It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks in the PWHL, with the expansion process, the draft and free agency. There’s been plenty of movement across the league as teams fill their rosters for next season. With that said, there are still several high-value free agents tentatively available to sign.
Two caveats here before we dive into the list:
- We don’t know any of these players’ personal situations, health situations, etc. (Unfortunately or fortunately, I am not a mind-reader.) There could be specific reasons they haven’t signed anywhere yet that we aren’t privy to.
- It’s possible that any or all of these players could already be signed, if the PWHL is still working through a backlog of free agency signings. For all I know, half of them could be signed and announced as soon as I hit publish. That’s the way she goes.
Free agents in this context could mean a number of things. For today, let’s focus solely on players with previous PWHL experience. This is by no means an exhaustive list. (Also, we’ll talk about some high-profile undrafted free agents another time.)
Kendall Coyne Schofield
Kendall Coyne Schofield captained the Minnesota Frost this past season. The 34-year-old averaged a point per game, with 12 goals and 11 assists in 23 games. She was eighth on the team in scoring. She missed part of the season after suffering an upper-body injury at the Olympics, but returned in late March. The forward also had two points in five playoff games.
Coyne Schofield was among the highest-paid players in the PWHL in the 2025-26 season, earning $100,785.50. She brings a wealth of experience and leadership, including with the national team, and that understandably doesn’t come cheap.
Claire Thompson
Claire Thompson finished the season fourth on the Vancouver Goldeneyes in scoring, with 17 points in 28 games. She led the team with 13 assists and also had 38 blocked shots. Additionally, the defender had four points in seven Olympic games with Team Canada.
Thompson earned $82,500 this past season.
The 28-year-old has completed two years of medical school at NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine. She put her studies on hold to join the PWHL. It’s unclear at this point what her plans are for next season, but if she’s planning to suit up, she’s worth signing.
Anna Kjellbin
The Toronto Sceptres have been decimated by free agency and the expansion process, but they have yet to re-sign defender Anna Kjellbin. The 32-year-old appeared in all 30 games last season and averaged almost 12 minutes of ice time per game. Kjellbin also appeared in 16 games internationally for Sweden, including seven at the Olympics.
She earned just over league minimum this past season at $37,200.
Sandra Abstreiter
Sandra Abstreiter is likely the top PWHL free agent goaltender still left on the market. Though she didn’t see much action this season, it’s by no fault of her own. That’s just an unfortunate side effect when you’re playing alongside a powerhouse like Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Abstreiter appeared in five games for the Montréal Victoire, going 3-2-0. She had a 2.62 GAA and .905 save percentage. Additionally, she appeared in five games for Germany at the Olympics and put up similar numbers (3-2-0, 2.59 GAA, .907 save percentage).
This past season, the 27-year-old earned just over league minimum at $37,132. Word has it that she’s already set to receive a camp invite from a team, so it may just be a formality at this point due to roster constraints that’s left her unsigned.
Savannah Norcross
Savannah Norcross is a serviceable bottom-six forward who returned to the PWHL this past season after a stint in the SDHL. She put up two points in 23 games with the Sirens.
Prior to that, Norcross had 18 points in 13 games in the 2024-25 season with Luleå. She earned $40,000 this past season.
