Now with a superstar to rally around, PWHL Seattle — the eighth and newest team in the Professional Women’s Hockey League — has added 11 new players to its roster, providing fans with their first glimpse into the team’s future on the ice.

After the general manager, Meghan Turner, signed four-time Olympic medalist Hilary Knight to a one-year contract on June 4, the front office had two avenues through which they could build around her. To start, they had the ability to sign five unprotected players as free agents. Knight was the first, and Turner quickly found her other four.

Alex Carpenter is a journeyman forward who’s played all across the globe. With both Team USA and the now-defunct Boston Pride, she has spent a lot of time alongside Knight on the offense. Following a strong shooting season of 11 goals and 8 assists, she’ll now reunite with her former co-star in Seattle.

As for defense, the team has acquired a star goalkeeper. Corinne Schroeder, lovingly called “Shutdown Schroeder” by her New York fans, has made a name for herself in keeping her opponents scoreless. Across her PWHL career, she has shut down a record-high five teams and racked up a thousand saves.

After signing free agents, Turner’s second option for growing the team’s roster was an expansion draft on June 9. The front office could, once again, bring in any players who were left unprotected by the six existing teams. PWHL Vancouver won the first pick in a lottery drawing, so with the second, Seattle selected Aneta Tejralová from the Ottawa Charge.

Tejralová, a veteran defender from the Czech Republic, is at her best when she can catch you off guard. She’ll reliably defend the goal for most of the game, yet once she sees an opportunity to strike, she’ll turn into an offensive player on a dime and blitz her opponents with unexpected intensity.

With their sixth pick, Seattle brought in Jessie Eldridge from the New York Sirens. In a team already stacked with offensive talent, Eldridge brings her unique ability to play up close and personal. Rather than dramatic shots from afar, she’ll often score by tapping the puck into the corner of the net, often while she’s right up in the goalkeeper’s face.

In the aftermath of the draft, once the dust had settled, many commentators came to the same conclusion: from the first game they play, PWHL Seattle will be downright scary offensively.

Most expansion teams don't make the playoffs in their first season. That's because, in leagues with 30+ teams, talent is often spread thin. When star players do arise, you have to be competitive against established teams with bigger wallets.

The PWHL, however, is a three-year old league with only seven other teams. Turner took advantage of this reality, building a power-heavy roster that simultaneously strips the existing teams of their strength and depths. That's how, with only half their team set, Seattle's already in the contender conversation among niche publications like The Hockey News.

“I think this is a ‘win now’ team,” said Turner during a recent “Jocks in Jills” podcast. “I just met with the team we already have. I want [to win]. I know they want it. They’re hungry for it. I would love to get one under the belt, as soon as we can.”