Samuel Ersson was acquired by the Senators from the Maple Leafs on June 26, 2026, for a fifth-round pick. Photo by Gregory Shamus /Getty Images

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The Ottawa Senators have executed their backup plan in goal.

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After signing defenceman Jordan Spence to a contract extension in the morning, the club acquired goaltender Samuel Ersson from the Toronto Maple Leafs for fifth-round pick in the 2027 National Hockey League draft.

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The move came just hours before the NHL’s 2026 draft got under way at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo with the Senators holding the No. 25 and No. 32 selections in the first round.

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This is the second time in two weeks that Ersson has been moved.

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He was dealt to the Leafs by the Philadelphia Flyers on June 16, along with defenceman Emil Andrae and a draft pick, in exchange for goalie Joseph Woll and defenceman Simon Benoit on June 16.

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A restricted free agent, Ersson, 26, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, had a cap hit of $1.45 million US last season. He finished with a 14-11-5 record for the Flyers with a 3.12 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage.

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Ersson will have to receive a qualifying offer of $1.6 million before Monday at 5 p.m., to retain his rights for free agency, but the Senators wouldn’t have made this move unless they felt they’d be able to get a deal in place with New York-based agent Lewis Gross.

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The Senators used five goaltenders last season, mostly because of starter Linus Ullmark’s leave of absence, but the position wasn’t settled until veteran James Reimer arrived in mid-January as an unrestricted free agent. The 38-year-old has yet to determine whether he will play again next season.

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Staios told reporters at his end-of-season availability that he took full responsibility for not properly addressing the void behind Ullmark. Leevi Merilainen was thrust into the No. 1 role in late-December, with the club not playing well in front of him, and he couldn’t handle the pressure.

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The Senators have every right to believe in Merilainen. He is 23 years old, and there is no question he’ll receive a qualifying offer of $1.05 million as a restricted free agent, but the organization felt it was necessary to go the veteran route to give him time to develop.

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Ullmark has never played more than 50 games in a season during his career, and the regular-season schedule will be expanded to 84 games in 2026-27. That means you have to count on the backup to play more than 30 games, which is why the organization wanted someone with NHL experience.

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Ersson has struggled, but we know the Philadelphia market can be tough on goaltenders, and this will be a fresh start.

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Taken No. 143 overall by the Flyers in 2019, Ersson has a 65-50-17 record in his career with a 3.01 GAA and an .884 save percentage. He was one of Ullmark’s teammates on Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Faceoff held in Montreal in February of 2025.

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The Senators could have waited to scour the free-agent market on July 1. The expectation was they’d speak with Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner and Connor Ingram of the Edmonton Oilers. Given this acquisition, those two possibilities are likely out the window.

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bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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