Last year, it was the Original Six teams who were battling with the prospect of who to protect and who to possibly lose to the Vancouver Goldeneyes. Now, it’s the Goldeneyes’ turn to face that decision.
As details have emerged around the expansion process for 2026-27, there is a priority around player determination, rather than their futures being left up to chance. And yet, there are still a myriad of questions and possibilities to consider.
In Phase 1, the Vancouver Goldeneyes will have the opportunity to shield three players from the expansion process. These three players can either be players they will protect (players under contract) or players they will re-sign (unrestricted free agents). The three players the Goldeneyes shield are unable to be signed by existing teams or taken by expansion franchises.
Despite a disappointing season, there is no shortage of talent on the roster. Let’s take a look at potential protection options and some of the major decisions ahead for the Goldeneyes.
Three Potential Protections
Sophie Jaques
It’s hard to argue against the value that Sophie Jaques has brought to the Goldeneyes this season. From an offensive standpoint, she led the team in both goals and points, and was second in assists only to Claire Thompson. For a team where goals were quite difficult to come by, her offensive power was much needed. From a defensive standpoint, she was third on the team in blocked shots, and regularly logged the most minutes of any player in each game as a top-line defender.
For a player who was left unprotected in last year’s expansion draft, Jaques’s value has only gotten better each season she’s been in the PWHL. This season, she became the first defender to reach 50 points in her career. She was a crucial piece of any success the Goldeneyes had last season, and should be a top priority to build the team around.
Jaques is currently signed through the 2027-28 season and made $85,000 this past season.
Sarah Nurse
Sarah Nurse’s impact on the Vancouver Goldeneyes was highlighted most by her absence. The forward missed 11 games to start the season, eight of which were losses for the Goldeneyes. Despite missing that time, she had 15 points on the season, enough for fifth on the team. Her nine goals were tied for the most among Goldeneyes players.
The Goldeneyes didn’t have a very strong season in the faceoff dot, but Nurse’s 397 faceoffs were tied for the most on the team, and she was one of the only centres with over 50% in the dot. Coach Idalski said he hadn’t expected just how much her being out of the lineup would impact the team, and that just having her back on the bench was a huge boost for the team.
A member of the leadership group, Nurse is beloved in Vancouver, both by her teammates and by the fans. But, she wouldn’t say for sure that she wanted to return to the Goldeneyes next season. At the one-year anniversary of the Goldeneyes joining the PWHL, Nurse said she has loved her time in Vancouver but that there was a lot to consider going into next season. On exit day, she told media that expansion information would help her to decide if she wanted to re-sign in Vancouver.
Nurse is from Hamilton, Ontario, the location of one of the new expansion teams for 2026-27. If she wants to return home, there may not be much the Goldeneyes can do to keep her around. That being said, if she has shown an interest in staying in Vancouver, getting her signed before Phase 2 will be crucial for the team. She could very well be a target for the new Executive Franchise Offer option for unrestricted free agents, as her worth across the league is very well known. And that $100,000 minimum signing offer could look very good for a player like Nurse, who was only making $85,000 this past season.
If they aren’t able to get a deal done with her in Phase 1, one of the honourable mentions below could be a good substitute for this protection list. That being said, losing Nurse would be a huge blow for the Goldeneyes and for the fans.
Emerance Maschmeyer
One of the strongest aspects of the Goldeneyes season was goaltending. When the Goldeneyes came out of the expansion period with both Emerance Maschmeyer and Kristen Campbell, they set the team up with one of the top goaltending duos in the league. They didn’t split the games equally, but both goaltenders had strong seasons.
Down the stretch, Emerance Maschmeyer was given the majority of the starts, cementing her place as 1A of the goaltending duo. Despite facing injury this season, Maschmeyer started five more games than Campbell. She finished the season with a 2.57 goals against average and a 0.916 save percentage. While her numbers this season didn’t set her up for any awards, she was in the net for seven of the nine Goldeneyes wins this season.
Having two strong goalies puts the Goldeneyes in a position to likely lose one to expansion. Maschmeyer, a two-time Olympic medalist, is sure to get some looks from expansion franchises as they build towards a solid future. Getting ahead of that by protecting her would be a smart decision for the Goldeneyes.
Maschmeyer will be a free agent in the 2027-28 season and made $90,000 this last season.
Honourable mentions:
Izzy Daniel
Izzy Daniel was one of the biggest positive surprises for the Goldeneyes this season. The Patty Kazmaier winner spent her first season in the league stuck in the bottom six with the Toronto Sceptres and only managed to put up seven points. She started to come into her own through the first two months of the season. Daniel finished the season with 10 points. Both Cara Gardner-Morey and Brian Idalski thought she was the most underrated player this year and were pleasantly surprised by how invested she was in developing as a player. She could easily be a piece that the Goldeneyes build around as the team enters its sophomore season.
Still, compared to Jaques or Nurse, I don’t see her as being quite as high on the list for expansion teams in the first round. The Goldeneyes may be able to hold onto her without re-signing her right away.
Contract details: Signed through 2026-27, made $41,271 in 2025-26
Jennifer Gardiner
Unlike some other players who danced around their futures in Vancouver, Jenn Gardiner made it clear that she’d love to stay. During the exit day press conference, Gardiner told the media that she would love to win a Walter Cup with the Goldeneyes. And she’s the type of player that Vancouver could build around in future seasons.
In her sophomore season, Gardiner improved her rookie season numbers, even without playing on a lineup with Poulin and Stacey. She scored four more goals this season than in 2024-25 and led Goldeneyes forwards in points. At just 24 years old, she’s got a bright future ahead of her in this league.
Contract details: Free agent, made $50,000 in 2025-26
Claire Thompson
Thompson’s place in the PWHL as a whole is a mystery going into the 2026-27 season. She has said that she will be taking time this off-season to determine if she’ll go back to school or if she’ll stay in the league. The team will also have to weigh how Thompson and Jaques may fit in around their first overall pick, with all signs pointing to Caroline Harvey—another offensive defender—likely joining the team. Does Harvey soften the blow of losing Thompson? Only they can decide that.
With those unknowns in mind, it’s difficult to say if the team should protect her or not. If she does plan to return to the PWHL next season, she should absolutely be a priority for the team to hold onto her and re-sign her in Phase 1. If her position on the team is still solid with Harvey being drafted, they may want to prioritize her over Maschmeyer.
Contract Details: Free agent, made $82,500 in 2025-26.
Kristen Campbell
As I mentioned earlier, it should be a priority for the Goldeneyes to hold onto at least one of their goaltenders this off-season. Despite Maschmeyer’s injury this past season, Campbell still played fewer games and didn’t get any starts down the stretch as the team pushed for a playoff spot. Keeping both goaltenders would be the best-case scenario for the Goldeneyes, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to protect two goalies when you only have three slots.
Contract details: Signed through 2026-27, made $69,872 in 2025-26.
Phase 1 of expansion will begin on June 1.