John Chayka has made his first big move with the Maple Leafs.
Toronto’s new general manager traded goaltender Joseph Woll and defenceman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for blueliner Emil Andrae, netminder Samuel Ersson and a third-round pick at the 2026 NHL draft later this month.
Andrae played 61 games for Philadelphia last season, recording 13 points (two goals, 11 assists). The 24-year-old Swede selected 54th overall in 2020 added one assist in four playoff contests.
Andrae, who adds youth to Toronto’s slow and aging back end, has put up 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 107 career NHL games.
Ersson made 33 appearances for the Flyers in 2025-26, posting a 14-11-5 record with an .870 save percentage and 3.12 goals-against average.
The 26-year-old selected by Philadelphia at No. 143 in 2018 has a combined 65-50-17 record across 143 regular-season games with an .884 save percentage and 3.01 GAA.
Woll departs Toronto, which picked him 62nd in 2016, after compiling a 63-43-9 record, .906 save percentage and 2.94 GAA in 117 regular-season contests.
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The 27-year-old put up a 15-16-7 mark, a career-high two shutouts, an .899 save percentage and 3.34 GAA in 2025-26 as Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
Woll, who was partnered with Anthony Stolarz in the Maple Leafs’ crease, has had a difficult time staying healthy in the NHL, with the 42 appearances he made in 2024-25 representing a career-high.
He also suited up for 14 playoff games, posting a 6-6 record to go along with a .906 save percentage and 2.73 GAA.
Tuesday’s deal opens the door for Dennis Hildeby to play more NHL games next season, while prospect Artur Akhtyamov has backstopped the Toronto Marlies’ run to the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup final.
Benoit had six assists in 73 games last season. The hard-nosed, undrafted 27-year-old has 36 points (six goals, 30 assists) in 352 combined games with the Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks.
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He appeared in 20 playoff contests, with the highlight being his overtime goal against the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 of the team’s first-round series last spring.
Chayka was hired by the Maple Leafs alongside franchise legend Mats Sundin, now the senior executive adviser of hockey operations, last month following a disastrous campaign for one of the pre-season Stanley Cup favourite.
Former GM Brad Treliving was fired in late March with Toronto circling the drain, while head coach Craig Berube, who has yet to be replaced, was handed his walking papers May 13.
Chayka has been tasked with retooling a roster that still features a formidable attack up front led by Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies.
Toronto owns the No. 1 pick for next week’s draft, with star forward Gavin McKenna the odds-on favourite to hear his name called first.
