The PWHL’s multi-phase expansion process officially started last week. And just a quarter of the way through, star players have changed teams and the power dynamics across the league have shifted.A four-day signing window for the league’s newest teams — in Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas and San Jose — to start filling out their inaugural rosters officially closed on Monday, with each team reaching five foundational players.The next step of the league’s six-phase process begins on Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET. In Phase 3, all four expansion teams will be able to sign three additional players. The PWHL’s eight existing teams will also be able to protect (and sign) three players.Before another signing window opens, let’s sort through the wreckage of the last.Toronto SceptresThe Sceptres tried to retain Daryl Watts, but the star winger had other plans, signing a historic four-year, six-figure deal with Detroit. According to general manager Gina Kingsbury, it looked like the team was close to an agreement with Watts, but when things fell apart, the organization needed to pivot. Ultimately, Toronto protected defenders Renata Fast and Ella Shelton, and goalie Raygan Kirk, whom Kingsbury called their “best assets.”Losing Watts — one of the most productive players in the league’s history — is a major hit for a Toronto team that had the worst offense in the league in 2025-26. It certainly doesn’t help that Jesse Compher, who finished third in team scoring, also signed with Detroit in Phase 2.Toronto only lost two players, but together, Watts (10) and Compher (6) represent nearly one-third of the Sceptres’ 51 goals scored last season.On a more positive note, however, it looks like the Sceptres won’t need to worry about captain Blayre Turnbull getting poached in the later phases. And when the signing window opens on Wednesday, Kingsbury could — or rather, should — take a hard run at former players Julia Gosling and Izzy Daniel, who are on expiring contracts.Vancouver GoldeneyesThe Vancouver Goldeneyes’ inaugural season fell short of expectations. But the offseason is shaping up pretty well.Vancouver will select first overall in the entry draft next week — and will most likely add a generational defender in Caroline Harvey to a core that already includes Sarah Nurse and Sophie Jaques. The team also hasn’t lost a single player to an expansion franchise (yet).That’s despite leaving forwards such as Hannah Miller, Tereza Vanisova, Izzy Daniel and Jenn Gardiner exposed, plus defender Ashton Bell. Claire Thompson was also left unprotected, but she’d been fairly transparent about only returning to hockey for two years when she made her return in 2024.Vancouver still stands to lose up to four players under contract for next season — and any number of free agents — but this was a good start. And now Cara Gardner Morey’s team is one step closer to showing the roster she built is capable of a whole lot more than they showed in Year 1.The Victoire lost Erin Ambrose, who has joined the league’s expansion team in Las Vegas. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)Montreal VictoireAs expected, Montreal’s blue line took a few big hits.First, Rookie of the Year finalist Nicole Gosling signed a three-year deal with Hamilton. Then, just before the official signing window closed, Erin Ambrose left for Las Vegas.At just 24 years old, Gosling led all Montreal blueliners in scoring this season (19 points) and logged more minutes than any other skater on the team. Ambrose, meanwhile, has been a mainstay in Montreal, playing all three PWHL seasons with the Victoire. She’s a steady veteran presence and is fifth all-time in points by a defender.The Victoire still have options with Jessica DiGirolamo and Kati Tabin under contract; they could also try to re-sign (and protect) Maggie Flaherty or Amanda Boulier during this next phase.But there’s also Abby Roque to consider. She did not get poached by an expansion team and after an excellent first season in Montreal — tied for the team lead in scoring in both the regular season and playoffs — you’d think Roque would be pretty high on Danièle Sauvageau’s priority list, especially after losing versatile forward Hayley Scamurra to Vegas as well.Ottawa ChargeThe Ottawa Charge did not offer their captain Brianne Jenner a new contract during Phase 1 or 2 and ultimately watched her walk out the door and sign with Hamilton.According to a source close to Jenner, there was no indication that an offer would be made to keep Jenner in Ottawa in any phase of expansion or free agency. And when given the chance to match or counter the offers Jenner received, the Charge declined.The losses continued from there, with rookie defender Rory Guilday signing in San Jose and fan favorite Emily Clark joining Hamilton’s elite starting five.The Charge are likely headed for a bit of a roster reset with just two players remaining from its inaugural roster in 2024 (Gabbie Hughes and Kateřina Mrázová). As such, we might see Mike Hirshfeld prioritize protecting young players such as Sarah Wozniewicz, Hughes or Fanuza Kadirova with his next three slots. The blue line, with just Ronja Savolainen and Emma Greco signed for 2026-27, also needs some serious work.New York SirensWith three young elite forwards to build around (Sarah Fillier, Casey O’Brien and Kristýna Kaltounková), New York was the only team to not protect a goaltender. So it was no surprise that Kayle Osborne — arguably the best goalie on the market — was scooped up quickly by Hamilton.In her second PWHL season, and first as the starter in New York, Osborne managed a big workload and looked like the team’s goalie of the future. Now the Sirens have a big hole to fill this offseason.What was a bit more surprising was San Jose general manager Troy Ryan scooping up three of New York’s forwards, including 2025 entry draft picks Anne Cherkowski and Maddi Wheeler. Ryan also used his lone “Expansion Foundational Offer” on Kristin O’Neill, a strong utility forward and one of Ryan’s most trusted players in his former role as coach of Team Canada.The good news for New York is they have the tough part figured out with elite forward talent. And their blue line has yet to be touched with captain Micah Zandee-Hart and Maja Nylén Persson available for protection in Phase 3.Seattle TorrentThe worst team in the league arguably got raided the most, losing two top-six forwards (Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka), a top pair defender (Cayla Barnes) and their No. 1 goalie (Corinne Schroeder).But you have to imagine general manager Meghan Turner was prepared for — if not planning on — some level of roster turnover, given the decision to protect defender Anna Wilgren and 22-year-old goalie Hannah Murphy over some of the organization’s more established stars. Protecting Alex Carpenter, one of the premier two-way centers in the world, was no surprise.In her media availability last week, Turner said it was important to balance experience with young potential, and said “we haven’t seen the best” of Wilgren and Murphy yet.