In mid-February, Boston and Minnesota shook up the PWHL with the league’s first-ever trade.
This was not some minor deal that focused on depth players. It was an outright banger of a trade that sent Susanna Tapani and Abby Cook to Boston for Sophie Jaques.
Jaques was drafted by Boston with the 10th pick in the inaugural PWHL draft — a pick that seemed like it could be a total steal considering her franchise player potential. Her experience at Ohio State University built up a ton of hype around her game. Along with 156 points in 172 games, Jaques boasted a 2023 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, two WCHA Defensive Player of the Year titles and a national championship in 2022. But her first month of professional action underwhelmed, and her role was always going to be stunted in Boston behind Megan Keller. So Boston moved her in an effort to boost their lackluster offense with the addition of Tapani.
Things may not have worked out in Boston, but she’s clicking with her new team.
Jaques is proving to be an excellent fit in Minnesota
One of the biggest differences between Boston and Minnesota is the opportunity. With her new team, Jaques has been thrust into a leading role — on the first pair and top power-play unit.
Expanding a player’s role carries its risks. A player can sink or swim, and in as pivotal of a role as a top defender, it can have big implications for a team. When she joined Minnesota, the team needed a bit of the spark. But it also is a chance to maximize a player around the team’s best. Instead of having to work her way up the lineup, she was tested to just maintain her minutes. So far, she has done exactly that.
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Playing on the top pair means minutes alongside Lee Stecklein, who is the picture of stability on the blue line. Stecklein matches up well with a defender who has a little bit of offensive flash to their game, like Jaques. Her steady game also opens the door to Jaques embracing more of a rover-like role, like she had with the Buckeyes.
Jaques’ play and usage have only trended up since joining Minnesota, with her real breakthrough game coming against Toronto on Feb. 27. She played just under 24 minutes and notched two goals to push the game to overtime.
𝗦𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗘. 𝗝𝗔𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗦.
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟮𝟭 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁!!@PWHL_Minnesota | @_sophiejaques pic.twitter.com/vFgoX1UJXz— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) February 28, 2024
Since then, there has been a noticeable bump in Jaques’s game. The defender has upped her shooting and is averaging about 3.5 per game in Minnesota after only generating about one per game with Boston. Plus she’s put up four assists in five games. She is being maximized in Minnesota with an opportunity to be more involved in the offense, which is a huge plus on a team that needed a puck-mover from the back end. And now she looks a lot more confident in her role and is thriving in her new surroundings.
Watts-Mrázová-Jenner line sparking Ottawa
From Day 1, the big question surrounding Ottawa was whether the team had enough oomph. That loomed as the season progressed because their results were a product of their efforts, and weren’t driven by just one player.
At even strength, Ottawa has shown they can generate a high volume of shots and limit those against. But the team has often failed to drive to the quality areas off the ice and convert on their chances. Lately, one line has been changing that.
Kateřina Mrázová, who now leads the team with 17 points in 19 games and is fourth in the league, has been a key part of it. It took time for her to get going — she went seven games without a point initially. But she has turned it around with her puck-moving ability and has been a primary influence on Ottawa’s offense, between how she battles for pucks and sets up her teammates. That has benefited Daryl Watts, who is now picking up the pace in the goal column, and Brianne Jenner.
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The trio shined against New York when they combined for two of the team’s three goals. And they played a pivotal role in ending Toronto’s win streak. In a 5-3 win, Watts scored a hat trick, Jenner had a three-point game and Mrázová added another two helpers. Those regulation wins earned Ottawa another six points, which is why they’re still in the playoff picture above Boston.
Boston is still struggling offensively
Speaking of Boston, one problem stands out above the rest.
The team just isn’t producing offensively. After falling 3-2 to New York in their last game before the break for the worlds, Boston sunk to the bottom of the league in scoring with a collective 38 goals on the season. Their minus-10 goal differential is tied for the worst in the league with New York.
