PWHL Power Rankings: Each team's player to watch at the Worlds
This is the third edition of theScore's PWHL Power Rankings for the 2024 campaign. Check back for updated rankings on the first of each month.
1. Toronto (13-6-0, 36 points)
Previous rank: 1
What Natalie Spooner is accomplishing this season is nothing short of remarkable.
At 33 years old, she's supposed to be past her prime. This is also her first full-time season since giving birth. Yet Spooner is the best she's ever been.
She's the clear favorite for league MVP with 15 goals and 20 points. She carries that momentum into her first full-strength tournament since the 2022 Olympics. In her current form, Spooner gives Canada a different level of scoring depth as the team looks to recapture gold at the Worlds.
After playing at the 2023 Worlds mere months after giving birth, it'll be a treat to see Spooner at her truly elite level for Team Canada once again.
2. Minnesota (12-4-3, 35 points)
Previous rank: 3
The World Championships have been Taylor Heise's playing ground since she debuted in 2022.
Heise has eight goals and 30 points in 14 career games at the World Championships. That's the highest points per game by any American in the event's history. She casually won tournament MVP during her first tournament in 2022.
Naturally, her role as Team USA's top-line center makes her an easy pick as Minnesota's player to watch. But it's also about Heise's recent spell on the sidelines.
Heise was injured while playing for the U.S. at the Rivalry Series, causing her to miss five games in February.
A productive - but more importantly, healthy - tournament for Heise sets up Minnesota to push for the top seed when the PWHL returns on April 18.
3. Ottawa (7-6-6, 27 points)
Previous rank: 6
Few PWHL players became fan favorites as quickly as Akane Shiga did in Ottawa. Over the next two weeks in Utica, they'll get to see her shine as a top-line player with Japan.
As the youngest player in the PWHL, Shiga is a bit of a development project for Ottawa. She's playing against elite competition over a full season for the first time in her career, which has proved challenging at times. The 23-year-old has one goal in 19 games.
At the World Championship, Shiga will go from a bottom-six winger to a top-of-the-lineup driver with Japan. Her nation drops back down to Group B, which will give Shiga a greater opportunity to flash offensively.
The hope for Ottawa will be that Shiga shows out in a major role at the Worlds and comes back for the final stretch of the PWHL regular season with added confidence.
4. Montreal (10-5-4, 31 points)
Previous rank: 2
Let's make one thing abundantly clear: Ann-Renee Desbiens hasn't been bad this season. She still has a .919 save percentage and a winning record.
But at the same time, nobody expected the consensus best goaltender in women's hockey to rank fifth out of six starters by save percentage. Backup Elaine Chuli has outplayed her as well, with a league-best .956 SV% and earning as many wins as Desbiens in five fewer games.
Desbiens remains Canada's starter heading into the Worlds. A strong showing from the soon-to-be 30-year-old could be the boost she needs to return to Montreal as the truly dominant netminder we've seen time and time again.
5. New York (7-9-3, 20 points)
Previous rank: 4
Ella Shelton leads all PWHL defenders with 13 points and has done so largely by quarterbacking the league's top power play.
Shelton has racked up eight points on the player advantage, which ranks second league-wide only to teammate Alex Carpenter. Could that get her extra reps on Canada's top unit at the Worlds?
Erin Ambrose has typically quarterbacked the top unit for Canada, but she has just one power-play point in the PWHL. Shelton's excellent play could be enough for Troy Ryan to ask the 26-year-old to step into a vital role in Utica.
Regardless of whether Shelton gets on the top unit, look for her to play important minutes for Canada. With Claire Thompson and Micah Zandee-Hart off the team, there's a clear slot for Shelton behind Jocelyne Larocque on the depth chart.
6. Boston (8-9-2, 22 points)
Previous rank: 5
Most expected Boston to challenge for the PWHL regular-season title and for Hilary Knight to be among the top contenders for league MVP.
That hasn't materialized amid a frustrating campaign for both Knight and Boston. The reigning IIHF Women's Player of the Year scored in just one of the team's first nine games.
Knight's been more productive as of late, but we've still yet to see her truly dominant self with Boston.
A strong tournament with Team USA could revitalize the 34-year-old's season. With seemingly no room for error down the stretch, Boston needs Knight to be her superstar self if it's to climb back into a playoff spot.