“(I’m) just really excited to see how these young players can blossom and see them solidify themselves in Seattle,” she said.That the Torrent did not lose forwards Julia Gosling or Danielle Serdachny feels like a win. But there will likely be plenty of competition for the two young productive forwards in Phase 3.Boston FleetThe Fleet only suffered one expansion casualty, but it was a doozy: Alina Müller.The Swiss star forward is one of the most complete players in the women’s game and is Boston’s all-time points leader, with 56 in 80 games with the Fleet. Her 40 career assists are tied for first in league history with Minnesota’s Taylor Heise.With this next signing window, we can expect Danielle Marmer to prioritize protecting what’s left of her forward group with Jessie Eldridge, Susanna Tapani and rookie forward Abby Newhook on expiring contracts.Minnesota FrostConsidering just how much they stood to lose, the Frost are looking pretty good right now.Losing forward Britta Curl-Salemme (who finished third in league scoring) and Kendall Cooper (the team’s top-producing defender) certainly stings. The Frost also lost Mae Batherson, who had a productive sophomore season.But captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, top defender Lee Stecklein and power forward Grace Zumwinkle didn’t go anywhere in the first signing window. Nicole Hensley, the second half of Minnesota’s elite tandem, also hung around.That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re staying put for good; all four players are on expiring deals. But there’s a chance Minnesota’s core group — the one that won two straight Walter Cups and pushed the Victoire to a full five games this postseason — stays more intact than we might have thought.HamiltonLed by U.S. women’s hockey legend Meghan Duggan, Hamilton is shaping up to be one of the teams to watch next season.First, Hamilton signed Jenner, who finished fourth in league scoring this season and is a finalist for Forward of the Year. Then they locked in a starting goaltender in Osborne and a young star defender in Nicole Gosling to build around for the future. The 24-year-old Gosling was already one of the most productive defenders in the league this season and will only get better over her three-year deal.Müller and Clark, one of the best defensive forwards in the league, round out a forward group that should prove to be a pain to play against, especially with former Boston Fleet head coach Kris Sparre behind the bench.Las VegasVegas’ first signing window started off pretty quiet, with just two signings (Batherson and Cooper) more than 48 hours in.Then things got a little chaotic when the Associated Press broke the news that Knight would head to Detroit as part of a sign-and-trade with Vegas. A source briefed on the situation confirmed the report to The Athletic on Monday evening.Las Vegas used its single “Expansion Foundational Offer” on the two-time Olympic gold medalist. But according to the AP, Knight has opted to sign for just one year — and will be paid at least her 2025-26 salary of $106,090 — and be flipped to Detroit when the trade freeze lifts on June 16.How the deal ultimately fares for Vegas will depend on where the team selects in the entry draft next week. The PWHL has yet to announce the full draft order.If it’s 36-year-old Knight for 24-year-old star forward Abbey Murphy, or 22-year-old Laila Edwards, the trade could age very well. If their pick lands outside of the top six or seven picks, the return might feel a little lackluster.No matter what, Vegas has a strong blue line with Batherson, Cooper and Ambrose, and a versatile forward in Hayley Scamurra to kick things off.DetroitDetroit made a big splash signing Watts to the league’s first four-year contract.Watts is one of the strongest offensive players in the league and is second in all-time scoring with 32 career goals behind only Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin. She’s made an impact on every team she’s played on in the PWHL, which makes her a safe bet as Detroit’s centerpiece.Bilka, one of the most crafty wingers in the game who led the Olympic women’s hockey tournament in goals (4), adds even more skill to the top of the lineup. Barnes can run the power play and transition the puck out of the zone. Curl-Salemme and Compher will add some sandpaper and a second layer of offense.Adding Knight, the face of American women’s hockey, is a cherry on top.With an elite forward group, Detroit will need to prioritize its blue line and goaltending in this next phase. There are still plenty of options — such as Hensley and Kristen Campbell in the crease or Ashton Bell and Kali Flanagan on the blue line — but the market, particularly for a goalie, could get competitive.San JoseUnsurprisingly, in his first stint as a general manager Troy Ryan is building a team that will play a solid two-way style with veteran leadership at the top.In San Jose, O’Neill will serve as a Blayre Turnbull-type player: an elite defensive center who can chip in on offense and probably wear the “C.”Guilday will anchor the blue line with her size (5-foot-11) and physical presence. If we’re sticking with the Sceptres comparisons, Guilday could take a Renata Fast path under Ryan and potentially unlock a more offensive side to her game.Cherkowski is a versatile forward who can play center or both wings, and often fit in well with Fillier on the top line in New York. Wheeler, who won two national championships with the University of Wisconsin, had a solid debut season and could be an all-situations forward in San Jose.If nothing else, it’s an intriguing start. The team probably still needs a high-end offensive piece (or two) and some more depth on the blue line.