglis and Van De Leest leaving are pretty big hits to the blueline, though Arnone and a full season of Julia Shaunessy just about cancel those out on paper. Stephanie Neatby might still be at risk of getting shelled night in and night out, but she’ll sure as hell get some more goal support while she does.
Grade: A
Stay tuned for part two of this recap, covering Linköping, Luleå, MoDo, SDE, and Skellefteå’s offseasons!
