Boston Fleet, New York Sirens Trade Taylor Girard and Jill Saulnier

The PWHL announced today, Jan. 21, the Boston Fleet have traded forward Taylor Girard to the New York Sirens in exchange for forward Jill Saulnier. 

Girard, 26, has appeared in five games for the Fleet this season and tallied no points. In three of her five appearances, she recorded the lowest time on ice of any Fleet skater. She has been a healthy scratch for the other five games. Last season, Girard played in 23 games and tallied four goals and two assists.

“Adding Taylor to our roster brings not only a teammate who aligns perfectly with our organization’s values, but also a player whose physicality and disciplined approach to her role make her a valuable asset in a league where every inch of the ice is a hard-fought battle,” Sirens General Manager Pascal Daoust said in the press release. “Every good trade should bring something positive for all parties involved, and we can only wish the best for Jill, whose leadership and passion for the game truly set her apart!” 

Saulnier, 32, has appeared in five games for the Sirens this season and recorded no points. She was injured in their season opener on December 1 and missed four games before returning to the lineup on December 29. She has also been a healthy scratch once this season. Last season, Saulnier struggled with injuries while appearing in 18 games and tallying one goal and one assist.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Jill Saulnier to the Boston Fleet,” Fleet General Manager Danielle Marmer said in a press release. “Jill has achieved so much in her hockey career, including competing in two Olympic Games, and she brings a level of competitiveness and grit that will elevate our team on the ice. Beyond her skill, Jill’s experience and leadership will be invaluable in our locker room. At the same time, it’s never easy to part ways with a player, especially someone like Taylor, who has been with us since our inaugural draft. Taylor has been an integral part of our team, and we’ll miss her both on and off the ice. We wish her nothing but the best as she continues her career in New York.” 

This trade doesn’t hurt either team, but it doesn’t appear to help them much either. It’s not a shock to see either Girard or Saulnier moved as they weren’t making much of an impact on the ice and were likely getting frustrated with their situations. However, it seems like it might have been more impactful for either team to move them as part of a package for a bigger player. Neither holds much individual value on the trade market, but think of a situation like how Abby Cook was packaged with Susanna Tapani when Minnesota acquired Sophie Jaques from Boston last season.

All that said, perhaps a change of scenery will be good for Girard and Saulnier and they’ll make more of an impact with their new clubs. Girard is a former first-overall pick in the PHF and produced at over a point-per-game pace in her two seasons in the league, but she has struggled with the pace of the PWHL. It's unlikely that changes a ton since speed has never been the highlight of her game. However, she's a gritty player and if Sirens head coach Greg Fargo deploys her a bit differently than Boston did (say, with some faster players that she can dish the puck to or vice versa), perhaps she will regain some of that PHF offense.

As for Saulnier, she’s a good leader and reliable depth player who represented Canada at four World Championships and two Olympics while playing in the CWHL and PWHPA. It’s unlikely she’ll show much offense, but like Girard, she plays a gritty game. Boston head coach Courtney Kessel covets physicality and tends to trust veteran depth players with more minutes than younger ones, so perhaps spreading the forward minutes out more might help the Fleet get into a better groove offensively.

If I had to pick a trade winner, I'd give New York a slight edge since Girard is six years younger than Saulnier, who has dealt with injury issues. Girard also has more upside on paper, although I'm not sure she'll reach it in the PWHL unless something drastically changes. However, I think it's mostly a wash. This isn't a Walter Cup-winning move for either team nor will it doom them to the Gold Plan.

Per the press release, Girard is expected to debut for the Sirens on Saturday, January 25 when the team travels to Toronto to take on the Sceptres at Scotiabank Arena at 2 p.m. ET. Saulnier will make her Fleet debut on Wednesday, January 22 when they take on the Toronto Sceptres at home at 7 p.m. ET.