We already have our first major trade of the young NHL offseason between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers involving several players, including a pair of goaltenders.
The Maple Leafs traded goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Flyers in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and Philadelphia’s third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
It’s the first major shakeup of the Maple Leafs involving players since Chayka took the job last month; he made a major change in leadership as one of his first acts as GM, dismissing head coach Craig Berube after only two seasons on the job.
But now, Chayka has already put his mark on the club by trading the goaltender that many saw as the long-term starter in the Toronto crease.
Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka Explains Why He Traded Goaltender Joseph Woll To The Flyers
After the trade, Chayka touted the Maple Leafs’ organizational depth at the position as a key reason why he was comfortable in trading Woll.
“Yeah, I think it’s good in any good situation where you have organizational depth, you want the young players to force your hand a bit, and certainly the way that they played Dennis at the NHL level, even with AA (Artur Akhtyamov) with what he’s doing with the Marlies right now as a manager, definitely causes you to take notice and make plans,” Chayka said.
“And like I said, we were looking to optimize our pipeline. We felt like we had a lot of similarities, and we also had the waiver situation. This allows us to maintain some organizational depth while also, like I said, getting a young defenseman that we really like and a draft pick. But the way those guys are playing and certainly AA right now through the playoffs, is something that we’ve taken notice of.”
Waiting in the system of the Maple Leafs are young goaltenders Dennis Hildeby, who got several games of NHL experience this past season, along with Artur Akhtyamov.
Woll was selected in the third round (62nd overall pick) by the Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft, and has compiled a record of 63-43-9 with a 2.94 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and four shutouts.
Meanwhile, Ersson was taken by the Flyers in the fifth round (143rd overall pick) of the 2018 NHL Draft, and has compiled a record of 65-50-17 with a 3.01 goals-against average, a .884 save percentage, and seven shutouts sofar in hiscareer.
Joseph Woll Is Now With The Flyers
The former presumed goalie of the future for the Maple Leafs is now a member of the Flyers, and he’ll form a tandem with Dan Vladar, who helped lead the Flyers to a first round playoff victory this spring over the in-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs are rolling forward with Anthony Stolarz, who missed considerable time this past season with a nerve injury, as their top goaltender on their depth chart. Time will tell if this move pays off for Chayka and the Leafs.
Maple Leafs GM John Chayka Breaks Silence After Blockbuster Trade