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.
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.
Reaction: Toronto Maple Leafs Take Big Goaltending Risk With Woll Trade
The Toronto Maple Leafs have goalies of the future, including Artur Akhtyamov, who has the AHL's Marlies two wins away from the Calder Cup. Trading Joseph Woll could be a stroke of brilliance, but it's a risk.
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.
"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
After adding Joseph Woll and Dan Vladar in consecutive summers, the Philadelphia Flyers still have a desire to add more goalies through the NHL Draft.
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.
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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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 1:54 PM.