Who might San Jose pick in PWHL draft full of top-end US talent?

San Jose’s newest team will have the chance to add a superstar on Wednesday. The Professional Women’s Hockey League finally announced the draft order Monday, and San Jose will pick fourth overall.

With 10 players after the first four phases of free agency, PWHL San Jose has begun building the foundation of its first roster.

Indications from the roster so far suggest the team may be set up to draft a forward. Who might be a fit coming from the amateur ranks?

There are 23 draft-eligible players who played in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, headlined by tournament MVP Caroline Harvey out of Wisconsin. The Patty Kazmaier Award winner and NCAA champion is projected to be the top pick and be an elite defender.

Wisconsin defender Laila Edwards is projected to go second, followed by Minnesota right wing Abbey Murphy, Wisconsin forward Kirsten Simms and Penn State center Tessa Janecke, all of whom won Olympic gold with the U.S. national team this year.

Edwards is a versatile defender who has spent time as a right wing and has offensive ability on the power play, directing the action from the point. Murphy led the nation with 40 goals and 66 points in 31 games and is the fastest skater in the draft.

“There is a ton of talent coming out of the U.S.,” said head coach and general manager Troy Ryan. “You let some of these phases unfold and try to dictate as much as you can, but heading into the entry draft, you have more answers about the direction you want to go. The first round of this draft, the talent you’re going to get is amazing, knowing you’ll have the opportunity to get a quality player.”

In the past three seasons, No. 4 overall picks have included defender Nicole Gosling to Montreal, left wing Hannah Bilka to Boston and defender Ella Shelton to New York.

This year’s draft in Detroit has 236 total players available: 68 defenders, 60 goalies and 128 forwards. The draft will last six rounds with 72 total players selected by the 12 teams.

Before Monday, the only thing we knew about the draft order was that the Vancouver Goldeneyes would pick first, because they earned the most points of any team after being eliminated from the playoffs, in the league’s anti-tanking initiative.

San Jose already has a starting goalie in Corinne Schroeder and four defenders who will see regular time in Mariah Keopple, Hadley Hartmetz, Daniela Pejšová and Rory Guilday.

Up front, there are Canadian Olympian Kristin O’Neill, Anne Cherkowski, Maddi Wheeler, Maggie Connors and Natálie Mlýnková. That’s not a ton of depth or speed, which might be the biggest need to fill.

Janecke could be an excellent fit as a two-way center who fits into Ryan’s defense-first philosophy, while Simms could inject some pure scoring punch. Wisconsin’s Lacey Eden, who won four national titles and was on the checking line with Team USA, should also be available as a tough, experienced forward.

Swedish league forward Evelyne Savoie is the only player in the draft from the Bay Area and could be a late-round pick for the expansion club.

Swiss bronze medalist Andrea Braendli, who was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper in Milan, will also be a top pick, but likely not to San Jose. Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen is also expected to go in the first round.

Ryan has a reputation for relying on veteran players in key situations with his previous PWHL club in Toronto and Team Canada, but he has gone with a younger roster in free agency so far. Aside from Schroeder and O’Neill, the roster is made up of players trying to establish themselves at the pro level.

That signals San Jose might sign a more veteran group when full free agency opens at the end of the week, perhaps trying to make a splash in the draft.

San Jose can sign free agents with the rest of the team in the league starting on Friday. By then, the organization will have a sense of what young talent it has, too.