New Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has already made a major impression on the club with the moves that he’s made, starting with the firing of head coach Craig Berube and the subsequent hiring of former assistant coach Jim Hiller as his official replacement.
Additionally, Chayka made a franchise-altering move in goal, trading goaltender Joseph Woll along with defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers. In return, the Maple Leafs received goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The move caught many by surprise, and a large portion of the Maple Leafs fan base expressed emotions ranging from confusion to outright hostility.
Top Maple Leafs beat writer Jonas Siegel admitted he had no idea of the logic behind the trade, and now, former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger, who was linked to the Maple Leafs for a high-profile executive position at one point during this offseason, is weighing in with his thoughts.
Hall Of Fame Defenseman Chris Pronger Reacts To The Toronto Maple Leafs Trading Joseph Woll To The Flyers
The Hall of Fame defenseman, who led the Anaheim Ducks to the Stanley Cup in 2007 and later helped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, believes that the trade of Joseph Woll to the Flyers will benefit both sides.
“You look at the trade on the Philadelphia Flyers side, picking up Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit, you’re getting a rugged, 6’7″ d-man who plays with an edge,” Pronger said. “A prototypical Philadelphia Flyer. And you get Joseph Woll, who will push Dan Vladar. A 1A, 1B type backup. I think it’s a good upgrade for the Flyers. And then counter that on the Maple Leafs side, it gives them some flexibility with respect to getting more cap space.”
“They get a capable goaltender who may or may not be with him,” he continued. “If they lose him on waivers, depending on who they keep as their backup to Anthony Stolarz, and then they get a young, transition mobile defenseman in Emil Andrae. They get some draft capital to continue to try and re-stock. Personally, I think it’s a win-win for both teams; they get what they need.”
What Does Chris Pronger Think Of Toronto’s Hiring Of Jim Hiller?
As far as the hiring of Jim Hiller, who was fired this season as coach of the Los Angeles Kings, Pronger believes it’s “interesting”.
“And then on the Toronto Maple Leafs side, with respect to their head coach – I’m not sure anybody saw this coming,” Pronger said. “I know he has four years as an assistant coach there. But with how things played out in L.A. with respect to some of their playoffs, and obviously how things played out last year before getting fired in L.A., it’ll be interesting to see what he’s able to kind of squeeze out what juice is left with the team, and what he’s able to squeeze out of the Leafs players at this point. Obviously, some familiarity with a few of them….an interesting hire.”
Chris Pronger Issues Strong Statement Over Recent Maple Leafs Moves