The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded the rights to pending restricted free agent Samuel Ersson to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round pick, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports.
Ersson, 26, was acquired by the Maple Leafs, along with defenceman Emil Andrae and a draft pick, from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goalie Joseph Woll and defenceman Simon Benoit on June 16.
Dreger notes the Maple Leafs manage to reclaim a fifth-rounder back after using one to acquire Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning last Friday. Toronto had not planned to qualify Ersson next week.
For the Senators, Ersson figures to compete for the role of Linus Ullmark’s backup moving forward after Leevi Merilainen and James Reimer split the role for the majority of last season. Reimer is a pending unrestricted free agent and his future is unclear at age 38. Merilainen is also a pending RFA.
The 6-foot-3 Ersson went 14-11-5 last season as a member of the Flyers with a 3.12 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage.
He is coming off a two-year, $2.9 million contract that carried a cap hit of $1.45 million.
Drafted 143rd overall by the Flyers in the 2018 draft, Ersson has a career 65-50-17 record with a 3.01 GAA and an .884 save percentage.
The Falun, Sweden native represented his country at the 4 Nations Face-Off in a third-place finish. He also represented Sweden twice at the World Hockey Championship, winning bronze in 2024 and 2025.
Sens add Burakovsky
The Senators continued adding ahead of the draft, acquiring forward Andre Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks for a sixth-round pick in 2027.
“Andre adds skill and playmaking ability to our forward group,” said GM Steve Staios. “We are happy to add the pedigree of a two-time Stanley Cup champion.”
The 31-year-old winger posted 11 goals and 33 points in 75 games in Chicago last season, his first with the club.
In 771 games with the Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Colorado Avalanche, and Washington Capitals, Burakovsky has recorded 164 goals and 420 points. He won the Stanley Cup while with the Caps in 2017-18, and again with the Avs in 2021-22.
