Sirens Prioritized Scoring Depth in Phase 1 of Expansion Distribution Process

For the second straight season, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is expanding. The league started in 2024 with six teams: New York Sirens, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Ottawa Charge, Montreal Victoire, and Toronto Sceptres. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, the PWHL expanded to eight teams, with the introduction of the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes. 

In the 2026-27 season, the league will jump from eight teams to 12 with the additions of PWHL Detroit, PWHL Hamilton, PWHL Las Vegas, and PWHL San Jose. With four teams joining the league, the PWHL can’t use the same process for building rosters.

This expansion process will have six phases, and phase one just commenced with each of the eight existing teams selecting three players under contract for next season to protect. Here’s a look at the three players the New York Sirens chose to protect.

Sirens Protected Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O’Brien 

The Sirens protected three forwards: Sarah Fillier, Kristyna Kaltounkova, and Casey O’Brien. Both Fillier and Kaltounkova are already signed for at least the upcoming season, but O’Brien received a qualifying offer, and her signing rights are protected. 

All three players were first-round draft picks in the last two PWHL Drafts. Fillier was the first overall selection in 2024. Kaltounkova was the first overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Entry Draft. In a surprising move, the Sirens traded defender Ella Shelton to the Sceptres in exchange for the third overall pick, with which they selected O’Brien. 

What These Three Bring to the Sirens

The Sirens have built a young core, and with Fillier, Kaltounkova, and O’Brien, they now have a strong depth-scoring core. Fillier had a strong start to her PWHL career. In 2024-25, she scored 29 points in 30 games to lead the team, and she tied Hilary Knight for the most points in the league. Fillier was then named Rookie of the Year in 2025. 

In the 2025-26 season, Fillier again led the Sirens in points with 23 in 29 games. However, O’Brien was hot on her heels, recording 22 points in 28 games. In her first seven games, she tallied just two assists, but on Dec. 28, O’Brien scored her first PWHL goal and ended the contest with a hat trick.

Right behind both Fillier and O’Brien was Kaltounkova. She played 21 games before her season was cut short due to a lower-body injury, recording 12 points, including 11 goals. Her scoring ability was second to none, and she will be another great offensive threat for the Sirens when she returns healthy for next season.  

Fillier is about to enter her third PWHL season, while Kaltounkova and O’Brien are about to enter their second. All three players are proven goal scorers with a high hockey IQ. By protecting Fillier, who is an alternate captain, the Sirens are keeping their leadership group intact.

Both captain Micah Zandee-Hart and alternate captain Jaime Bourbonnais are under contract, so they cannot be signed during Phase 2. The chances of protecting one or both of these players in Phase 3 are high. 

Next Up: Phase 2

While Phase 1 allowed the existing eight teams to protect players, Phase 2 will see the expansion teams sign their first players. This phase will last from June 5 until June 8, and each new team is expected to sign their first five players.

Each expansion team is allowed to give out one expansion foundational offer (EFO), which will allow them to add a strong player as a cornerstone of their inaugural season. If a player receives an EFO, they are allowed to choose the contract length, between one and four seasons. Each existing team can only lose three players during this phase.