The busiest part of the PWHL offseason is over, and the Seattle Torrent look substantially different from the team that finished last in the league in April.
Seattle closed its inaugural season with an 8-1-5-16 record and 31 points, finishing eighth while allowing 92 goals and scoring 64. Since then, expansion, free agency, the draft and a coaching change have reshaped the organization ahead of its second season.
Heading into August, the Torrent have 16 players under contract for 2026-27: nine forwards, five defenders and two goaltenders. The Torrent also hold the rights to six unsigned draft picks, leaving several roster spots open ahead of training camp.
Goaltending
Seattle has two goaltenders under contract following Corinne Schroeder’s departure for San Jose during the expansion process.
Hannah Murphy returns after Seattle protected her earlier in the offseason, while CJ Jackson signed a two-year extension in June. Murphy seems ready to compete for a larger role after serving as Schroeder’s backup, although the Torrent have not named a starter. Jackson gives Seattle another returning option after spending the inaugural season with the organization.
The Torrent also selected Gabriella Durante with the 62nd overall pick in the draft. Seattle has not announced a Standard Player Agreement for Durante, so the team could still add another goaltender before camp or bring additional competition in on a tryout.
The position is less settled than it was a year ago. Schroeder handled the majority of Seattle’s starts during the inaugural season, and the Torrent will now need to determine whether Murphy is ready for that workload or whether Seattle will split starts more evenly.
Defenders
Seattle currently has five defenders signed: Anna Wilgren, Emily Brown, Aneta Tejralová, Lyndie Lobdell and Noemi Neubauerová. The Torrent protected Wilgren early during expansion, while Brown and Tejralová signed contracts through 2027-28. Lobdell returns on a one-year deal, and Neubauerová joined the organization during the open signing period.
The group has continuity, but Cayla Barnes’ departure leaves Seattle without the defender who regularly handled some of its most difficult minutes last season. As a result, the coaching staff could lean more heavily on the returning defenders.
Seattle drafted two defenders who could eventually add to the group. They selected Sydney Morrow 14th overall, and Gracie Gilkyson 50th.
With only five defenders under contract, Seattle still has work to do on the back end. The Torrent could fill those openings by signing their draft picks, adding another free agent or carrying camp invites into the preseason.
Forwards
The forward group is the largest portion of Seattle’s contracted roster. Alex Carpenter, Julia Gosling, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Danielle Serdachny, Theresa Schafzahl, Gabrielle David, Lexie Adzija, Lily Delianedis and Emma Nuutinen are all signed for next season.
Carpenter remains the centerpiece after signing a three-year contract through 2028-29. Gosling, who tied Carpenter for the team scoring lead last season, signed through 2027-28. Grant-Mentis and Serdachny also return after Seattle retained them during the expansion process.
Schafzahl and David provide additional experience after joining Seattle during the inaugural season, while Adzija and Delianedis return on one-year deals. Nuutinen is the main outside addition to the forward group.
The Torrent still have offense to replace. Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka both left during expansion, removing two of the most prominent forwards from Seattle’s inaugural roster. Carpenter and Gosling remain at the top of the depth chart, but the team will need more consistent scoring from the rest of the lineup after finishing last in the standings.
Seattle used three of its six draft picks on forwards. Abbey Murphy went second overall, followed by Emerson Jarvis at No. 26 and Grace Elliott at No. 38. All three remain unsigned as of July 27.
There is room for at least some of that group to make the roster if they sign. Until then, Seattle has nine contracted forwards and several openings left to fill.
Front Office
Seattle also enters its second season with a new head coach.
The team prompted Christine Bumstead in June after serving as an assistant during the team’s inaugural season. She replaces Steve O’Rourke, who parted ways with the organization after one year. The promotion gives Seattle some continuity behind the bench while placing Bumstead in her first PWHL head-coaching role.
The Torrent added Stefanie McKeough as an assistant coach in July. McKeough previously worked as an assistant in Boston and joins a staff that will be responsible for establishing new roles after the roster turnover.
Player departures
Seattle lost several players through expansion, free agency and other offseason movement. The most significant departures include Knight, Bilka, Barnes and Schroeder, but the turnover extended beyond those four.
Jenna Buglioni, Mariah Keopple, Megan Carter, Natalie Snodgrass, Brooke Bryant, Jada Habisch and Sydney Langseth are also no longer part of the roster.
The Torrent also have two players from last season listed with expiring contracts: Marah Wagner and Emily Zumwinkle.
How many draft picks sign will determine how much additional work general manager Meghan Turner has left before camp. Seattle could address nearly all of its current openings by signing the full class, but until the team finalizes those signings, the roster remains incomplete.
Overall, the Torrent have the core of their second-season roster in place, but they are not finished. The next steps are relatively clear. The Torrent need to add players throughout the lineup, settle the goaltending hierarchy and determine how much of the draft class will be available this season. Until then, Seattle’s roster is best viewed as a framework rather than a finished product.
