The Vancouver Goldeneyes are five players stronger after the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft on Wednesday. The biggest story coming into the draft for the team was the first overall pick, a pick they earned from winning the Gold Plan. Caroline Harvey was the likely choice to go first overall, but there was still some discussion about Abbey Murphy or Laila Edwards moving up into that first spot.
The Goldeneyes went with Caroline Harvey first overall, ticking off another milestone in her career so far. She’s joined by Thea Johansson, Jules Constantinople, Katie DeSa, and Ashley Messier as the newest players heading to Vancouver. But why? Let’s break it down.
Caroline Harvey, D, University of Wisconsin
There has been so much written and said about Caroline “KK” Harvey that I’ll give some space for the other draft picks in this article. Still, it’s hard not to talk about her when she’s the face of the Vancouver Goldeneyes franchise, and, if all goes according to plan, will be for a very long time.
The best way I’ve seen her game described is by The Ice Garden‘s own Giselle Velazquez in last year’s Top 25 under 25 series, where Harvey ranked fifth: “An intelligent, skillful, and tenacious player, Harvey is both a veteran of the sport and someone who still has the potential to grow, all in stunning fashion.”
With so much accomplished in her incredibly young career, the Walter Cup is the next step on that trajectory, and Goldeneyes fans will be very happy to see her accomplish that in Vancouver.
Thea Johansson, F, University of Minnesota-Duluth
The Vancouver Goldeneyes selected Thea Johansson with their second-round pick in the PWHL Entry Draft. The pick, 17th overall, was slightly lower than their original selection option (13th) and came from a trade that saw Abby Boreen return to Vancouver from Las Vegas.
“It’s such an honour,” Johansson said when asked about joining the Goldeneyes in the post-draft press conference. “I’m super excited, and it will be so much fun, and, yeah, just can’t wait for the season to start.”
Johansson, a Swedish national team forward and former SDHL player, started her collegiate career at Mercyhurst before transferring to UMD for her final season. She’s known for her skating skills and her speed and can score goals, which is something that the Goldeneyes certainly need.
“I’m a fast, big player,” Johansson said when asked about her type of play in the post-draft presser, “I love the physical game, just fun and speedy.”
In her final NCAA season, Johansson scored seventeen goals and picked up six assists in 30 games. The Goldeneyes can absolutely use someone who shoots first and passes second. Barring a bad training camp or off-season acquisition, I expect we’ll see Johansson suit up on the second or third line and work her way up to playing on the top line.
Johansson also brings international experience, including playing at the Olympics this past season, where she was a point-per-game player and tied Hannah Bilka and Alina Müller for the tournament scoring lead. Contributing this impressively at an Olympic level is a good sign, as she faced off against some of the same players she’ll see on the ice this season.
Jules Constantinople, D, Northeastern University
With their third pick in the draft, the Vancouver Goldeneyes selected defender Jules Constantinople from Northeastern University. She was the top-ranked defender coming out of Hockey East in The Ice Garden‘s draft coverage.
An offensive defender, Constantinople put up 17 points in her final season at Northeastern. She’ll fit in well in Vancouver as a scoring defender, but also as a shot blocker. The defender led Hockey East in shot blocks this last season.
“Part of my game is that I’m a defenseman who likes to block shots,” Constantinople said in the post-draft press conference, “But I do like to get under people’s skin, so you’ll see that a lot. I love to just bring the energy, and I hope I can do that to the fan base in Vancouver.”
Although she often ran into penalty trouble from this physical nature in the NCAA, her physical presence will be welcomed in the PWHL and can add some strength and toughness for the Goldeneyes. If she impresses in training camp, she could fill the gap of Jobst-Smith or Thompson (potentially) leaving. I imagine she’ll start the season on the third pairing.
Katie DeSa, G, Penn State
With the 37th pick in the draft, the Vancouver Goldeneyes selected goaltender Katie DeSa from Penn State. This is a confusing selection, not because DeSa isn’t good, but because the Goldeneyes have already got two solid goaltenders. The team opted to protect Emerance Maschmeyer in Phase 1 of the PWHL expansion process, and did not lose Kristen Campbell at all during expansion. Barring a trade, it seems like the Goldeneyes are locked down on goaltending for at least the next year. So, why use your fourth round pick on a goaltender?
It’s never a bad idea to think about the future, and it’s possible that conversations have gone on behind-the-scenes with either Campbell or Maschmeyer where they have expressed retiring and/or leaving the team after this season. If that’s the case, it’s good to have a solid third-string goaltender who can learn from them and then take the backup role when one of them leaves. It doesn’t get much better than learning from two Olympians.
It’s also possible that the Goldeneyes will flip either DeSa or Campbell this off-season for another player they might be looking for. Detroit currently only has one goaltender, Andrea Brandli, who went in the second round of the draft. The New York Sirens did not draft a goalie in the draft and could use one via trade.
DeSa would be a good fit either with the Goldeneyes or another team. She’s a strong goaltender who helped Penn State have a fantastic season. Her 12 shutouts were a single-season program record, and she went 16-1-0 against conference opponents.
“[Fans] can expect a really solid goalie in net,” DeSa said in the post-game press conference, “Nothing too crazy, not a lot of theatrics, hopefully just some solid play and some good saves.”
If the Goldeneyes do decide to keep her, DeSa will be a step up from the Goldeneyes’ current third-string goaltender, Kimberly Newell, who hasn’t played elite hockey since the 2021-22 season.
Ashley Messier, D, University of Minnesota-Duluth
The Vancouver Goldeneyes traded their fifth-round slot to PWHL Las Vegas in exchange for Abby Boreen, so their final pick of the draft was at the top of the sixth round. They selected Ashley Messier, a defender from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She played with the Goldeneyes’ second round pick Thea Johansson last year at UMD and with current Goldeneyes forwards Katie Chan and Izzy Daniel at Cornell.
“I’m still kind of processing right now,” Messier said after the draft, “But I’m extremely honoured grateful and excited [to join the Goldeneyes].”
Messier had a strong collegiate career at Cornell, leading the team defenders in goals as a Senior, and leading the team in blocked shots in her Junior season. She saw a drop in her production in her fifth season, transferring to UMD. In 36 games at UMD, she had seven assists.
Messier describes her game as a two-way defender: “I’m reliable defensively, but I also chip into the offense. I’m a good skater, good first pass out of the zone.” The Goldeneyes could really use a strong stay-at-home defender to compliment Ashton Bell and balance out the offensive defenders.
The Goldeneyes final draft pick from last season, Chanreet Bassi, did not make the team out of training camp. With the chemistry that Messier has with some current Goldeneyes players, she could see a role with the team if she has a good training camp.
