The Philadelphia Flyers have a new backup for Dan Vladar. After Tuesday’s trade, sending goalie Sam Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a 2026 3rd round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philly has acquired goaltender Joseph Woll and left-handed defenseman Simon Benoit.

That officially puts an end to the Andre experiment on defense, and concludes Ersson’s time in Philadelphia, which was a decision looming this offseason. Now, the Flyers add a goalie in Woll with the potential to be a high-end backup for Vladar, who will reportedly be staying in Philadelphia for the next 6 seasons with a reported 5-year extension all but officially signed.

Woll has a career .906 SV% and a 2.94 GAA in 117 games played for the Maple Leafs, but is coming off a career-low season with a 3.34 GAA and .899 SV% in 39 games. It was just his second career season with that many appearances, with his career high being 42 in 2024-25. Woll had 25 in 2023-24.

It’s not certain that Woll can return to his form from two seasons ago, but if the new home helps bring that side of the 27, soon-to-be 28-year-old goalie back, it gives the Flyers a solid tandem in goal for the next two seasons.

Benoit currently slots as the Flyers’ 7th defenseman, but his physicality could see him earning more time than the previous 7D, Noah Juulsen, whose time in Philly certainly seems to be up. The former Leafs defenseman is nowhere near the puck-mover or offensive threat that Andrae is, but is not as strong defensivley to be a threat to take time away from Nick Seeler, the Flyers’ current 3LD.

Let’s get into some immediate gut reactions to the trade.

Read More: BREAKING: Flyers Land New Backup in Goalie Swap With Maple Leafs

Instant Reaction to Flyers Trade With Maple Leafs

The writing was on the “Woll” (ha, get it), that Emil Andrae was on his way out of Philadelphia. Flyers GM Danny Briere confirmed that his size put him at a disadvantage, telling reporters on Tuesday that with two smaller defenseman in Cam York and Jamie Drysdale ahead of Andrae in the depth chart, the young Swedish blueliner’s size was a factor in making the trade.

It seems as if the Flyers, after a playoff run, are coveting size and physicality.

For Sam Ersson, it gives him the chance for a much-needed fresh start. The goalie flashed tons of potential throughout his time in Philly, but could never seem to put a complete season together at the level of play the Flyers needed.

Bringing in Woll also gives him a fresh start. After a stellar start to his career, he had a down season in his second full workload. Now, Toronto has a trio of Anthony Stolarz, Dennis Hildeby, and Sam Ersson. Woll has 2 years left under contract,

Woll will certainly slot in as the Flyers’ No. 2 goalie for this coming season. Adding Benoit gives the Flyers a Noah Juulsen replacement, who will be a UFA on July 1st. With Rasmus Ristolainen still a possibility to be traded this summer, Benoit gives the Flyers an option to replace his size and physicality.

As for the draft implications, moving the 2026 3rd-round pick means the Flyers do not have a single pick between their 2nd- and 6th-rounders. Today is June 16th, meaning there are 11 days until June 27th, Day 2 of the NHL Draft. Will the Flyers make another move to recoup some of the missing draft capital, or will the 2026 NHL draft be a quiet one for Philly?

Immediate Trade Report Card

If I had to stamp an immediate grade on the trade, I would give it a B.

Adding Woll is a very solid move. He has plenty of upside as a No. 2 goalie. Sam Ersson gave the Flyers some good hockey, but the move seems like a clear upgrade at the position. Moving on from Ersson and Andrae, both RFAs seem like a reasonable cost to acquire a high-upside backup goalie.

Again, getting Benoit, the assumed 7D replacement for Juulsen, was not a bad add. I did get curious about Nick Seeler, the Flyers’ current 3LD. If this move opens the door for a possibility trade there, I would be less high on the trade. Benoit cannot replace Seeler, nor should he.

The part I did not like about the trade was giving up a 3rd-round pick. The Flyers are already light on draft capital this year; losing another 2026 pick is less than ideal to me. Even if the Flyers had all of their mid-round picks in 2026, I think a 3rd-rounder is a bit much.

Between Vladar’s 2026-27 AAV and Woll’s $3.66 million AAV this season, Philly has a very good and cheap tandem. Even if Vladar’s AAV on his new deal is around $5.5 million, it still gives them a cheap duo for the next year. It also helps bridge the gap for Carson Bjarnason’s development and the potential arrival of Yegor Zavragin.

Overall, I do believe the Flyers got better from this trade. Woll is an upgrade at No. 2. Not to mention, the Flyers’ defense got bigger and more physical from the trade.

What would you grade the Flyers’ trade with the Maple Leafs?

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