The Toronto Maple Leafs traded goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Emil Andrae, goaltender Samuel Ersson and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the teams announced Tuesday.Woll, 27, posted a 15-16-7 record this past season for the Leafs, with an .899 save percentage and 3.31 goals-against average. Benoit, 27, had six assists in 73 games for Toronto last season.Ersson, 26, appeared in 33 games for the Flyers last season, finishing with a 14-11-5 record, 3.12 goals-against average and .870 save percentage. Andrae recorded 13 points in 61 games for Philadelphia last season, adding an assist in four playoff games.Scouting report on Emil AndraeAndrae’s a player I’ve always had a soft spot for and was my No. 3-ranked Flyers prospect in my 2025 pool rankings before he made the full-time jump to the NHL.
He’s a short and stocky 5-foot-9 defenseman, but he doesn’t play like a typical blueliner of that size. His game is more about competitiveness, effectiveness and puck-moving than any dynamic quality. John Chayka has talked about adding more of that puck-moving element to the Leafs’ backend and he’ll give them a different look on their third pairing than they’ve had in recent years.He manages pressure well in all three zones, side-stepping forecheckers in the defensive zone and keeping his head up through neutral ice to create entries. He’s got good four-way mobility through his crossovers and footwork (without being the quickest player from a standstill, though I think that has been overstated even if it can limit his rush defense or pull him out of position when he gets caught up ice). I like his sturdiness and physicality for his size. He holds his own in battles, boxes out well for a smaller player and can step up to rub players out along the wall. And improved feet from a standstill have gone a long way to ensuring he can hold his own defensively.Andrae’s got great touch and weight on his passes. He usually makes the right decisions on when to attack off the line into his shot or when to distribute. His shot pops, and he does a good job adjusting his angles to get it through. He’s always shoulder-checking going back for pucks, even under pressure.And the offensive-zone skill is there, even if it’s more likely to beat one layer of pressure and make a quick play than to try to break down multiple defenders. He creates in short, decisive sequences. — Scott Wheeler, national NHL prospects writerThis is a breaking news story and will be updated. Jun 16, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
