Lou Orlando
The New York Sirens’ roster for the 2026-27 season is taking shape. General manager Pascal Daoust addressed a glaring need in net with the signing of veteran free agent Elaine Chuli and retained eight players from the 2025-26 roster during Phase 5’s exclusive team re-signing period.
Four of the eight returning players were unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Defenders Lauren Bernard and Nicole Vallario each signed two-year contracts. Forwards Denisa Křížová and Clair DeGeorge both agreed to one-year deals after joining the club midseason.
Rookies Anna Bargman, Dayle Ross, Callie Shanahan, and Kaley Doyle all agreed to terms after entering the offseason as restricted free agents (RFAs). Bargman and Shanahan were extended through 2027-26; Ross and Doyle are locked in through 2026-27.
The Sirens now have 17 players under contract. According to Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News, the PWHL will cap pre-training camp roster signings at 19 players. New York still has seven unsigned players: star center Casey O’Brien and all six members of its 2026 PWHL draft class.
Chuli joins the team on a two-year contract as New York’s lone addition in Phase 6 of expansion, an open negotiation period that functions as traditional free agency. She will contend for starting duties in 2026-27 after spending her first three PWHL seasons as a backup with the Montreal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres. Her 27 games played rank 11th all-time among PWHL goalies. She owns a 13-12 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.31 goals-against average (GAA).
Why Elaine Chuli makes sense for Sirens
Daoust had ample opportunities to select a goalie in the 2026 PWHL Draft. He chose not to, instead opting for a more experienced netminder in free agency. Signing Chuli doesn’t guarantee the Sirens will have a quality starter next season — but it was likely the safest path given the circumstances.
Following the departure of starter Kayle Osborne, who signed a three-year contract with PWHL Hamilton after being left unprotected in Phase 1, New York’s goaltending situation is shrouded in uncertainty. Shanahan and Doyle return for 2026-27 with four PWHL appearances between them.
Shanahan accounted for all four, making three starts and relieving Osborne midway through the second period of a 4-1 loss to Montreal. Doyle dressed for five games but did not play.
Chuli’s performance has declined in each season since 2024, but she brings something that neither Shanahan nor Doyle possesses — extensive professional experience. The Ontario native started 42 of 50 games for the Toronto Six in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) across three seasons from 2021-23. She earned Goaltender of the Year honors in 2021-22 and helped Toronto win the Isobel Cup in 2023. The PWHL is a step up from the PHF in terms of competition, but Chuli remains a capable option in net.
It’s certainly not a flashy move, nor is it one that significantly raises New York’s ceiling. In 2025-26, Chuli ranked last in even-strength save percentage (.888) among goalies with multiple games played. She’ll be 32 in 2026-27 and three years removed from her PWHL peak in 2024, when she posted a 1.61 GAA and .949 save percentage in eight games backing up Ann-Renée Desbiens in Montreal.
Instead, it gives the Sirens a stable foundation between the pipes, something they likely wouldn’t have had with a goalie room led by Shanahan and Doyle. Chuli has good feet and sound technique. Coach Greg Fargo shouldn’t have to worry about starting her 15 to 20 times next season.
The Sirens could have rolled the dice on a rookie in the draft, but it would have left them with a mountain of questions in net. That’s a gamble worth taking for a player like Andrea Brändli, who enters the PWHL at age 29 with an impressive professional résumé. But acquiring the Swiss Olympian would have required selecting her No. 7 overall, or at least ahead of PWHL Detroit, which took her No. 15 overall with its inaugural pick.
By draft day, Brändli was arguably the best goalie available, including those on the free-agent market. Still, New York may be better off pairing a first-round talent like Emma Peschel with a veteran in Chuli than spending a premium pick to land a goalie with greater upside.
If the Sirens are going to bank on a young goalie taking big strides, they seem more comfortable placing that bet on someone already in their system. Shanahan joined Osborne as the highest-drafted goalie in team history after Daoust selected her No. 28 overall in 2025. Only two goaltenders — Brändli and UConn’s Tia Chan (No. 28 overall) — were drafted at No. 28 or higher in 2026.
Shanahan’s game needs fine-tuning, but her size and athleticism give her a chance to develop into a more-than-serviceable pro. Chuli will likely enter the season as New York’s No. 1 goalie, but Shanahan appears poised for a larger workload — and might even seize the reins if her play warrants it.
Křížová and DeGeorge ‘fit’ imperfect forward room
There isn’t a ton of offensive firepower in New York’s forward group beyond Sarah Fillier, Kristyna Kaltounkova, and O’Brien. Expansion hit the Sirens hard, with Anne Cherkowski, Maddi Wheeler, Kristin O’Neill, and Taylor Girard all departing for new teams this offseason.
Cherkowski was a regular on the top line, and Wheeler made a consistent impact with her two-way play. O’Neill took on key defensive assignments and excelled in the faceoff dot. Girard finished third on the team with seven goals, despite only appearing in 17 games. None will be easy to replace.
But with so many holes to fill, bringing back Křížová and DeGeorge for 2026-27 is a step in the right direction.
