With free agency complete and rosters partially filled, the January 27 draft takes center stage as the defining moment for C4 roster construction. Every team must build to six total players, three female and three open, and the path to get there looks dramatically different across the league.

Teams Drafting Three Players

Five teams have locked in their maximum of three players and will use the draft to complete their rosters:

• London Smash – Ryan Torresin (#1), Jessica Kawamoto (#2), Anne-Sophie Courteau (#4)
• Draft Needs: Two open, one female

The Smash have built a superteam with three of the top four performers from 2025. With Kawamoto and Courteau forming an elite female duo, London needs to build out their open rotation to complement Torresin and create dominant mixed doubles pairings.

• Montreal Lions – Ernesto Fajardo (#8), Louis-Charles Amyot (#3), Christina Chin (#25)
• Draft Needs: Two female, one open

The defending champions need to find players who fit their championship culture. After losing two starters but retooling with Chin’s built-in chemistry with Fajardo, Montreal’s draft will focus on adding female depth to complement Chin and one more open player to back up their men’s lineup.

• Southwestern Ontario Brewers – Kyle Hermetz (#35), Ava Kalist (#38), Audrey Yeung (#32)
• Draft Needs: One female, two open

The Brewers have already completed their female lineup and now shift focus entirely to building their open rotation. They need players who complement Hermetz’s power game and fit the team-first culture they’re establishing.

• Detroit-Windsor Drive – Evan Hollinsky (#33), Alexis Debol (#29), Stevie Petropouleas (#6)
• Draft Needs: One female, two open

Like the Brewers, the Drive have secured their female rotation and now need to build out their open roster. Adding the right player to support Hollinsky and create versatile mixed doubles options will determine whether their championship window truly opens in C4.

• Toronto United – Matt Kawamoto (#23), Max Wild (#11), Jada Bui (#5)
• Draft Needs: Two female, one open

United chose not to use their free agent slot, betting on their ability to draft the right pieces around their core. They need depth in the female rotation to support Bui and one more open player to back up their men’s lineup behind Kawamoto and Wild.

Teams Drafting Four Players

Three teams enter draft day with just two players signed, meaning they’ll build two-thirds of their roster in a single day:

• Vancouver Owls – Anna Dyachenko (#19), Armaan Jiwa Mawji (#9)
• Draft Needs: Two female, two open

The Owls have balanced needs across both categories. With Dyachenko anchoring their female lineup and Jiwa Mawji (#9) providing elite open talent, Vancouver needs to add quality depth to both sides to remain competitive.

• Northern Lights – Joel Pelletier (#17), Danielle Boss (#21)
• Draft Needs: Two female, two open

The Lights have balanced needs, requiring equal additions to both categories. As the third-place finishers from 2025, they have a proven foundation in Pelletier’s veteran leadership and Boss’s emerging talent, now they need to surround them with the right pieces.

• Prairie Pronghorns – Antoaneta Toskova (#10), Lucas Wong (#13)
• Draft Needs: Two female, two open

The Pronghorns have perfectly balanced needs with two top-15 performers already locked in. However, they hold a significant advantage: with the #1 and #4 overall picks, they’re in prime position to add elite talent early on both sides and transform their roster in a single draft.

The Strategic Complexity of Draft Day

The January 27 draft isn’t just about talent, it’s about balance. Teams must build rosters that can compete across women’s doubles, open doubles, and two mixed doubles formats. The strategic questions facing each team are distinct:

• Can London and Montreal find role players who won’t disrupt their star-heavy chemistry?
• Will the Brewers and Drive find open players who can elevate their already-complete female rotations?
• Will the Lights, Owls, and Pronghorns balanced approach allow them to build the most well-rounded rosters?

The draft will answer these questions and determine which teams truly maximized their free agency decisions. With some teams needing stars, others needing depth, and everyone needing the right positional balance, January 27 will set the table for the most unpredictable and explosive CNPL season yet.