It’s a start,we had to get rid of one of the goaltenders,i would have rather got rid of Stolarz,but hey the got a decent d-man and a draft pick,we need a few more trades now
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Maple Leafs fans share their thoughts on the Joseph Woll trade
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Jun 18, 2026, 06:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 17, 2026, 13:32 EDT
The Toronto Maple Leafs made their first trade of the offseason, sending Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers for Emil Andrae, Samuel Ersson, and a 2026 third-round pick.
Leafs GM John Chayka made it clear at the start of his tenure that one of his primary objectives this summer was to remake the look of the blueline. They took the first steps in achieving that goal while also relieving a goalie logjam that was becoming clear needed to be addressed with the emergence of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov this season.
It may have come at the expense of some beloved players in Woll and Benoit, but it is the first of many moves that Chayka is expected to make in the coming weeks as he attempts to retool the Leafs. Whether or not it will work out remains to be seen at the time of filing, but the Leafs are already a different-looking team. That’s why we asked you on social media for your thoughts on the trade, and here are the highlights.
Most Leafs fans understood that the team was likely going to move one of their goalies this summer, but many assumed it would be Anthony Stolarz given his struggles with form and staying healthy. That would apply to Woll as well, but the difference between the two is that Woll is younger and has more value on the trade front.
Not a fan Feels like if we were moving could have called Utah about a Hayton for Woll swap Both didnt have great seasons, both around same age, and both fit other teams needs
Some felt that the Leafs needed to target teams that were more desperate for goalies like the Edmonton Oilers and Utah Mammoth, the latter of whom had some appealing trade targets. But the Flyers were also in need of a goalie and it’s fair to say that the Leafs like Andrae, so that explains why they went in the direction they did.
Andrae is a younger, better Troy Stecher. Who was admired fairly quickly in his short stint here. Ersson is a throw-in who could be unqualified for all we care. 85th overall pick next Saturday and 4M in cap space. Solid B grade
There were plenty of fans expressing optimism at the addition of him into the fold given his impressive underlying metrics and puck-moving abilities despite being behind Jamie Drysdale and Cam York on the depth chart. Chayka admitted to reporters that he had been eying the diminutive blue-liner for quite some time and is clearly eager to get Andrae into the fold.
Woll was great. Yes last year had off game but the whole team did . Philly got a good keeper and he was a good leaf . End of story
And afterrrr alllllll 💔 pic.x.com/wdU67tgvl7
There were portions of the fanbase who were sad to see Woll and Benoit go because of how they endeared themselves to the Toronto faithful over the years. There’s no doubt that Woll, in particular, will be missed for the moments when he is on his game and there were some legitimate good moments. The biggest knock against him was the fact that he cannot stay healthy, and combined with the emerging younger options made Woll expendable.
On the Flyers’ side of things, they add a quality goalie who could form a tandem with Dan Vladar while Benoit gives them some physicality as a seventh defenceman. Andrae brings mobility to the Leafs’ backend, Ersson likely won’t stand in the way of Hildeby and Akhtyamov, and adding more draft picks isn’t a bad thing. You can see why the teams opted to make this move, and it could work out well for both sides.
We want… Let’s see how the next 3 weeks play out and assess then. Clearly this is part of a future transaction(s) for the Buds
It is clear that there is plenty of work that Chayka has to do to retool this roster, and this trade is only just the beginning. He admitted to reporters that while they are happy with this particular transaction, there is more they want to do in the coming weeks. One can only imagine what else is in the works and we are definitely in for a busy offseason from a trade perspective.
We want to hear from you: what are your thoughts on the Joseph Woll trade?
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