“We really had a good opportunity to appreciate not only who they are, but what they can bring,” Daoust noted at exit day in April. “It’s been great seeing them skills-wise and talent-wise, for sure, but also it’s important — for us, for the culture — with who we’re building. They definitely are people that would fit in that locker room.”
The Sirens acquired Křížová at the 2025 PWHL trade deadline, hoping the 31-year-old Czech forward could help fuel a late-season playoff push. The team fell short, but Křížová proved a worthwhile addition. She isn’t a high-end scorer, averaging roughly a point every four games over her three-year PWHL career. Still, she’s a reliable middle-six forward who can jump onto the top line if needed. A gritty veteran who can play on both special teams, she fits New York’s system and elevates the floor of this forward group. It doesn’t hurt that she’s the only member of the Sirens roster with any PWHL championship experience, winning the Walter Cup twice with the Minnesota Frost.
DeGeorge was a sharp find by Daoust. The 27-year-old averaged just 2:23 of ice time in 17 games under Troy Ryan in Toronto, a steep drop from her previous stints in Minnesota and Montreal. The Sceptres released her on March 18, and the Sirens promptly signed her, adding needed depth in the wake of Girard’s season-ending knee injury.
She spent the rest of the season as New York’s third-line center, averaging nearly 11 minutes per game in an expanded role. She doesn’t use her 5-foot-11 frame as much as she could, but she is an active forechecker who excels at creating pressure in the offensive zone. The Sirens might have the luxury of deploying her as a fourth-line center in 2026-27, given their current depth down the middle.
Of course, this forward group isn’t without flaws. New York has a collection of players who skate well and fit Fargo’s aggressive system. Outside of the rookies, each has proven to be a capable PWHL talent. Questions remain about the scoring depth, though.
Returners like Paetyn Levis and Elle Hartje may need to take a step offensively to vault New York into playoff contention, and once again, the club will need to lean on rookie talent in significant offensive roles. Elisa Holopainen (No. 19 overall) and Carina DiAntonio (No. 31 overall) have intriguing profiles, but neither carries the same pedigree that Kaltounkova, O’Brien, or even Cherkowski did in 2025-26.
Barring any big leaps from the rest of this core, that’s going to place a lot of pressure on Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O’Brien to produce.
Sirens boast deep D-corps after returning Vallario, Bernard
The Sirens’ defensive corps doesn’t rival the high-end star power of the forwards, but it’s still shaping up to be their strongest position group next season.
New York ranked among the League’s best in expected goals allowed and surrendered the second-fewest shots on goal from the low slot last season. The majority of that group returns in 2026-27 with a chance to improve further if the young talent continues to develop.
The lone departure is Allyson Simpson, who signed with PWHL Hamilton in Phase 4 after being left off New York’s six-player protection list. A former third-round pick (No. 16 overall), Simpson was a staple in the top four and a regular on the second power-play unit. But New York replaces her with its No. 7 overall pick, Peschel, widely considered one of the top defensive prospects in her class. Physical and pro-ready, she also shoots left, so Fargo shouldn’t have to play alternate captain Jaime Bourbonnais on her off-side as much in 2026-27.
St. Cloud State’s Grace Wolfe (No. 55 overall) joins the squad to add some depth, but the real appeal is simply keeping this group intact.
Maja Nylen Persson is on track to become an ultra-reliable two-way defender. Vallario stepped into a bottom-pair role as an undrafted rookie and flashed some offensive upside. Micah Zandee-Hart and Bourbonnais give this largely young group a calming veteran touch.
There’s hope that Dayle Ross can take a step forward in 2026-27 after a challenging rookie campaign. The former fourth-round pick (No. 25 overall) played through a torn ACL during her senior season at St. Cloud State and struggled to make an impact in the PWHL following surgery in March 2025. Lauded for her tough defensive game and strong skating, there’s a lot more to Ross’ game than she showed in 2025-26. A fully healthy offseason could unlock another weapon for New York on the backend.
Chuli might be Sirens’ only addition until training camp
Don’t be surprised if the Sirens refrain from any other moves in free agency after signing Chuli to fill their final goalie spot. Daoust only added one free agent last season — former Ottawa Charge defender Jincy Roese — and may not be inclined to bring in another with a roster crunch looming.
O’Brien doesn’t count toward New York’s signed contracts after receiving a qualifying offer in Phase 1, but all signs point to her finalizing an extension this offseason. That would leave the Sirens with 18 players under contract and all six members of their 2026 draft class still unsigned. New York could fit all six onto its opening day roster if the PWHL expands its active roster to 24 — something the League is considering, according to Kennedy.
But that doesn’t factor in any potential training camp invites. The Sirens will surely evaluate additional players in November, either from the remaining free-agent pool or undrafted rookies. Vallario earned a roster spot as a camp invite last season and proved a valuable addition. Even with an expanded league, there is going to be talent available that could beat out one of the Sirens’ drafted rookies for a roster spot.
The majority of players left in free agency are bottom-six skaters or bottom-pair defenders — roles the Sirens already have in abundance. O’Brien and Peschel are far more likely to fill New York’s last two pre-training camp roster slots than anyone else left on the board.
