Flyers Acquire Woll and Benoit from Maple Leafs in Offseason Trade

The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade executed on Tuesday. In return, the Leafs received goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round draft pick.

The move represents an early offseason effort by the Flyers to bolster their roster following a playoff run that saw them reach the second round before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere described the trade as a step forward for the organization. Woll will serve as a dependable backup to starter Dan Vladar, who is coming off a career year and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. Briere emphasized that having both goalies performing well would help prevent injuries and keep Vladar fresh throughout the season.

Benoit, 28, brings size and physicality to Philadelphia's defense. At 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, he addresses a need identified by Briere, who wanted a larger defenseman to complement smaller players like Cam York and Jamie Drysdale. Briere praised Benoit's physicality, size, and skating ability.

For Toronto, the trade marks new general manager John Chayka's first roster move since taking over in early May. Chayka framed the trade as a salary cap-saving move while acquiring a young defenseman. Woll carries a $3.67 million cap hit for the next two seasons, while Benoit is under contract for one more year at $1.35 million. Andrae and Ersson will become restricted free agents. Chayka indicated the Leafs have Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby positioned atop their goaltending depth chart and remained noncommittal about tendering Ersson a qualifying offer.