Toronto Maple Leafs make draft-day trade with Ottawa Senators

Samuel Ersson's time with the Toronto Maple Leafs is over before it began.

The Maple Leafs acquired Ersson along with defenceman Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick in exchange for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit just 10 days ago. Now, Ersson is on the move once again.

The Leafs traded Ersson to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick on Friday afternoon, ahead of the NHL Draft in Buffalo.

TRADE: We've acquired a fifth-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the rights to goaltender Samuel Ersson

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 26, 2026

This trade doesn't come as a major surprise, as the Leafs already have Anthony Stolarz pencilled in to be their starting goaltender for the 2026-27 season. They also have 24-year-old Dennis Hildeby, who impressed in 20 appearances with the Leafs this past season.

As for the Senators, it's possible they are viewing Ersson as a back-up option for the upcoming season. Linus Ullmark is locked in as their starter, but Leevi Merilainen is tough to trust behind him. The 23-year-old struggled immensely in the Sens crease this past season, posting an ugly 3.51 GAA along with a .860 SV% in 20 appearances.

That said, there will be questions on just how much of an upgrade Ersson is.

The 26-year-old didn't fare well throughout his tenure with the Flyers. In 143 NHL games to date, he's put up a 3.01 GAA and a .884 SV%. This past season, in which he held a back-up role to Dan Vladar, saw him post a disappointing 3.12 GAA along with a .870 SV% in 33 games.

This is just the sixth trade these two Ontario rivals have ever made. The most recent had been in 2019, where the Leafs dealt Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Brown, and Michael Carcone to the Sens in exchange for Cody Ceci, Ben Harpur, Aaron Luchuk, and a third-round pick.

While goalie prospect Artur Akhtyamov is also pushing for NHL time, Leafs fans should expect Stolarz and Hildeby to begin the 2026-27 season as the goaltending tandem.