It's been a busy few weeks in both the PWHL and NHL with the draft and free agency happening in the coming weeks. The Minnesota Wild have been in the news lately, but PWHL Minnesota has also been active, making waves in the draft and landing three key players once free agency officially begins on June 21st.
They had time to re-sign these players earlier, but once they hit the free agent market, they wasted no time. Those players were Miquela Kava, Denisa Križova and Liz Schepers, who were key to their playoff success leading up to winning the Walter Cup. In this article, we'll take a look at each player, the impact they had on the team and the importance of them returning. We'll start with Kava and work our way up from there.
Topline essential kava
PWHL Minnesota tried out some line combinations to see what would work and found their top line. They paired Kendall Coyne-Schofield, Taylor Hides and Kava and it worked really well. They knew each other's positions and were similar in speed and skill level, so everything just worked.
Adding Kava to the line was a great move in bringing the line together. Everyone knows Coyne Schofield and Hythe are high-level performers, but adding Kava to the line also showcased her talents. The line brought out the best in each other and they were able to play at a new level every game.
With Kava re-signing, they will be able to use this line again next season as both Heise and Coyne Schofield will remain on the roster. PWHL Minnesota has acquired other players but will likely place a heavy emphasis on this line for their offensive potential when next season begins.
Pleasant surprise, Krishva
Many knew how talented Križova was as a player, but with the right line partner, she really came into her own. She's quick, smart, and a player who is always looking for the next move when she has the puck. Though she only had six points with three goals and three assists in 24 regular season games, she also showed plenty of production away from the puck, which helped her team.
She is a bit physical and has seen her share of penalty minutes, but the strengths of her game outweigh the weaknesses. Not only is she fast, she has a great wrist shot that beat PWHL Ottawa goalie Sandra Abstreiter not once but twice in the same game. Križova keeps her head up, knows where she wants the puck to go, and shoots over her shoulder.
It may have taken her a little while to get her scoring rhythm back, but PWHL Minnesota clearly believes in her talent and wants her to remain a part of the team. When your team wins a championship, it's hard to let go of a player who has proven they can win, and thankfully Križova is one of those players they can keep.
Shepherds step up
Shepard is one of those players who put up a decent performance in the regular season, but found a way to step up in the postseason. For many players, finding that extra step heading into the playoffs is hard, so PWHL Minnesota wanted to make sure she returned so Shepard could achieve that.
During the regular season, she played in 19 games and had just three points in assists. But outside of Heise and fellow center Kelly Panek, the Shepherds were dominant, winning 48.6% of their faceoffs. While she didn't score a ton of points, she helped the team win key points in key moments. The faceoff is the difference between winning and losing for many teams, and she helped turn it into a place of success.
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Her scoring has increased in the postseason, but her faceoff win percentage has dropped slightly. She has five points with one goal and four assists in 10 postseason games, but her faceoff win percentage has dropped to 35.1%. It's great that she has been able to produce more when she needs to, but she needs to find a way to stabilize her faceoff win percentage, especially in the playoffs, because that's just as important. PWHL Minnesota also made the right decision to re-sign her, because they need a competitive player in the postseason as they look to defend their title.
PWHL Minnesota retains core
So far, with a few exceptions, PWHL Minnesota has been able to keep its core members intact and looks to be pretty strong heading into next season. There are still some kinks to be worked out, like new draft picks and adjusting to a few players who have left the team, but the team is pretty much in place.
They kept their leading scorer and rock star goalkeeping duo of Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney who have reached new levels not only during the season but in the playoffs as well, and this core knows what it takes to get out of a slump and what it takes to win, so they will be hopeful to defend their title come next season.
