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Hilary Knight Set to Join PWHL Detroit in Sign-and-Trade

Knight will sign a one-year foundational deal with Las Vegas and the trade to Detroit will become official when the league lifts its trade freeze on June 16.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets report that Knight signed a one-year expansion foundational offer with PWHL Las Vegas and that Las Vegas has agreed to receive Detroit’s first-round pick in a sign-and-trade that sends her to Detroit.
  • The transaction is pending because the PWHL has a trade freeze that prevents formal trades until June 16, one day before the league’s June 17 draft.
  • Detroit currently has five players under contract — Daryl Watts, Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes, Britta Curl-Salemme and Jesse Compher — and Knight would become the sixth player once the trade clears.
  • Foundational offers guarantee at least $100,000 in base pay and each expansion club had one such binding slot, a rule that reshaped roster moves and prompted teams to rush re-signings during the league’s phased expansion process.
  • The move has drawn criticism from commentators who say the sign-and-trade looks orchestrated, raising questions about player leverage, competitive fairness and how the PWHL’s single‑entity expansion rules are enforced.