The Toronto Maple Leafs traded goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers, receiving goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The deal, reported by NHL.com, is more than a goalie swap. It is the first trade made by John Chayka since becoming Toronto’s general manager on May 3, and it gives an early look at how the Maple Leafs’ new front office is treating a roster that just missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons.
What changed in the trade
Philadelphia gets Woll, a 27-year-old goalie with two seasons left on a three-year, $10.98 million contract carrying a $3.67 million average annual value. The Flyers also add Benoit, a 27-year-old defenseman with one season left at a $1.35 million AAV.
Toronto gets Ersson, a 26-year-old goalie entering the final season of a two-year, $2.9 million contract, plus Andrae, a 24-year-old defenseman who can become a restricted free agent on July 1. The Maple Leafs also add a 2026 third-round pick.
On the surface, Philadelphia is buying the goalie it prefers. Toronto is taking back a cheaper goalie, a younger defenseman, and a draft asset while loosening its roster commitments.
Why Philadelphia wanted Woll
Woll’s most recent season was not a clean selling point. He went 15-16-7 with a 3.34 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage, both career lows, across 39 games. Toronto also allowed 3.60 goals per game, the second-highest rate in the league.
But the Flyers are not only trading for last season’s numbers. Woll’s broader NHL record is steadier: 63-43-9 with a 2.94 GAA and .906 save percentage in 117 regular-season games, plus a .906 save percentage in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Flyers general manager Daniel Briere framed Woll as a tandem fit with Dan Vladar. That matters because Vladar carried a heavy load last season, starting 51 regular-season games and playing every minute of Philadelphia’s playoff run. Vladar was strong, posting a 2.42 GAA and .906 save percentage in the regular season, then a .922 save percentage in the playoffs.
The Flyers’ bet is that Woll can be more than a backup but does not need to be handed the crease outright. If Vladar remains the lead goalie, Woll can absorb meaningful starts, reduce regular-season wear, and give Philadelphia a second option if performance or health becomes an issue.
Why Toronto made the move
For Toronto, the trade reads like an offseason positioning move. Chayka specifically pointed to flexibility, roster needs and young assets. That language is front-office shorthand, but here it has concrete meaning.
The Maple Leafs moved Woll’s two remaining years at $3.67 million AAV and Benoit’s one remaining season. In return, they get Ersson on a lower current AAV, Andrae with restricted free agent status, and a third-round pick. Toronto does not have to decide today that Ersson is its long-term answer. It can evaluate him, negotiate later, or reshape the position again.
That flexibility matters because Toronto already had other NHL-used goalies in the organization last season: Anthony Stolarz, Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov. Moving Woll reduces the crowd and turns one of the team’s few areas of depth into assets elsewhere.
A simple example: if a team has four goalies who plausibly need NHL or near-NHL consideration, keeping all of them can become less valuable than using one to solve another roster problem. Toronto did not just exchange Woll for Ersson. It turned a goalie slot into Andrae, a pick and more room to maneuver before the rest of the offseason unfolds.
The defense piece should not be ignored
Benoit gives Philadelphia a known depth defenseman. He had six assists in 73 games last season and has played 352 regular-season NHL games across Anaheim and Toronto. His contract is modest and expires after next season, so the Flyers are not taking on a long-term obligation.
Andrae gives Toronto a different kind of defense asset. He had 13 points in 61 regular-season games last season and has 20 points in 107 career NHL games. At 24, and with restricted free agent status, he gives the Maple Leafs a younger player whose next role and contract can be shaped by the new front office.
That is the trade’s quiet split: Philadelphia gets more immediate NHL certainty on the blue line, while Toronto gets a younger defenseman with more control over what comes next.
The risk on both sides
Philadelphia is betting that Woll’s difficult season was not the beginning of a decline. That is a reasonable but not risk-free read. His career numbers are better than his 2025-26 results, yet goalies can be volatile, and the Flyers are adding him while they are still working on Vladar’s next contract.
Toronto’s risk is different. The Maple Leafs are moving a goalie they drafted and developed, one who has already handled playoff starts and posted respectable postseason numbers. If Woll rebounds in Philadelphia, the trade may look like Toronto sold after a down year.
Ersson also arrives after a rough statistical season. He went 14-11-5 with a 3.12 GAA and .870 save percentage in 33 games and did not play in the playoffs, serving as Vladar’s backup. Toronto is not acquiring a proven upgrade in net. It is acquiring a cheaper, younger goalie it believes still has upside, while accepting uncertainty.
What to watch next
- Vladar’s contract talks: Philadelphia’s goalie plan looks different if Vladar signs an extension than if talks stall.
- Toronto’s next goalie decision: Ersson’s restricted free agent status gives the Maple Leafs options, but they still need to define the depth chart.
- Andrae’s role: His value to Toronto depends on whether he becomes a regular NHL contributor or remains a depth piece.
- Chayka’s next moves: This was his first trade, and he has already said there is more roster work to do.
The deal makes sense because both teams were solving different problems. Philadelphia wanted a goalie it sees as a better tandem partner for Vladar. Toronto wanted to convert organizational depth into flexibility, a younger defenseman and a draft pick.
That does not make the trade automatically even. It makes it revealing. The Flyers are trying to strengthen a playoff roster without waiting for every internal player to develop. The Maple Leafs, after a failed season and a management change, are giving themselves more ways to rebuild the roster around the margins before the bigger offseason decisions arrive.