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Exclusive: Flyers GM Daniel Briere On How Joseph Woll Trade With Leafs Came Together
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- Exclusive: Flyers GM Daniel Briere On How Joseph Woll Trade With Leafs Came Together
The Philadelphia Flyers ' idea of acquiring Joseph Woll from the Toronto Maple Leafs was brewing for quite some time.
The Flyers kicked off the off-season with a bang on Tuesday, when they traded Emil Andrae , Samuel Ersson and a third-round pick to the Maple Leafs for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit .
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In a 1-on-1 with The Hockey News, Flyers GM Daniel Briere discussed the timeline that led to the team acquiring a goalie to work in tandem with Dan Vladar .
Vladar's backup this season, Ersson, had a dismal start to the 2025-26 season, recording a save percentage of .786 or lower in three of his first six starts for the Flyers.
For the Maple Leafs, goalie prospect Dennis Hildeby made his season debut on Nov. 8 and ultimately finished the year as Toronto's best netminder statistically with a .914 save percentage in 20 games.
With Anthony Stolarz and Woll in and out of the lineup due to injuries, the younger, bigger and better Hildeby forced himself into the NHL conversation going forward.
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It wasn't just the Maple Leafs who took notice, either.
Once Hildeby started playing games for the Maple Leafs, the Flyers locked in on Woll as a trade target.
"Yeah, we were aware Toronto had Dennis Hildeby there, who was also playing games, and we knew that coming into (next) season, Hildeby is going to need waivers, so that's where, for us, we started watching Woll," Briere said.
"We were aware that they would have to probably make a decision on one of their goalies at some point. Woll was a very interesting goalie prospect that we feel is still developing and getting better, so we're excited about that part of it."
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Briere and the Flyers shrewdly observed a developing situation in Toronto that coincided with Ersson's struggles in Philadelphia and kept tabs on it until they were able to act early in the off-season.
Woll, 27, is viewed as an upgrade on Ersson by the Flyers. The 6-foot-3 shot-stopper is expected to play alongside starter Vladar in a tandem role.
Reaction: Toronto Maple Leafs Take Big Goaltending Risk With Woll Trade
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Durability is a detractor for Woll. The Dardenne Prairie, Mo., native has played more than 40 regular-season games just once in his NHL career.
"I wouldn't say worry, but it's something we're aware of, and we're going to try to help them stay as healthy as possible," Briere said. "A big part of the reason is, I mean, the same thing was said on Vladar coming in, you know?"
Vladar had played 30 games just once in his career before coming to Philadelphia.
Fifty-one regular-season starts and a strong playoff run later, Vladar is unquestionably the Flyers' starting goalie.
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"The one thing we don't want to see is Dan Vladar having to play 65 games next year, because that's not going to be a recipe for success," Briere said. "We want to try to protect them as much as possible, trying to find a tandem goalie that can split them, and coaches can trust, and the players can trust and push each other to be better."
Even After Joseph Woll Trade, Flyers 'Would Like' to Draft More Goalies
Vladar, 28, is in line for a big contract extension after erupting for a career year that saw him rip off a 29-14-7 record, a 2.42 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.
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Despite not earning a shutout once in the regular season, Vladar recorded two in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins , going 4-6-0 overall with an even better 2.18 GAA and .922 SP.
As for Woll, he is just one year removed from arguably his best NHL campaign with the Maple Leafs, going 27-14-1 with a 2.73 GAA, .909 SP and one shutout in 2024-25.
With numbers so similar to Vladar's this year, Briere and the Flyers are rightfully optimistic that their scouting will pay off, and goaltending will become a real strength for the team for the first time in a very, very long time.
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