The tradeMaple Leafs get: Goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, third-round pick in 2026.Flyers get: Goalie Joseph Woll, defenseman Simon BenoitJames Mirtle: The first question for anyone looking at this deal from the Toronto side will be “Why?”Why even trade Woll, who has been developing in the organization for a decade and shown flashes of brilliance the past three seasons, including in the playoffs?Yes, the Leafs have a three-man logjam in goal — with Dennis Hildeby requiring waivers in the fall — and that’s one surplus they had to trade from to get assets. But Woll had what appeared to be the best starter credentials of their three NHL-ready goalies, even with his injury concerns, and given that he remains relatively untested, his value on the roster was higher than in a trade.Ersson, meanwhile, has been one of the NHL’s worst four netminders in goals saved above expected the past two seasons, playing his way effectively out of the league. He may not even be worth giving a qualifying offer at this point, as Anthony Stolarz and Hildeby will be ahead of him on Toronto’s depth chart.
So, at face value, this deal looks like a full-out win for the Flyers, who are on the verge of solidifying their goaltending long-term with an extension incoming for Dan Vladar on July 1. The wild card in the trade will be the development of Andrae, a very undersized yet nonetheless intriguing puck mover who will give Toronto’s back end a very different look than the big and limited Benoit.At this stage, the 24-year-old Andrae appears to be merely a bottom-pair, second-unit PP option, but there is potential there. If he can turn into a top-four option for a Toronto team desperate to remake its blue line into more of a finesse-driven unit, you can make sense of this deal, and it’ll be a win for new GM John Chayka. The Leafs do gain cap space, with Woll earning $3.66 million the next two seasons, and a third-round pick.But overall, it feels like a net loss — literally — given the uncertainty now around their goaltending situation.Maple Leafs grade: C
