The dust has settled on Phase One of the PWHL Expansion Process and the decisions made by the Seattle Torrent have left many fans confused and worried!

Going into Phase One, my money was on Hilary Knight, Hannah Bilka, and Hannah Murphy to be the three players protected by the Torrent Front Office. One is an established legend of the game, one is a star-in-the-making, and the last is the potential franchise goaltender for the foreseeable future. I went 1/3, but I’m not upset.

The Alex Carpenter signing is great, especially for three years! I figured it would be a coin-toss between her and Knight, but you can’t be mad that General Manager Meghan Turner (GMMT) kept the team’s top producer (have you seen those faceoff stats?!). Plus, we wouldn’t dare split her and the otters that call the Seattle Aquarium home!

Goalies appeared to be at a premium in Phase One and I’m really glad we went with Murphy over Corinne Schroeder. Both were great, but Murphy is young, hung in there for many tough games, and quickly became a fan favorite!

Anna Wilgren is an unexpected but interesting choice. Former HC Steve O’Rourke said that the coaching staff noticed a real change in Wilgren after she failed to crack the Olympic roster, so seeing that confidence in her abilities through this selection gives me hope from GMMT and crew!

Leaving Knight and Bilka exposed definitely raised eyebrows, but have no fear! Just because they’re exposed doesn’t mean they’re gone!

In Phase Two, each of the four expansion teams will hand out one binding Expansion Foundational Offer (EFO), which is a contract designed to establish a cornerstone member of the team. These contracts must be accepted. Expansion teams will also extend Foundational Player Offers (FPO) to players on their previously submitted negotiation list. These contracts can be accepted or declined, but are only available to players on expiring contracts. Bilka is still signed for one more season, so she would not qualify for an FPO.

Looking at the protection lists, there is still some top-level talent available to the expansion teams. Captains like Blayre Turnbull and Kendall Coyne Schofield. Impact players like Alina Müller and Abby Roque. If PWHL Hamilton doesn’t give Daryl Watts an EFO with a big red bow, what are we doing here?

Hilary Knight said that she wants to play 1-2 more seasons in Seattle. Yes, she brings legacy and name value to the new teams, but would an expansion team want to go all-in on someone with limited playing time remaining? Maybe, but I’m not so sure.

Hannah Bilka is a very talented, young player with a bright future, but would she unseat one of the previously named available players as a face of the franchise? I (selfishly) hope not.

The key to those FPOs is that they leave the choice up to the player. If Knight and Bilka want to continue playing in Seattle and GMMT wants them as part of her plan, they can choose to do so.

There are still a million plates spinning or chainsaws being juggled or whatever metaphor you want to use with five Phases still remaining.

So let’s cross our fingers and hope our stars want to stay.