Northeastern Standout Lands Boston Homecoming In PWHL Mock Draft

The 2023 PWHL Draft is set for Monday in CBC’s headquarters in Toronto, and it’s where Boston general manager Danielle Marmer will complete her roster.

Boston signed Hilary Knight, Aerin Frankel and Megan Keller during the league’s initial free-agency wave at the beginning of the month. Marmer hopes to build a championship-level team befitting the title expectations that come with Boston teams.

Hailey Salvian and Shayna Goldman of The Athletic on Thursday released their 15-round mock draft for all six teams. Taylor Heise from the University of Minnesota is expected to go No. 1, and the forward won’t be the only player receiving a homecoming in the first round as former Northeastern star Alina Müller was mocked to go third to Boston.

“Toronto’s miss could burn them for years to come because Müller can be a franchise cornerstone,” The Athletic wrote.

“Müller has game-changing abilities that allow her to compete against the best skaters in the world. She’s put that on display in Boston before, throughout her excellent NCAA career at Northeastern where she scored 254 points in 159 games. Her game has consistently translated at the international level with Team Switzerland, where she’s made countless highlight-reel plays that have elevated her team.

“Müller has a dangerous shot, is an elite passer, and can drive play in her minutes. Her vision and all-around game make her a well-rounded threat at such a pivotal position. That position only adds to her value because Boston addressed the wing, defense and goaltending with their early picks. The team isn’t drafting for need here, though — it’s picking the best available player. Müller will help make Boston competitive out of the gate to maximize the later years of Hilary Knight’s career and can be a core piece in the long term, as well.”

Müller signed with the Boston Pride in May before the PHF folded and the PWHL emerged.

“Müller has game-changing abilities that allow her to compete against the best skaters in the world”

The Athletic on Alina Müller

Other notable picks The Athletic predicted for Boston were former Pride players Loren Gabel, Kali Flanagan and Jillian Dempsey and Müller’s former Huskies teammate Maureen Murphy.

The Athletic noted that the team’s head coaches have not been announced yet, so preference for style could not be accounted for. But the player pool expected for the draft should make Monday an exciting day for women’s hockey with the game’s best players getting the spotlight.