The Seattle Torrent entered the PWHL expansion process knowing they would lose important pieces, but few expected them to lose this much.
After protecting Alex Carpenter, Hannah Murphy and Anna Wilgren during Phase 1, Seattle watched expansion teams strip away much of the foundation built during the franchise’s inaugural season. Goaltender Corinne Schroeder became PWHL San Jose’s first-ever player. Meanwhile defender Cayla Barnes and forward Hannah Bilka are headed to Hockey Town with PWHL Detroit.
Captain Hilary Knight made waves after the AP’s John Wawrow broke the news on Monday that Knight would be signing with Las Vegas as part of a sign-and-trade arrangement that would ultimately send her to Detroit, creating controversy around the expansion process and adding another layer of frustration for Seattle fans.
Now, with Phase 3 approaching, the Torrent face a dramatically different challenge. This is no longer about protecting established stars, but about preserving what remains of the organization’s next core.
What Seattle lost during Phase 2
The scale of Seattle’s losses is difficult to overstate. Expansion was always going to force difficult decisions. That said, few teams emerged from the first two phases as depleted as the Torrent. Seattle lost its starting goaltender, top defender, a future franchise forward, and the face of the organization in a matter of days.
Corinne Schroeder’s departure leaves Seattle searching for answers in net. She appeared in 17 games during the inaugural season and posted a .915 save percentage with a 2.56 goals-against average. Those numbers become even more impressive when considering the workload she faced behind a team that allowed 90 goals during the season. Schroeder frequently gave the Torrent an opportunity to win games they otherwise had little business winning. She made her case as one of the franchise’s most valuable players. Finding a starting-caliber goaltender is difficult in any league. Replacing one who established herself as the backbone of Seattle’s inaugural season will be even harder.
The loss of Olympic gold medalist Cayla Barnes creates a different challenge. Barnes played all 30 games during the inaugural campaign and quickly established herself as Seattle’s top all-around defender. She recorded eight points while routinely matching up against opposing stars and logging difficult minutes in every situation. Her value extended far beyond the score sheet. Barnes helped drive transition, move the puck efficiently and stabilize Seattle’s defensive structure. Players capable of impacting the game in all three zones are among the hardest assets to replace in the PWHL, making her departure one of Seattle’s most significant long-term losses.
From a hockey perspective, Hannah Bilka may ultimately prove to be the most painful player Seattle lost. Despite appearing in just 14 games because of injury, Bilka recorded nine points and produced at a rate of 0.64 points per game. Over a full season, that pace would have placed her among Seattle’s offensive leaders. More importantly, the 25-year-old represented the future of the franchise. Her speed, creativity and offensive instincts made her a natural fit alongside Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight. She looked every bit like a player capable of becoming one of the league’s next stars.
The Hilary Knight of it All
Then there is Hilary Knight. Knight’s production on the ice mattered, but her leadership may matter even more.
Despite missing eight games, Knight finished the season with 14 points in 22 games and remained one of Seattle’s most productive offensive players. As the inaugural captain, however, Knight gave the expansion franchise immediate credibility. Her presence helped establish the team’s culture and served as the public face of professional women’s hockey in Seattle.
The circumstances surrounding her departure have only amplified the loss.
Wawrow’s report indicates Knight signed with Las Vegas during Phase 2 before being traded to Detroit in exchange for draft capital once the league’s trade freeze lifts. While the move appears to comply with league rules, it created the perception that Knight’s ultimate destination had effectively been determined before her brief stop in Las Vegas.
And for many Seattle fans, the optics were difficult to ignore. Knight had been very public about her hope to stay in Seattle. As she told Megan Rapinoe on her podcast, A Touch More: “I want to still play for the Seattle Torrent for at least another two years, and I want to win a Walter Cup here.” Something fans are not going to forget too quickly.
Rather than just losing their captain to Detroit, the Torrent watched Knight become part of an arrangement that exposed a loophole in the expansion process. It left questions about whether the framework adequately protected existing teams from losing cornerstone players through pre-arranged transactions. Regardless of the process, the outcome remains devastating. Seattle lost its captain, most recognizable player and one of the biggest stars in women’s hockey.
Taken together, the departures of Schroeder, Barnes, Bilka, and Knight have fundamentally changed Seattle’s outlook. That reality makes Phase 3 more important than ever.
Who should Seattle protect in Phase 3?
The losses Seattle suffered during Phase 2 should reshape how the organization approaches its next round of protections.
Before expansion, protecting established stars was the priority. Now, Seattle needs to protect the players most capable of forming the foundation of its next competitive core.
It starts with Julia Gosling
If Bilka’s departure removed a potential franchise forward, Gosling becomes even more valuable. The 25-year-old tied Alex Carpenter for the team lead with 20 points during the inaugural season. She already established herself as one of Seattle’s most important offensive players. Unlike some veteran options, Gosling offers both immediate production and long-term upside. With Seattle suddenly lacking young, high-end offensive talent, protecting her should be a straightforward decision.
And expansion teams appear to agree. The PWHL announced on Tuesday that Gosling was one of a handful of players who received a foundational player offer during Phase 2, further underscoring how highly she is valued around the league.
If Gosling wants to remain in Seattle, the Torrent need to make sure she never reaches the next stage of the process. Leaving a player of her caliber exposed after expansion teams have already demonstrated interest would be an unnecessary risk. Following the departures of Bilka and Knight, Gosling has become one of the clearest building blocks on Seattle’s roster and should be considered a lock for protection in Phase 3.
The obvious case for Danielle Serdachny
Seattle’s roster can withstand the loss of depth players. It cannot afford to lose another young forward with top-line potential. Serdachny remains one of the organization’s most intriguing long-term pieces. She possesses the size, skill and two-way ability to become a major contributor for years to come. After watching Bilka leave during expansion, allowing another young cornerstone forward to walk out the door would be difficult to justify.
The final protection spot is where the decision becomes more complicated.
An argument could be made for additional defensive depth after Barnes’ departure, but Seattle’s biggest organizational concern now is replacing offense. Knight and Bilka accounted for 23 points despite missing a combined 24 games. Their exits leave a significant hole in the top six and remove much of the team’s offensive ceiling.
Protecting Mikyla Grant-Mentis
While Gosling and Serdachny represent the future, Grant-Mentis helps address the present. She remains one of Seattle’s most dynamic offensive players and really stepped up after the post-Olympics injuries took stars out of the lineup. The Torrent have already lost too much scoring to risk exposing another forward capable of producing in a top-six role.
Taken together, Gosling, Serdachny and Grant-Mentis would give Seattle the best chance to preserve both its future and its remaining offensive depth.
Combined with previously protected players, those three selections would allow the Torrent to move forward with a core that still contains elite talent, emerging young players and enough offensive firepower to remain competitive despite one of the most damaging stretches of the expansion process.
If Phase 2 was about what Seattle lost, Phase 3 has to be about protecting what remains.
