Confirmed with Link: Leafs acquire Emil Andrae, Samuel Ersson, 2026 3rd for Joseph Woll, Simon Benoit

[seventieslord]

Funny that the leafs are making a clear statement that they are not prioritizing big butchers on defense anymore and want mobile puck movers, size optional. But the guy that they picked up, despite having an offensive bent, hasn't actually produced any more points than Benoit

 

[HockeyVirus]

Yea... i've seen enough. Fire Chayka into the sun. Trade the best goalie on the team for a nobody. f***ing dipshit

I'm not surprised this is your stance but aren't you the one who also says the Leafs need to be more like Zito and these GMs who all used analytics to uncover "nobodies" like Forsling and many other examples?

What if this is a case of getting a top 4 offensive dman for a good goalie and a #7dman? That's a pretty good trade.

I honestly don't know never watched him before but his AHL stats are very strong.

 

[fahad203]

I don't get this one at all from Toronto's standpoint.

Ersson is likely worthless. Woll is coming off a rough year at 3.31/.899 in 39 games, but that's better than Ersson has ever performed in a season.

As for Andrae, not sure what to make of him. Is he untapped potential waiting for a breakout opportunity? or just another Denis Malgin type who's fancy stats looked decent; but overall a reasonably useless player.

Very simple. They wanted to move bodies, especially in goal. They must believe in AA

 

[The Management]

He could totally turn it around but to be honest he was trending towards the opposite. He's very injury proned and inconsistent.

Maybe Woll wanted to move along. Who knows. I don't like the return. But maybe we were overvaluing him too much

Yeah. I could see this management group having identified that inconsistency and chaos in net last year as one of the many problems, and carrying two oft-injured goalies, neither of whom are sure things, was probably not where they wanted to go this season.

 

[MSZ]

I don't get this one at all from Toronto's standpoint.

Ersson is likely worthless. Woll is coming off a rough year at 3.31/.899 in 39 games, but that's better than Ersson has ever performed in a season.

As for Andrae, not sure what to make of him. Is he untapped potential waiting for a breakout opportunity? or just another Denis Malgin type who's fancy stats looked decent; but overall a reasonably useless player.

If they promote AA to the big club next season, Ersson would be going to play for the Marlies...If they decided to re-sign him that is.

 

[The Masters]

Shoulda got more for woll

 

[seventieslord]

I think they have found out the hard way after watching their old defense implode last year that it wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world to just let Lily and Sandin learn on the job and by now you have decent puck moving number three and five defensemen who are still young and are signed to pretty friendly contracts (and Sandin would be no worse than Rielly right now). Maybe they are trying to get a redo with this guy.

Similar to them at this point in their development, he has excellent underlying numbers that suggest he may be worth giving a bigger role.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Funny that the leafs are making a clear statement that they are not prioritizing big butchers on defense anymore and want mobile puck movers, size optional. But the guy that they picked up, despite having an offensive bent, hasn't actually produced any more points than Benoit

Again I say, isn't the point to identify guys before they 'pop' like the Panthers did with most of their core and get them for cheap?

No idea if Chayka is cooking or cooked, but I am assuming this would be someone the Leafs analytical department and amateur scouting had identified.

 

[TMLeafer]

Should have asked for our pick back

 

[notbias]

Woll has shown flashes of being great, so that kind of sucks.

Glad Benoit is gone, he sucks, an expensive D for the press box.

3rd + a D who can move the puck is fine, unsure how to feel until I see some of Andrae, but from a quick look, he seems to be good at suppressing chances against, and decent at driving play.

Did really well with Seeler, struggled with Drysdale.

Might be more of a bottom-pairing guy who can take some defensive zone draws and transition quickly up ice, would be nice to have over a D who is a liability but can hit people here and there and get beat up in fights.

Also, it opens up a little more cap space and allows Hildeby a spot, so he is not claimed (not high on Hildeby though).

Gives AA a clearer path too.

