Scouting: My Top-138 Women's Hockey Players (Part 1)
Who are the best WHKY players in the world from a statistical standpoint?
Who are the 138 best skaters in women's hockey? I built a statistical model using data from the PWHPA, PHF, NCAA, SDHL and World Championship to find out.
Here are the results of my model, in a 6-team draft format (with 23 rounds).
Round 1 - Picks 1 to 6
Round 2 - Picks 7 to 12
In round 2, we would have some rising stars like Taylor Heise and Alina Muller, but also some veterans like Kendall Coyne Schofield and Jenni Hiirikoski.
Round 3 - Picks 13 to 18
This is what round 3 would look like. A few national team players and the most recent Patty Kazmaier Award winner, in Sophie Jaques.
Round 4 - Picks 19 to 24
In round 4, all 4 PWHPA teams would be represented, with the addition of Caroline Harvey and Noora Tulus.
Round 5 - Picks 25 to 30
Former PHF stars, Loren Gabel and Brittany Howard would be standout players in round 5.
Maureen Murphy, a recent NCAA grad, is also an interesting name to remember for a future draft.
Round 6 - Picks 31 to 36
Hanna Olsson and Ronja Savolainen are two of the biggest stars in the SDHL.
After Muller in round 1 and Murphy in round 5, Aurard, who completed Northeastern's first line, would go in round 6.
Round 7 - Picks 37 to 42
Round 7 would be an NCAA round.
In this round, we would have Theresa Schafzahl, who is in my opinion, the most underrated player in the world.
Round 8 - Picks 43 to 48
In round 8, we would have two former McGill Martlets and Hilary Knight, who is still one of the biggest names in women's hockey.
Round 9 - Picks 49 to 54
Round 9 would have a good mix of PWHPA, PHF and NCAA players, some of whom are top producers for their respective national teams.
Round 10 - Picks 55 to 60
In round 10, we would have two of the most talented up-and-coming players in women's hockey: Natalie Mlynkova and Kiara Zanon.
Round 11 - Picks 61 to 66
Round 11 would also be an interesting one. Between Pejsova, Giguère, Compher, Hughes, Levis and Girard, that's a lot of talent on the board.
Round 12 - Picks 67 to 72
Remember Maggie Flaherty's name, a VERY solid defender. Also Jonna Albers, what a player for the Whitecaps.
Nelli Laitinen was quite impressive in Brampton. She took on a lot of responsibilities and performed at the highest levels at such a young age.
Rounds 13 to 23 to come in Part 2.