Like you, we at The Ice Garden are anxiously awaiting more information regarding the forthcoming professional league. A lot of things need to be determined before January and the regular season. Where will the six teams be? What will those teams look like? Which players will sign three-year deals? Right now, the list of questions needing answers is seemingly endless.
What we do know that the league and PWHPA met no later than 20 days after the ratification of the CBA to discuss the establishment of the inaugural draft, and presumably, future drafts. That got us thinking – what if there was a fantasy draft to build these six teams? And, if there was, who might go in the first few rounds?
Just like that, the table was set for another TIG Round Table. We asked our crew of creators to write a quick explanation of who they might take with their top pick if they were sitting behind a general manager’s desk. We asked our creators to consider the following factors for their top picks:
- Age and potential
- Position
- Marketability
So, let’s dive in and find out the player(s) we would build a team around with a three-year deal. Some of our answers might surprise you.
Megan Keller | Defender
General Manager: Mike Murphy
Truth be told, I love exercises like this. Player analysis and roster building is something I could do all day, every day with a smile on my face.
Why Keller? Keller, 27, checks off a lot of boxes for me. She’s in her prime and will remain so through the term of a three-year deal and she’s a franchise player. Moreover, she’s an elite defender who can perhaps play 30 minutes a night and offers an uncommon skill set. Keller has top-shelf offensive instincts and her size, strength, and gap control make her a suffocating top-pair defender. She’s a player you can build a blue line and an entire team around. There are a bunch of franchise forwards to build a team around – I am not sure the same can be said of defenders. That’s why I’m taking her with my top pick.
Emma Söderberg | Goaltender
General Manager: Meredith Foster
A strong team needs a strong foundation, and what better way to shore up a roster from the jump than with a world-class goaltender just entering her prime? Söderberg, 25, just wrapped up a stellar collegiate career at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where she registered a .934 save percentage over five seasons. Before coming to the NCAA she played for the SDHL’s MoDo Hockey in her native Örnsköldsvik. Söderberg repeatedly shines on the international stage for Sweden and is making a solid case for herself as Sara Grahn’s successor in the Damkronorna starter’s crease. Between the NCAA and the IIHF, Söderberg has proven that she can not only handle a heavy workload, but that she can thrive with one.
Corinne Schroeder | Goaltender
General Manager: Angelica Rodriguez
Much like Meredith, I believe in building from the net out, and the way Schroeder quickly made a name for herself on the Boston Pride was truly special. I was a bit skeptical at first, but numbers really don’t lie – three consecutive shutouts at the start of her rookie season, seven total over 22 games played, and a remarkable .955 save percentage makes her worthy of every accolade she earned (including Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year from the PHF, amongst one of the strongest goalie fields we’ve seen at the pro level). Schroeder can play major minutes, face a ridiculous number of shots, and still play at an incredible level, using every bit of her size to her advantage. And the best part? Just shy of age 24, she has plenty of time to get even better.
Sarah Nurse | Forward
General Manager: Maya Smith
Sarah Nurse is the perfect player to build a team around. She’s younger than Marie-Philip (who was my original choice, but on a three-year deal, I think you have to go a little younger), but she has a lot more experience than the younger stars like Sarah Fillier. She has seven championship medals at just 28 years old.
And, from a stats perspective, how can you go wrong with the woman who broke Hayley Wickenheiser’s Olympic record?
Even though winning is generally more important than marketing (I digress, as someone who works in marketing), Sarah Nurse may be the single most marketable player coming into the new league.
She already has a Barbie, she’s been a guest judge on Canada’s Drag Race, and — even though I am firmly in the camp that the new league does not need the NHL’s support in order to be successful — she was on the cover of NHL23 and competed in the 2023 NHL All-Star skills competition. Nurse is well-known in both the men’s and women’s side of the game, which is great for retaining old fans and bringing in new fans.
In my mind, it’s a no-brainer to sign Nurse to a three-year deal and grow your team around her.
Sophie Jaques | Defender
General Manager: Alyssa Turner
For the first time since Angela Ruggiero won it back in 2004, we saw a defender take home the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top women’s hockey player in the NCAA this past collegiate season.
At the age of 22, Jaques is a National Champion, a Two-time WCHA Defender of the Year, the 2022-23 WCHA Player of the Year, a two-time Top-3 Finalist for the Patty Kazmaier and the WCHA record holder in career goals by a defenseman. She will go down as one of the best defenders we’ve ever seen play at the collegiate level. In the last two seasons, the young blueliner had 45 goals and 72 assists for the Buckeyes. In her Patty Kaz winning season she quarterbacked the country’s best power-play where she led the NCAA with 9 power-play goals.
In her own end, she’s just as reliable and talented. Jaques had 55 blocked shots this past season and helped Ohio State hold opponents to just 1.75 goals per game. At just the young age of 22, the best years are yet to come. If you select Sophie Jaques with that first overall pick you are getting a hard-working, talented, and fierce competitor who will help foster a winning culture for years to come.
