# PWHL Free Agency Phase 4 Preview | Hillary Knight Trade, Daryl Watts, Detroit & Women’s Coaching Pipeline

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/at-even-strength-a-women-s-hockey-podcast-7611881/pwhl-free-agency-phase-4-preview-hillary-knight-trade-daryl-watts-detroit-women-s-coaching-pipeline
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/at-even-strength-a-women-s-hockey-podcast-7611881/pwhl-free-agency-phase-4-preview-hillary-knight-trade-daryl-watts-detroit-women-s-coaching-pipeline.md
Podcast: [At Even Strength: A Women's Hockey Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/at-even-strength-a-women-s-hockey-podcast-7611881)
Published: 2026-06-14T11:06:41+00:00
Episode link: https://AtEvenStrengthPod.transistor.fm/24
Audio file: https://claritaspod.com/measure/2.gum.fm/op3.dev/e/pdcn.co/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/pdst.fm/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/prfx.byspotify.com/e/media.transistor.fm/82db5998/f6ed78d8.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/at-even-strength-a-women-s-hockey-podcast-7611881/episodes/pwhl-free-agency-phase-4-preview-hillary-knight-trade-daryl-watts-detroit-women-s-coaching-pipeline
Duration seconds: 3431

## Resource

The PWHL expansion era is in full swing — and Erica Al Ala and Rachel Donner are breaking down every move. On this episode of At Even Strength , we recap Phases 2 and 3 of PWHL free agency and look ahead to what Phase 4 means for Detroit, Hamilton, Las Vegas, San Jose, Seattle, and Vancouver. In this episode: 🏒 Hillary Knight to Detroit — Vegas used the EFO, the sign-and-trade is in motion, and a one-year deal tells you everything you need to know about where this is heading 🏒 Daryl Watts signs the PWHL's first-ever 4-year contract with Detroit — a landmark moment for the league 🏒 Detroit's roster is building fast — Hayley Scamurra, Aerin Frankel, Mae Batherson, Nicole Hensley, Taylor Gerrard, Sidney Bard, Jesse Compher, Britta Curl Salemi, Hannah Bilka, and Kayla Barnes are already in the fold 🏒 Seattle's roster shakeup — Alex Carpenter, Julia Gosling, Michaela Grant-Mentis, and Danielle Serdachny form the core going forward, and why this looks like a youth movement 🏒 What Phase 4 opens up — Kristen Campbell available from Vancouver, goaltending questions for Detroit, and which unprotected players could reshape rosters 🏒 Existing teams: protection strategy breakdown — Montreal's cap flexibility after losing high-paid players, Minnesota keeping Maddie Rooney, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle, and Toronto protecting Natalie Spooner and Kali Flanagan 🏒 Coaching hires — Molly Engstrom named head coach of Detroit (a deep dive into her player and coaching pedigree), and Christine Bumstead promoted to head coach of the Seattle Torrent after running the power play in Year 1 🏒 The women's coaching pipeline — are the best PWHL coaching candidates stuck as college assistants with nowhere to go? Can the PWHL lure them away? And will former PWHL players skip colleg…

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