Torrent Sign Abbey Murphy to Two-Year Rookie Contract
The Seattle Torrent announced the signing of recent second-overall pick Abbey Murphy to a two-year standard player agreement on Wednesday.
“I’m incredibly grateful and excited to officially start this journey in Seattle,” Murphy said in the announcement. “Getting to spend time in the city this summer, meet our fans and get a feel for the community made me even more excited to call Seattle home.”
Murphy was the no-doubt second overall pick at the 2026 PWHL Draft. She set the University of Minnesota record for goals and is second all-time in points. In her senior season, she had 40 goals and 66 points in 31 games and had seven points in seven games for Team USA at the Olympics to cap off a strong finish to her collegiate career.
Analysis: Seattle Torrent Will Have Scary First Line Entering Second Season
Even though the Seattle Torrent finished last in the PWHL standings last season as an expansion franchise, their top line next season could be the scariest in the league.
With the second overall pick, the Torrent added a world class goal-scorer in Abbey Murphy. On Seattle’s top line, Murphy will have solid linemates with USA teammate Alex Carpenter and Canadian Olympian Julia Gosling.
Abbey Murphy
Murphy was the consensus second-overall pick behind Caroline Harvey. She tallied 40 goals and 66 points in 33 games in her University of Minnesota fifth-year. She won gold with Team USA at Milan, and has represented her country internationally since 2021.
While her on-ice antics and embellishment sees her take lots of penalties, it also frustrates opponents. Even at 5-5, she’s still a physical player. Torrent general manager Meghan Turner likes her fit on a potential top line.
Analysis: Way-Too-Early Torrent Lineup Prediction
The Seattle Torrent, who finished last in the PWHL last season, will have made nine new additions to their roster. After losing captain Hilary Knight and top pairing defender Cayla Barnes, the lineup had some holes.
But after drafting an eliter goal scorer-second overall, addressing defensive depth later in the draft, and adding high upside European free agents; the Torrent lineup looks substantially different.
How will Seattle’s revamped lineup look when the season opens?
Analysis: Torrent Add Elite Scoring, Defensive Depth at 2026 PWHL Draft
Continuing to overhaul their roster going into their second season as a franchise, the Seattle Torrent added an elite goal scorer, solid defensive depth, fun swings on forwards, and a flier on an Italian goalie at the 2026 PWHL Draft.
General manager Meghan Turner used all six of her picks in the draft, not moving around the board at all. Behind the clear second-overall pick in Abbey Murphy, Turner still made worthwhile additions. Hopefully the prospects can help the Torrent, who finished last in the PWHL and had the league’s worst goals-against, to a better 2026-27 season performance.
Scouts generally liked the Torrent additions. The Hockey News graded the draft an ‘A,’ because “their roster already looks far more solid than last season, which is saying a lot given the losses they suffered in expansion and the high expectations they had in year one.”
Who did the Torrent land in their second-ever draft and how does each member of the six-player class fit into their plans?
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