Lou Orlando
The first phase of the PWHL’s revamped expansion system concluded at 5 p.m. EST Wednesday, and the New York Sirens’ three-player protection list didn’t include any surprises. New York protected its top forward trio of Sarah Fillier, Kristyna Kaltounkova, and Casey O’Brien, marking them safe for the remainder of the six-phase expansion process.
O’Brien, a restricted free agent (RFA), received a qualifying offer from the Sirens to keep her rights protected by the organization.
It was the expected decision by general manager Pascal Daoust. Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O’Brien accounted for 38 percent of New York’s goals and 35 percent of its points in 2025-26. Daoust drafted Fillier and Kaltounkova with consecutive No. 1 overall picks and took O’Brien No. 3 overall in 2025 after acquiring the pick in a trade with the Toronto Sceptres for star defender Ella Shelton.
The Sirens clearly valued all three and were unwilling to entertain the prospect of losing one of their star forwards this offseason.
The action heats up Friday, when expansion teams can begin signing unprotected players. Each will add five players by the end of Phase 2 on June 8.
Sirens poised to avoid major damage in Phase 2
Every existing PWHL team will lose key players to expansion this summer. There’s no way around it. But the Sirens are better positioned than most to survive Phase 2 without expansion teams completely ransacking their top remaining talent.
The most powerful tool in the pockets of expansion teams is an Expansion Foundational Offer (EFO), a binding contract with a minimum salary of $100,000 that unprotected players cannot decline. Expansion teams can only offer this to players on expiring contracts; fortunately for New York, the majority of its most desired assets are under contract in 2026-27, leaving them ineligible. Current Sirens eligible for an EFO — such as Kristin O’Neill and Taylor Girard — likely won’t command such an offer amid a deep crop of unprotected free agents.
Speaking of, that highly talented player pool is another thing working in their favor.
New York’s roster has its fair share of valuable pieces, but only Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O’Brien rise to the level of PWHL stars. Other teams enjoyed a larger wealth of talent in 2025-26 and subsequently faced tougher decisions in Phase 1.
Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire left first-line forward Abby Roque and Rookie of the Year finalist Nicole Gosling unprotected, among others. The Seattle Torrent didn’t include USA Olympic heroes Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka on their protection list. The Toronto Sceptres couldn’t ink a deal with star forward Daryl Watts, who now enters Phase 2 as an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Kendall Coyne Schofield, Britta Curl-Salemme, and Grace Zumwinkle will also hit the market after helping the Minnesota Frost tally a PWHL record 91 goals.
That’s just a quick snapshot of the abundance of talent that will be available, beginning Friday. In Phase 2, expansion teams can only sign unprotected players from a 20-player exclusive negotiation target list that each club will submit Thursday. It’s a system that should impact playoff contenders more than a team like New York, which finished toward the bottom of the standings.
Per PWHL rules, existing teams can lose a maximum of three contracted players in Phase 2, but the Sirens might skirt that threshold regardless.
Who’s in danger? Kayle Osborne headlines top expansion targets
That’s not to say New York will escape Phase 2 unscathed. A handful of Sirens players could conceivably depart for expansion teams this weekend, with starting goalie Kayle Osborne chief among them.
Of the PWHL’s eight incumbent teams, New York was the only club that did not protect a goaltender on its initial three-player list. Goaltending was a clear priority throughout Phase 1, and it stands to reason that the four expansion teams will make a concerted effort to lock up a goalie in Phase 2.
Ian Kennedy of The Hockey News reported Monday that Osborne is already receiving calls from teams. She’ll be a highly coveted asset this summer — and it’s not hard to see why.
Osborne started all but three games for New York in her second pro season, cementing her status as a capable PWHL starter. A strong start earned her a spot on Team Canada’s Olympic roster, and while a second-half slump hurt her final numbers, there’s plenty to like about her talent and upside. As one of four unprotected goalies with at least 10 games started in 2025-26, it’s all but certain that at least one expansion team will pursue her as a starter.
New York signed Osborne through 2027-28, making her ineligible for the binding EFO or the non-binding Foundational Player Offer (FPO). However, any expansion team that places her on its target list can offer her a new contract in Phase 2. If Osborne accepts, she would void her current deal with the Sirens. That’s an enticing option for a goaltender who earned just $39,000 in 2025-26 and remains under her rookie contract next season.
Given the circumstances, it feels all but inevitable that Osborne will sign with an expansion team before the Sirens reach a second wave of protections in Phase 3.
Swedish blue liner Maja Nylen Persson is another player who should receive offers from clubs this weekend. The 25-year-old recorded a career-high 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 2025-26, quarterbacked New York’s top power-play unit, and scored twice in the shootout — against Aerin Frankel and Corinne Schroeder, no less. A fixture next to captain Micah Zandee-Hart, Nylen Persson has developed into a reliable two-way defender who plays heavy minutes and moves the puck well.
Like Osborne, Nylen Persson is under contract in 2026-27, but after earning $54,000 last season, expansion teams have an avenue to offer her a more lucrative contract.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that rookie forwards Anne Cherkowski (No. 9 overall) and Maddi Wheeler (No. 27 overall) draw interest as well, though the current crop of unprotected forwards — which includes young talent like Bilka, Zumwinkle, and Curl-Salemme — may help them make it through Phase 2 unsigned.
Why Sirens captains should be safe from Phase 2 signings
The Sirens protected Zandee-Hart during last offseason’s expansion — a surprising move that opened the door for Schroeder and star center Alex Carpenter to sign with Seattle. They didn’t include her on their protection list this time around, but it’s no cause for concern. New York’s captain has remained steadfast in her desire to stay with the organization, and it doesn’t seem as if expansion will threaten that.
The PWHL’s revised expansion process was designed to give players more agency. It particularly benefits players on higher-salary contracts like Zandee-Hart. The 29-year-old isn’t eligible for the binding EFO and cannot be moved without her consent unless the selection process is triggered.
Zandee-Hart was the second-most expensive player on New York’s roster in 2025-26, carrying a cap hit of $94,000. The specifics of her one-year extension for 2026-27 have not been disclosed, though it does little to change the broader picture. Zandee-Hart solidified a top-pair role in New York — one that isn’t likely to change anytime soon — and has the financial security to comfortably decline any expansion offers that come her way.
It’s a much different case than Osborne, who made close to the League minimum last season and has plenty of incentive to take a pay raise. If Zandee-Hart wishes to remain in New York, she has the leverage to do so.
The same applies to alternate captain Jaime Bourbonnais, who will return next season on a one-year extension after earning $90,000 in 2025-26.
“I’m a New York Siren forever,” Bourbonnais asserted at exit day in April when confronted with the prospect of yet another expansion process. Like Zandee-Hart, she’ll be able to control her fate when it comes to any potential contract offers from expansion teams.
The only way Zandee-Hart or Bourbonnais could be taken unwillingly in Phase 2 is through the selection process, which would be triggered only if all four expansion teams fail to sign five players each. That’s a low-probability scenario to begin with, and given the current pool of unprotected players, they’d likely reach Phase 3 anyway.
