The Philadelphia Flyers acquired goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, giving the NHL club another goaltending option while sending Samuel Ersson, Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round draft pick to Toronto.
NHL.com confirmed the full trade package on June 17. The move is a clean roster transaction rather than a rumor cycle: Woll and Benoit go to Philadelphia, while the Maple Leafs receive Ersson, Andrae and a future pick as they reshape their depth after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Woll Gives Flyers Another Goalie Option
Woll, 27, comes to Philadelphia with two seasons remaining on the three-year, $10.98 million contract he signed with Toronto on July 1, 2024. The deal carries a $3.67 million average annual value and can take him to unrestricted free agency after the 2027-28 season.
He went 15-16-7 this season with a 3.34 goals-against average, a .899 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 games, 38 of them starts. Those numbers came behind a Toronto team that allowed 3.60 goals per game, the second-highest rate in the league, which matters when judging a goalie moving into a new setup.
Flyers general manager Daniel Briere framed the deal as a chance to improve Philadelphia's goaltending picture and said Woll can work in tandem with Dan Vladar. Vladar went 29-14-7 with a 2.42 GAA and .906 save percentage this season, then posted a 2.18 GAA and .922 save percentage in the playoffs. He has one season left on a two-year, $6.7 million contract, with talks on an extension still ongoing according to the team.
Toronto Turns Goalie Depth Into Assets
For the Maple Leafs, the trade is the first made by general manager John Chayka since he was hired May 3 after Brad Treliving was dismissed March 30. Chayka said Toronto used its goaltending depth to create flexibility and add young assets while addressing other roster needs.
Ersson, 26, gives Toronto another goalie under team control. He went 14-11-5 with a 3.12 GAA and .870 save percentage in 33 games for Philadelphia this season, including 29 starts, and can become a restricted free agent July 1 after the final season of his two-year, $2.9 million contract.
Woll's Toronto resume was long enough to make the move substantial. A third-round pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft, he is 63-43-9 with a 2.94 GAA, .906 save percentage and four shutouts in 117 regular-season games. He also played 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games for Toronto, going 6-6 with a 2.73 GAA and .906 save percentage.
Benoit, Ersson And Andrae Round Out Deal
Benoit adds a defense component to Philadelphia's side of the trade. The 27-year-old had six assists in 73 games this season, has 36 points across 352 NHL regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks and Maple Leafs, and has one season remaining on a three-year, $4.05 million contract.
Andrae, 24, joins Toronto as the younger defenseman in the package. The draft pick completes the Maple Leafs' return and gives Chayka another piece to manage in an offseason that already includes a coaching change, with Jim Hiller hired Wednesday to replace Craig Berube.
The deal resets two goalie rooms before the offseason market fully opens: Philadelphia pairs Woll with Vladar, while Toronto brings in Ersson, adds Andrae and picks up a 2026 third-round selection.