Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka commented on the future of newly acquired goalie Samuel Ersson with his hockey club.
The Maple Leafs traded former goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and the 85th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The Leafs had a logjam in the crease with Woll, Dennis Hildeby, Anthony Stolarz, and Artur Akhtyamov all capable of playing games for the big-league squad, so they had to make a move. Woll ended up being the odd man out, but it was interesting that the Leafs ended up acquiring another young goalie in the deal with the 26-year-old Ersson.
Now, we have a bit more clarity on what Ersson’s future looks like in the blue and white.
John Chayka Reveals Plans for Samuel Ersson With Maple Leafs
Speaking to the media on a Zoom call after making the trade with Philadelphia, Chayka explained where Ersson fits in with the team’s current goaltending picture.
“Again, we were able to maintain our goaltending depth through this, so I think that was a helpful part of the transaction. I’m going to get with (Leafs goalie scout) Curtis McElhinney and review everything we’ve got. He oversees our goalie pipeline, and he’s done a great job so far. But we’re going to make some decisions about what that looks like. But again, he’s a good young goalie, and he’s someone that we identified as having some upside. So, we’ll get together with Curtis and make that decision,” Chayka said.
Samuel Ersson is an RFA
Ersson’s finishing up a two-year, $2.9 million contract with the Flyers that came in at a $1.45 million AAV. He is eligible to be qualified next season for $1.6 million, so the Maple Leafs have a decision to make if they want to keep him in the organization or let him test the free-agent waters.
The Leafs may qualify Ersson as he helps maintain depth for the team, just in case of any injuries to their top goaltenders. But at the same time, $1.6 million is an expensive price tag for a third or fourth goalie in the organization, so perhaps the Maple Leafs will choose to not qualify him and try to sign him back at a lower rate. Or, they might just let him go completely.
Last year, Ersson went 14-11-5 for the Flyers with a poor 3.12 GAA and a below-average .870 SV%. He was the Flyers’ starter the two seasons before that, but he lost his job to Dan Vladar this past season with the Flyers, and now he’s in a different organization entirely as the Leafs have picked him up.
Still, as Chayka said, there’s some upside here with Ersson, as 26 is still young for a goalie. He also has four years of NHL experience, so he has been around the league for a minute. Plus, he’ll be highly motivated to bounce back next season. Will that be in Toronto, though? We’ll find out soon, as Chayka will have to decide whether or not to qualify him.
John Chayka Comments on Samuel Ersson’s Maple Leafs Future