Off-season losses mounting for Ottawa Charge as more free agents depart

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After losing top scorer Tereza Vanišová to PWHL Vancouver, the off-season losses continue for the Ottawa Charge, as 31-year-old forward Shiann Darkangelo signed a two-year deal with the Montreal Victoire, according to a Tuesday morning press release.

Meanwhile, defenders Zoe Boyd and Jincy Roese are set to sign with the Boston Fleet and New York Sirens, respectively, according to The Hockey News’ Ian Kennedy.

It always was known that Ottawa would suffer significant losses as a result of the PWHL’s expansion to Seattle and Vancouver.

And they came, in the form of Emerance Maschmeyer, Danielle Serdachny, Ashton Bell and Aneta Tejralová.

But to the surprise of many, the exodus was just beginning.

Despite significant salary cap space freed up by the loss of those four players in the expansion process, Ottawa has struggled to retain its pending free agents. On the opening day of free agency, the team failed to make a single signing, watching instead as several of its most coveted players walked out the door.

With PWHL salaries not being publicly available, it’s difficult to gauge exactly why some original six teams like Ottawa are losing out on free agents, but it’s safe to assume they’re simply not able to keep up with the expansion teams in free-agent bidding wars.

The departures sting even more when considering the strategic moves Ottawa made to bring some of these players in.

GM Mike Hirshfeld robbed Montreal by acquiring Vanišová for depth defender Amanda Boulier last season. No longer blocked by the Victoire’s forward depth chart, she became a game-breaker for the Charge on many nights.

“Tereza is an elite skater with a unique scoring touch and brings a physical presence to the ice every shift,” Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey said in a press release. “We are excited about the energy and feistiness she will bring to the lineup, day in and day out.”

Darkangelo was another shrewd acquisition made by Hirshfeld last season. After scoring just a single point in 17 games, the two-way centre was sent from Boston in exchange for Ottawa fan favourite Lexie Adzija.

While Adzija’s offensive game declined with the Fleet, Darkangelo enjoyed a breakout season with the Charge, netting eight goals and 17 points, both third-best on the team. She proved to be very dependable in all three zones, as well as in the faceoff dot.

“A proven leader on and off the ice, Shiann brings the championship experience every team needs,” Montreal GM Danièle Sauvageau said in a press release. “A reliable two-way center, she excels in all three zones and contributes in every special team situation, making her a versatile player.”

Boyd was drafted by Ottawa in the ninth round, 53rd overall, in the 2023 PWHL Draft. After playing just 16 games in an injury-shortened first season, she blossomed into a dependable, top-four-worthy blueliner in her second campaign.

While her offensive contributions were limited, Ottawa’s surprise playoff run displayed her value as a physical, no-nonsense defender who can thrive in low-scoring, pressure-packed situations.

Roese also was drafted by Ottawa in the third round, 17th overall, in the PWHL’s inaugural draft. An Olympian for Team USA in the 2022 Games, she was the Charge’s most prolific offensive blueliner this season with 14 points in 27 games.

With Vanišová and Darkangelo gone, and Boyd and Roese expected to follow, Ottawa no longer has any high-profile free agents on the market to worry about. Only depth players, including Rebecca Leslie, Logan Angers, Natalie Snodgrass, Alexa Vasko, Taylor House and Samantha Isbell, remain unrestricted free agents.

The top priorities for Hirshfeld should now be re-signing restricted free agents Mannon McMahon, Stephanie Markowski and Anna Meixner, and finding outside reinforcements to shore up a blueline that has been gutted — two-thirds of it now gone.

If the free-agent market proves unfruitful for Ottawa, it will look to the entry draft to fill its positional needs. The Charge hold the fifth-overall selection after finishing as the Walter Cup finalists, and several eligible defenders would make sense at that position.

Among them are Rory Guilday from Cornell University and Nicole Gosling from Clarkson University, either of whom could step in and immediately play a large role for Ottawa.

As things currently stand, however, Ottawa has just seven players signed for next season. No matter how good the quality of this year’s draft class is, the Charge will need to find ways to attract players to the nation’s capital.