By: Alexis Caines | Follow me on Twitter/X @alexiscaines_
It felt like the hits kept coming for the Boston Fleet during the Expansion Roster Distribution Process. They weren’t alone, though, and it felt like the entire Professional Women’s Hockey League got rattled in some way or another.
When the initial three protection slots were made amongst each team, the Fleet’s weren’t very surprising. The trio of Haley Winn, Megan Keller, and Aerin Frankel were Boston’s three best and later proved to be the league’s as well.
It meant that Alina Müller was left unprotected. She wasn’t a candidate for an Expansion Franchise Offer; a binding contract of at least $100,000 for the player’s choice of length. If she were to leave, it would have been of her own volition, which is what happened shortly after, when she signed with PWHL Hamilton.
The 28-year-old Swiss forward holds numerous accolades, in Boston, the league, and internationally. Müller is the all-time leading scorer for the franchise. She finished third, second, and first in team scoring (most recent to earliest). She is also tied for the title of most assists in PWHL history, notching 40. All this to say; her loss is massive.
Towards the tail end of the expansion process, the Fleet lost two other big names in Jamie Lee Rattray and Jessie Eldridge. Rattray, known as Team Canada’s “Swiss Army Knife” for many years, fit in perfectly for Boston. Wearing an “A” for all three of her seasons, she came in clutch time and time again. Eldridge was acquired via trade from the Seattle Torrent in March and went on a hot streak through the end of the season.
Rattray’s move to the Toronto Sceptres had family at the forefront. She and her wife, Whitney, just started their young family with the addition of baby Cooper. For Eldridge, her time in Boston was short but still impactful. She had been rumored to land with Montréal Victoire since the start of the offseason.
With all the losses, the Fleet were able to retain a lot of talent. But they’ll need their returners to really step up offensively to fully fill the void.
This starts with new Head Coach François Méthot. He comes to the Fleet with years of development experience, having served in nearly every role with the Rochester Jr. Americans of the North American Hockey League. He spent a large portion of his playing career in the American Hockey League. Both the AHL and NAHL are known as development leagues, and the hope is that Méthot can bring this into the Boston Fleet.
Take a player like Ella Huber for example; her rookie season had a drop-off when it came to point production from college. But she showed off her skill and came up big when it mattered most.
Méthot should run a challenging training camp and really attempt to push his players hard. No one needs to become the “new” Alina Müller, but if they want to succeed as a team, then the offensive loss needs to be made up for.
Developing and building off of the skills that the roster already has is going to be key. The PWHL doesn’t have a designated “development” team or league in addition to itself, so it’s up to the team staff to develop their rosters.
The jump from any league to the PWHL isn’t always smooth. Rookies, veterans, and everyone in between are working together to develop their skills to succeed as a team. With Méthot at the helm, the Boston Fleet roster will need to find a way to combine all their individual talents and skills to bring their best as a team.
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