It’s a start few likely saw coming with all the star power on that roster. Alina Müller was cooking to start the season with Loren Gabel, who is now sidelined with an injury. But the rest of the team hasn’t produced enough behind her to make up for the games in which she was held off the scoresheet entirely. Hilary Knight hasn’t hit her usual game-changing levels, and the rest of the depth isn’t providing much secondary scoring either.
But Boston’s problems are deeper than just goal scoring. It isn’t just a matter of bad puck luck, but some poor offensive creation overall as this shot map of all Boston’s attempts, courtesy of Gilles Dignard, reflects.
The biggest struggle for Boston has been getting to the high-danger areas of the ice consistently. Within the home plate in front of the net (or the scoring chance area), the most shot concentration comes high in the circles while the middle of the ice lacks.
It’s something Boston has improved on over the last couple of games against New York (who struggle defensively) and Toronto. But the team still lacks the results to match that over their last two games, which is pretty concerning for a team that has made two trades to boost this aspect of their game.
Montreal misses Poulin
Who among us would not miss having Marie-Philip Poulin in the lineup? It’s no surprise to see her team stumble a bit without her. She isn’t just their best player, but the best player in the world.
As much as hockey is a team sport where four lines, three pairs and a high-end goalie tandem matter, having elite talent at the top of the lineup is pivotal, even if it means there are weaknesses lower in the lineup. In Montreal’s case, that weakness is forward depth. So it makes even more sense why this team would look that much more exposed with Poulin out of the lineup.
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That’s why Montreal sunk to third in our March power rankings. Montreal has only scored 1.67 goals per game since Poulin left the lineup, after notching 2.34 per game with her. The team’s shot rate, on both ends, has taken a slight hit in the three games without their star forward. There’s also been a slight change in their shot quality.
Viz by Gilles Dignard
With Poulin in the lineup, as pictured above, Montreal does a really good job getting to the slot and challenging goalies from the net front.
Viz by Gilles Dignard
Without Poulin, the team isn’t as potent from that area of the ice. Again, it isn’t surprising. It’s just a testament to what a difference-maker she is, given her ability to generate scoring chances and create time and space for her teammates with her slick playmaking. The bright spot is that the team hasn’t been totally void of scoring chances without her, and that’s a key reason why they managed to push a hot Minnesota squad to overtime. It may just have taken them some time to figure out how to play without her, considering what an impact player she is — and that is a positive sign, in case the team expects to be without her post-worlds break. The fact Montreal did not add another forward at the deadline may give some hints about her long-term status.
Stars of the month
Natalie Spooner
It’s impossible to talk about the PWHL without mentioning Spooner, who is the front-runner for MVP not just of her team but the entire league. Spooner’s leading the way with 15 goals and 20 points through 19 games, thanks to her all-situations play. She is disruptive in short-handed situations, dangerous on the power play and a force at even strength on a stacked first line with Hannah Miller and Sarah Nurse. Spooner has consistently found openings and creates lanes for herself to get to the slot area, where she keeps beating netminders with her lethal shot.
Viz by Malhar Shah
Taylor Heise
Welcome back, Heise. It took her one game to get back on the scoresheet after missing most of February. She has five points in five games since returning and has helped restore some balance to Minnesota’s lineup. Now the stars are starring, between Heise, Grace Zumwinkle and Kendall Coyne Schofield at the top of the lineup. The supporting cast is providing secondary scoring to give the team more than one scoring threat. Stecklein and Jaques are leading the way on defense and both goalies have stood tall in net.
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Daryl Watts
As always, the third star is the most challenging. Either of Minnesota’s goalies could have gotten the nod here. Zumwinkle would have been a fit here. So would’ve Mrázová, whose playmaking has helped Ottawa finally generate more dangerous scoring chances. But we turn to her linemate, Watts, who isn’t just creating quality looks but converting on her chances. Watts was our wild card for Ottawa going into the year, and now she’s channeling her skill to be the difference-maker this roster has needed all season.
Data via the PWHL, Mike Murphy, Gilles Dignard and Malhar Shah
(Photo of Sophie Jaques: Nick Wosika / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
