Lou Orlando
Phase 1 of the PWHL’s 2026 expansion process showcased how much organizations value goaltending. Seven of the League’s eight existing teams included a goalie on their three-player protection lists submitted Wednesday afternoon. The New York Sirens were the lone exception. General manager Pascal Daoust protected forwards Sarah Fillier, Kristyna Kaltounkova, and Casey O’Brien, leaving starting goalie Kayle Osborne exposed ahead of Phase 2.
It was hardly an easy decision for Daoust, who drafted Osborne in the fifth-round (No. 28 overall) in 2024. The Colgate University product blossomed into a full-time PWHL starter in 2025-26, starting 27 of 30 games and finishing third in the League in shutouts (three) and minutes played (1,579:17). Her stellar play in net in the first half helped propel the Sirens into a playoff spot entering February’s Olympic break.
“I mean, no doubt that Kayle was part of the players that we’re trying to protect — and so many others, to be honest,” Daoust said Thursday. “And as you mentioned, there was a lot of care around the goalies across the League.”
Ultimately, though, New York wasn’t willing to gamble with one of its star forwards, especially as the organization looks to build around a newly established young core.
Fillier boasts a historic scoring pace through her first two PWHL seasons, trailing only Marie-Philip Poulin for the League’s all-time points-per-game record. Kaltounkova emerged as one of the PWHL’s premier finishers, recording 11 goals in just 21 games as a rookie in 2025-26. O’Brien, a Rookie of the Year finalist, led all first-year players with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) as New York’s top-line center.
Losing any of the three would leave a significant void in a Sirens offense already short on scoring depth.
“To let go any of these three franchise offensive players, it was hard for us not to protect them,” Daoust explained. “We thought that having three great offensive players could help us at beating the other goalies that are going to be protected, so that’s the strategy that we decided to aim at. We’ll see what’s going to happen.”
New York can protect three more players in Phase 3, which begins June 10, but it is highly unlikely Osborne remains unsigned by then. Expansion teams will likely prioritize goaltending in Phase 2, and with so few starting-caliber options available, the 24-year-old figures to be in high demand.
Sirens leaning into offensive ‘identity’ with protection list
Osborne’s expected departure could place the Sirens in a bind next season, though it’s hard to fault them for sticking with their top three skaters. The PWHL isn’t overflowing with elite offensive talent, but New York appears to have found three cornerstone players — all through the draft, no less.
The Sirens landed the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 and 2025 — a byproduct of consecutive last-place finishes — selecting Fillier and Kaltounkova, respectively. O’Brien joined them at No. 3 overall in 2025 after New York acquired the pick in a trade with the Toronto Sceptres.
All three made an immediate impact, reshaping the Sirens’ offense with a heavy dose of speed and skill.
“We’ve decided to be aligned with the style of play that we have,” said Daoust. “We were a team that was tough to play against because we like to play the puck, we like to build plays with the puck. We are an exciting team.”
Exciting is an apt descriptor for a New York team that had no problem generating chances in 2025-26, even if the results weren’t there. The Sirens fired the second-most shots on net last season and scored 63 goals, second-worst in the PWHL. They led the League in expected goals for and Grade-A chances, according to private metrics.
Daoust believes offense can be a strength in 2026-27 — and he sees Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O’Brien as the key to unlocking that success.
“We know that we’re going to create still a lot of offense,” Daoust stated. “In a league of 12, to have the privilege to get three very good, very strong offensive players to build with, it’s going to show on the ice.”
“It’s going to be tons of fun for our fans to watch, and it’s going to be a ton of fun for us to keep our identity and to play fast and to play the puck.”
If the plan is to lean on offense next season, protecting Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O’Brien is about as good a start as the Sirens could draw up.
