on laila’s transition to defenseman. (sorry in advance, this got REALLY long and probably has one billion typos.)
laila has shared that changing from f to d on the national team was a strategic move with regard to securing a position on the 2026 olympics roster—and for all intents and purposes that worked out! it worked out really well! i’ll tell anyone who will listen that i feel she faces a lot of bad-faith criticism, so i want to start by saying she had a great olympics and i think it’s hard to argue with the numbers on that: 3rd in points with 2 goals and 6 assists and an average of over 21 minutes of ice time per game on a team that was both an offensive and defensive powerhouse if the 287-126 sog differential is anything to go by. (and wroblewski wasn’t giving her that ice time just to give it to her as some people like to suggest, considering he benched her during a game where she was struggling back in 2025 worlds.) even before milan, she had a really solid showing in the rivalry series last year! so i guess my question has never been about whether or not she can be successful at d, but rather why she had to (or felt she had to) make that move in the first place.
she said those conversations started happening not soon after 2024 worlds…… where she had a historic run as a winger. i mean historic in a literal sense: she was named tournament mvp, and became the youngest player to ever be given that honor. she takes a lot of ownership over the decision to change positions, and has expressed some pretty genuine frustration over people just shutting down the idea of her as a defenseman, so it’s not that i think she was explicitly told “you need to try out at d or you’re probably not making the olympic team.” but at the same time, i find it hard to believe there weren’t voices in her ear influencing that choice considering the timing. and i don’t really understand why that would be the case, considering the success she had as a forward. even if laila was the one to say “i’m worried about roster depth at forward and my ability to get a spot on the upcoming olympic team, should i work on becoming a defenseman instead?” i would think the response would be to point her towards things she could work on at the position she’s been extremely high-performing at rather than being like “sure, let’s turn you into a defenseman, we could use some more of those.” i’m certain plenty of people have articulated this much better than i ever could, but she wouldn’t be the first black athlete to be given what was ultimately the harder path (and as a extension less opportunity to shine where they’re already excelling) because they’re just “””so versatile and gifted at their sport””” or whatever. there’s a precedent there. usa hockey knows this, even, and has pretty much responded to any probing about the optics of it with “well, it was her idea, it was her decision.” so that’s that.
looking at the draft eligibility list, specifically the difference in number of forwards vs number of defenders, i can’t help think back to the roster depth (or in this case draft pool depth) point. obviously there are behind the scenes conversations happening, probably with a lot of people (family, coaches, managers, her sports psychologist, etc.), but it reads to me like laila thinks she needs to make strategic decisions about what position to play compared to the amount of competition(?) there is around her, similar to what happened in the lead up to the olympics. i personally don’t think that kind of strategizing is necessarily—she would be one of the best wingers from the ncaa going into the draft, if not the best. but i would have thought the same thing when comparing her to the rest of team usa’s young core back in 2024, and clearly there were influences allowing her to feel otherwise.
that all being said, i do think laila brings a lot to the blue line. with a higher level of physicality being allowed in the pwhl compared to ncaa and international play, her stature alone would certainly be of value. she’s 6’1, 190, and can hit (i’ve seen it, it’s hot). everyone knows she has a crazy shot, and she’s strong enough to take them from pretty far back. she’s also a very skilled playmaker (i often think to myself that she reminds me of a point guard in her playstyle), and she has said herself that playing at d allows her to see more of the ice. not to mention what she contributes to special teams regardless of position.
obviously this is all just my interpretation which is why i’d love for next gen or really any hockey outlet to actually talk to laila about this stuff but of course i’m excited to follow her professional career no matter what position she plays :) i think she’s a really special player and person
