Laila Edwards’ Versatility Lands Three-Year Commitment From San Jose

Wisconsin defender Laila Edwards during a 2024–25 season matchup against Lindenwood University. Photo courtesy of Big Ten Network.

Written by Luke Ballard

SAN JOSE, CA – Laila Edwards’ multi-dimensional impact has been on display throughout her storied career, changing games in ways we’ve rarely seen. PWHL San Jose is now giving her three years to discover just how much she can do at the professional level.

The PWHL’s newest expansion franchise signed Edwards through the 2028–2029 season after nabbing her off the board with the fourth pick in the 2026 PWHL Draft. As the first draft pick in San Jose history, Edwards already holds a unique place in the organization. The three-year commitment makes San Jose’s expectations clear.

The franchise is investing in Edwards, a player who can grow alongside it. This opportunity comes after a college career at Wisconsin in which Edwards rarely served one role. A Swiss Army Knife at 6-foot-1, Edwards seems to fit the player archetype of a defender, yet much of her career has been defined by extensive offensive production.

Arriving in Wisconsin as a forward, she eventually became one of the NCAA’s most dangerous and lethal scorers before being shifted into a more defensive role.

Rather than force Edwards to abandon the offensive instincts she had spent years crafting, Badgers head coach Mark Johnson allowed her to use them in another way. This versatility helps explain why San Jose was willing to grab Edwards with the fourth overall pick, passing up many other equally talented prospects.

Now, San Jose is getting a player who is still learning the position she will play professionally. They get the chance to mold Edwards into a dual-threat defenseman, and with someone like Edwards, who possesses the raw talent to become one of the best in the PWHL, the sky is the limit.

Edwards’ development was most recently tested on the world’s biggest stage at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, where she played amongst the best players on the globe. Joining the USA’s blue line, Edwards’ move proved effective outside of the NCAA bubble where it was originally tested.

Then, in the gold medal game against Canada, Edwards’ potential became even clearer. With the U.S. trailing late in the third, Edwards rifled a shot on net from the Canadian blue line, allowing for a rebound goal from Team USA’s all-time leading scorer, Hillary Knight.

Although it was not Edwards’ goal, her instinct to find pucks on net and create unconventional chances from the blue line displayed just how high of a hockey IQ the young defenseman has. With years of games played where her main focus was solely on scoring, her offensive instincts allow her to have the confidence to take pucks on net high in the zone.

Yet, as Edwards embarks on her journey with San Jose, she will face another, different challenge.

When being taken fourth overall, it is not shocking that high expectations are to follow. Entering professional hockey with one of the highest floors in the draft class, she is not simply joining a roster, but rather helping establish one. San Jose has chosen her to represent its future.

You can expect growing pains from the rookie, as the PWHL will be faster, more physical, and more intense than NCAA play. But make no mistake: the mandatory rookie growing pains that all first-year players exhibit will soon disappear as Edwards gets the first games under her belt. It is not only something that we, the fans, notice, but San Jose as well.

“[We are thrilled to officially welcome Laila to San Jose...]” Head Coach and General Manager Troy Ryan stated at Edwards’ introductory press conference, “and [we] are excited about what her commitment means for the future we are building here.”

The three-year contract gives Edwards something valuable at the beginning of her career that many rookies lack: time.

Time to become more comfortable on defense, time to learn the professional game, time to figure out her size, her skating, and her offensive instincts.

For PWHL San Jose, the hope is that this time will allow Edwards to become more than just the club’s first-ever draft pick. All they can do is wait and watch as Edwards is given the tools to become one of the defining players of the PWHL’s newest expansion franchise.