Fresh off a playoff run that extended into the second round, the Philadelphia Flyers wasted no time making moves this offseason — landing a new goaltender and defenseman in a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The trade, completed Tuesday, brings goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia. In exchange, the Flyers shipped goalie Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick in next week’s draft north to Toronto.
The addition of Woll is expected to give Philadelphia a reliable backup option alongside projected starter Dan Vladar, who just wrapped up the best season of his career. Vladar helped the Flyers knock out Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Carolina — the team that went on to win the Stanley Cup.
“We thought it was a chance to improve the team, help them take another step,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere told reporters at a predraft news conference in Voorhees, New Jersey. “We felt that Woll is a step forward for us and will be able to help Vladdy in a tandem role.”
Vladar becomes eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1. Briere indicated the team and Vladar’s representatives are working toward getting that deal done. The hope is that pairing Vladar with Woll creates a more balanced goaltending situation than what played out early last season, when Ersson ran into difficulties.
“The better you can have both of them going, I think it helps,” Briere said. “It prevents injuries and (Vladar) stays fresh and he can, I think, perform better. We hope that they can push each other that way.”
On the defensive side, Benoit — who is 28 years old, stands 6-foot-4, and weighs over 200 pounds — brings a physical presence that Briere felt was missing. With smaller defensemen Cam York and Jamie Drysdale already on the roster, the general manager said he wanted someone with Benoit’s size and strength.
“It’s going to probably be a little easier for the coaches having a guy like Simon Benoit back there to use,” Briere said. “We like the physicality that he brings, and we like the size and the skating aspect, too. He’s a really good skater.”
For Toronto, this transaction marks the first roster move by new general manager John Chayka since he took over in early May. Chayka described the deal as an opportunity to gain salary cap flexibility while also picking up a defenseman in his mid-20s in Andrae.
“What we like about this opportunity was it allowed us to create some flexibility,” Chayka said during a video call with reporters. “We think flexibility and optionality are assets to any great organization, and certainly this allows us to be in a better spot as we think about the entire offseason plan.”
Woll carries a cap hit of $3.67 million over each of the next two seasons, while Benoit is under contract for one more year at $1.35 million. Both Andrae and Ersson are restricted free agents. With Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby expected to lead Toronto’s goaltending depth chart, Chayka was noncommittal when asked whether the Leafs would extend a qualifying offer to keep Ersson’s rights.
“He’s a good, young goaltender,” Chayka said. “He’s someone that we identified as having some upside and someone that our staff could work with.”