 

[fahad203]

Funny that the leafs are making a clear statement that they are not prioritizing big butchers on defense anymore and want mobile puck movers, size optional. But the guy that they picked up, despite having an offensive bent, hasn't actually produced any more points than Benoit

I really liked Benoit at his price point. But last year he was heavily exposed. He looked lost a lot of games

 

[seventieslord]

Again I say, isn't the point to identify guys before they 'pop' like the Panthers did with most of their core and get them for cheap?

No idea if Chayka is cooking or cooked, but I am assuming this would be someone the Leafs analytical department and amateur scouting had identified.

Yes, 100%, that should be exactly what your pro scouting department should be achieving.

 

[hamzarocks]

Wanted Zellweger but got Andrae

Hope he can breakout and be a Malinski type player

 

[Stephen]

I feel like moving on from Woll has a greater regret factor than Stolarz. But Stolarz has a greater ceiling and lower floor than Woll. Generally didn’t really like the career progression of Woll, his physical health issues and other unavailability issues. His WC was also weak and seems to be a nice guy treading water in his career. I think Hildeby and AA are more exciting goalies of the future. Maybe Ersson gives us a veteran in a pinch.

 

[SprDaVE]

Funny that the leafs are making a clear statement that they are not prioritizing big butchers on defense anymore and want mobile puck movers, size optional. But the guy that they picked up, despite having an offensive bent, hasn't actually produced any more points than Benoit

I don't think it's about pure points, it's about what you do in your minutes. Benoit was a disaster. I like the guy, he can skate and throw big hits, but he is/was brain dead with the puck and in his positioning. Andrae is a depth defenseman with intriguing numbers in the same type of minutes.

Not sure what the Leafs are planning because this is likely just the start of the retooling process, but they've gotten someone that does more in their minutes than Benoit does. They are vastly different players though.

 

[Amadeus]

Honestly, I wasn't a Woll believer. Wish him luck though because he was all class!

 

[sxvnert]

Holy shit this is a horrible deal.

 

[seventieslord]

I really liked Benoit at his price point. But last year he was heavily exposed. He looked lost a lot of games

Absolutely. It was time.

He's one of those guys who's a very limited player. Superstar players can play from 18 till 40. Star players from 20 to 38. An average player might not become a regular till their 22 and might only last till they're 34. A player like Benoit might only have a window from the ages of 25 to 29.

 

[seventieslord]

I don't think it's about pure points, it's about what you do in your minutes. Benoit was a disaster. I like the guy, he can skate and throw big hits, but he is/was brain dead with the puck and in his positioning. Andrae is a depth defenseman with intriguing numbers in the same type of minutes.

Not sure what the Leafs are planning because this is likely just the start of the retooling process, but they've gotten someone that does more in their minutes than Benoit does. They are vastly different players though.

I agree 100%, I don't want to sound as though I'm too down on this guy, the shift from Benoit to him is exactly the start of the kind of shift that has to happen.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Id rather this meh return than watch treliving do absolutely nothing

 

[sxvnert]

A 5'9 defenceman and a garbage goaltender for Woll.

 

[JKG33]

I'm not surprised this is your stance but aren't you the one who also says the Leafs need to be more like Zito and these GMs who all used analytics to uncover "nobodies" like Forsling and many other examples?

What if this is a case of getting a top 4 offensive dman for a good goalie and a #7dman? That's a pretty good trade.

I honestly don't know never watched him before but his AHL stats are very strong.

This reminds me a lot of Dubas trading Marchment for Malgin when you look at the players. Now obviously Marchment was younger and ended up being far better than Benoit is. But Benoit is a tough SOB and a nice #6 to have. I have no interest in adding a midget to the back end, thats not what teams like Florida and Vegas do.

 

[TheScandal89]

Not a huge fan of this but hopefully the pick could help us to move up on the 2nd round to get Bylel if he falls a bit.

Its hard to forget how well Woll played in the playoffs for us some games. Against the Bruins he was virtually unbeatable until he hurt himself.

 

[Leaf Lander]

Leafs cleared 5 mil in cap space for 2 rfas

I liked wonder woll .... Benoit had guys and was serviceable as a #6 d

Leafs must be going for brobovsky or anderson via ufa

 

[6ix]

I’m not a Woll guy, glad he’s gone.