Ahead of the NHL Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs have traded goaltender Samuel Ersson to the Ottawa Senators, in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

Ersson was previously acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, along with Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick, in exchange for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit. Toronto was not expected to submit a qualifying offer for Ersson, and the 26-year-old is a restricted free agent this summer. Ersson posted an 14-11-5 record in 33 appearances last season with the Flyers, recording a .870 save percentage. He has never posted greater than a .900 save percentage in parts of four NHL seasons.

This is John Chayka’s third trade as Maple Leafs general manager. Chayka acquired Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a fifth-round pick, then promptly signed the defenceman to an eight-year extension, reportedly worth $8.5 million per season. It’s been a busy summer for Chayka, as the Maple Leafs navigate two timelines, where they’re expected to win-now, while curating their future core of Gavin McKenna, Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan.

“I think it’s good in any good situation where you have organizational depth, you want the young players to force your hand a bit, and certainly the way that they played Dennis at the NHL level, even with AA (Artur Akhtyamov) with what he’s doing with the Marlies right now as a manager, definitely causes you to take notice and make plans,” Chayka said on June 16, following the trade for Ersson.

Chayka also told reporters Thursday that Anthony Stolarz will be the starting goaltender next fall, with Artur Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby vying for the backup role. Akhtyamov won Calder Cup Playoffs MVP, and is a rising star with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

It’s an exciting time for the Maple Leafs. Chayka continues to accrue future draft capital and create cap space for the Maple Leafs, while Toronto deals from a position of a strength in the crease.