PWHL preview: Montreal Victoire has the stars, but can it find the depth, and maybe a little luck?

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The Montreal Victoire is due for a little hockey luck. It certainly didn’t get a lot of fortuitous bounces in Year 1. It started with a slew of injuries that denied the team their best starting lineup for the bulk of the season and it ended with three overtime games in the first round of the playoffs, all going the way of the opposition. Montreal has the best player in the women’s game today in Marie-Philip Poulin and a star-studded roster that is due for a bounce-back. There is also hope that two of last year’s three long-term injury list mainstays — Kennedy Marchment and Dominika Laskova — will return. Here’s a look at how Montreal stacks up heading into training camp.

LAST YEAR

Finished second in the league behind Toronto with a record of 13 wins and 11 losses. Lost those three straight overtime games to Boston in the semifinals.

RETURNING CORE

Marie Philip-Poulin, Laura Stacey, Kristin O’Neill, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Erin Ambrose, Maureen Murphy, Mariah Keopple, Katie Tabin.

NEWCOMERS

The biggest name added to the roster is not going to be skating for a while. First round (fifth overall pick) defender Cayla Barnes injured her ankle in the recent Rivalry Series exhibitions when Victoire teammate Marie-Philip Poulin took her into the boards. It’s unknown how much, if any, of the regular season this will cost the two-time U.S. Olympian, but any absence will hurt. Jennifer Gardiner, an Ohio State product like Barnes, brings leadership having captained that Ohio State team and is an offensive producer. Abby Boreen is no stranger to the PWHL, having played 14 games with Minnesota last year where she was on and off the active roster as a reserve while she completed her educational pursuits at the University of Minnesota. Montreal thought enough of Boreen, selected 17th overall in the third round, to sign her to a three-year contract. And don’t sleep on Dara Greig, with a strong family history of hockey success at the highest levels. She could also have an impact in her first year.

NOT RETURNING

Plenty of turnover in the Montreal roster with forward Leah Lum heading to China, retirements by Mélodie Daoust and Brigitte Laganière, not to mention the departures of forward Sarah Lefort, and Ann-Sophie Bettez. Lefort brought a much-needed physical presence to the Montreal lineup that will have to be replaced, which might be right up fourth-round pick (23rd overall) Greig’s alley.

BIGGEST QUESTION

Can the Victoire find the depth and stay healthy enough to avoid a repeat of last year’s playoff exit, when the top two lines tried to carry the day in what became three overtime losses? Head coach Kori Cheverie took some heat for riding her top players too long and to their detriment, but injuries and a lack of roster consistency played a role in all that as well as Cheverie was pushed into going with the players she knew best. Health and depth through the regular season would answer that question.

TEAM STRENGTH

This core is as good as any in the league. Poulin’s resumé speaks for itself, but then so too do those of Ambrose, Desbiens and Stacey. That first-round exit in Year 1 was not indicative of what this team is capable of doing.

PRIMED FOR A BREAKOUT

Forward Marchment, assuming she can come back from a surgery-requiring injury a year ago that cost her all but nine games of the season, has proven she can score with the best women’s hockey players in the world. She just needs to get healthy and stay healthy. And if Marchment finds herself on that top line alongside Poulin and Stacey, well, that would all but assure a breakout season.

THE MOTIVATION

Three gut-wrenching overtime losses in first-ever PWHL playoff round. Enough said.

Training camp roster

All six PWHL teams will have to cut down to 23 skaters and three reserves to begin the regular season:

FORWARDS (16)

• Claire Dalton (Signed)
• Catherine Dubois (Signed)
• Mikyla Grant-Mentis (Signed)
• Lina Ljungblom (Signed)
• Kennedy Marchment (Signed)
• Maureen Murphy (Signed)
• Kristin O’Neill (Signed)
• Marie Philip-Poulin (Signed)
• Laura Stacey (Signed)
• Abby Boreen (Drafted, signed)
• Jennifer Gardiner (Drafted, signed)
• Dara Greig (Drafted)
• Sarah Bujold (Camp Invite)
• Gabrielle David (Camp Invite)
• Clair DeGeorge (Camp Invite)
• Alexandra Labelle (Camp Invite)

DEFENDERS (10)

• Erin Ambrose (Signed)
• Cayla Barnes (Signed, injured)
• Amanda Boulier (Signed)
• Maria Keopple (Signed)
• Dominika Laskova (Signed)
• Kati Tabin (Signed)
• Anna Kjellbin (Drafted)
• Anna Wilgren (Drafted)
• Catherine Daoust (Camp Invite)
• Kelly-Ann Nadeau (Camp Invite)

GOALKEEPERS (5)

• Ann-Renée Desbiens (Signed)
• Elaine Chuli (Signed)
• Sandra Abstreiter (Camp Invite)
• Marlène Boissonnault (Camp Invite)
• Tricia Deguire (Camp Invite)