The Philadelphia Flyers have a goaltending problem — and a Flyers offseason goalie trade is looking more inevitable by the day.
Vladar has been the best thing to happen to this franchise between the pipes in years, posting a career-best 2.50 GAA and .904 save percentage across 40 starts this season. But behind him? It's been a disaster. Samuel Ersson's .859 save percentage ranks among the worst in the NHL for goalies with 20-plus appearances, and Aleksei Kolosov's .830 mark in four games borders on unplayable. GM Daniel Briere knows the math doesn't work heading into 2026-27 with this tandem backing up Vladar, and per multiple reports, the Flyers are preparing to make an offseason goalie trade to fix it.
Two names have surfaced repeatedly in league circles: Minnesota Wild prospect Jesper Wallstedt and Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll. Both come with upside. Both come with baggage. And both would cost significantly different prices.
Key Takeaways
- Dan Vladar has been elite — his 21-11-6 record with a 2.50 GAA represents a career year, but the Flyers can't ride one goalie into contention
- Ersson and Kolosov have been brutal — a combined .855 save percentage from the backup duo is unsustainable for a team eyeing a playoff push
- Jesper Wallstedt is the premium target — the 23-year-old showed franchise-goalie upside early this season but faded hard after December
- Joseph Woll offers a safer, cheaper path — his $3.66M AAV and two years of term make him a plug-and-play option behind Vladar
- Flyers have the assets to make a deal — with ~$41.4M in projected cap space and three first-round picks across 2026-27, Briere has serious ammunition
Jesper Wallstedt — The Crown Jewel Target
Here's where it gets interesting — and complicated.
Wallstedt, the 20th overall pick in 2021, looked like a future Vezina candidate through the first three months of this season. From opening night through December 20, the Swedish netminder went 10-1-2 with a staggering .936 save percentage and 1.99 GAA. Those aren't just good numbers. Those are generational numbers for a 23-year-old in his first extended NHL run.
Then the wheels came off. Since December 21, Wallstedt has posted a .873 save percentage with a 3.98 GAA and a 2-4-2 record. Filip Gustavsson reclaimed the starter's net in Minnesota, and Wallstedt found himself watching from the bench. The Athletic's Michael Russo reported that Wild GM Bill Guerin would be open to dealing Wallstedt if the right package materialized — specifically, Guerin has been hunting for a top-six center to pair with Kirill Kaprizov.
That second-half collapse cuts both ways for Philadelphia. On one hand, it drives the price down from what would've been an astronomical ask back in November. On the other, you're betting that the first-half version is closer to the real Wallstedt than the guy who got shelled after Christmas.
From my perspective, the talent is real. A .936 save percentage over 13 starts isn't a fluke — that's a goalie with elite positioning and reflexes who likely hit a rookie wall. But the Flyers would probably need to include their 2026 first-round pick and at least one high-end prospect to pry him loose. That's a steep price for a goalie who's played 25 NHL games.
Joseph Woll — The Safer Bet
If Wallstedt is the swing-for-the-fences play, Woll is the smart money bet.
Toronto's goaltending situation is a mess of its own making. With Anthony Stolarz locked in as the starter and Dennis Hildeby emerging as a capable backup, Woll — who signed a three-year, $10.98M extension last summer — has become the odd man out. He's appeared in 30 games this season (14-11-4, 3.13 GAA, .904 SV%), solid numbers considering he started the year on injured reserve.
The contract is the real appeal here. At $3.66M AAV with two years remaining, Woll slots in perfectly alongside Vladar's $3.35M cap hit. That's a legitimate 1A/1B tandem for roughly $7M combined — well below what most competitive teams pay for goaltending.
The risk? Woll has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Three separate stints on IR since becoming a full-time NHLer isn't ideal for a team counting on him to absorb 25-30 starts. But at 27, he's entering his physical prime, and the acquisition cost from Toronto would be significantly lower than what Minnesota demands for Wallstedt.
Flyers Goalie Comparison: The Trade Targets vs. What They Have
| Goalie | Team | GP | W-L-OTL | GAA | SV% | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Vladar | PHI | 40 | 21-11-6 | 2.50 | .904 | $3.35M |
| Jesper Wallstedt | MIN | 25 | 14-6-5 | 2.81 | .911 | ELC |
| Joseph Woll | TOR | 30 | 14-11-4 | 3.13 | .904 | $3.66M |
| Samuel Ersson | PHI | 26 | 9-10-5 | 3.40 | .859 | RFA |
| Aleksei Kolosov | PHI | 4 | 0-2-0 | 4.00 | .830 | ELC |
The gap between what Vladar has given this team and what his backups have provided is jarring. A .904 save percentage from your starter paired with sub-.860 from the backup corps is the kind of imbalance that gets exposed in April.
Flyers' Trade Arsenal — What Can Briere Offer?
What's being overlooked in most of this analysis is just how much firepower Briere has accumulated.
The Flyers project to carry approximately $41.4 million in cap space for 2026-27, with the salary ceiling expected to jump to $104 million. That's an absurd amount of financial flexibility. Add in a 2026 first-round pick, two first-rounders in 2027, and a prospect pipeline stocked with young talent, and Briere can get creative with virtually any team in the league.
He's been patient — deliberately so. The Flyers didn't make a single significant move at the 2026 trade deadline despite being in the wild-card conversation at 27-21-11. Briere told reporters that the long-term vision hasn't changed, even with the team competing. That patience is about to pay dividends if he deploys those assets wisely this summer.
And goaltending is clearly the priority. Briere himself acknowledged the three-goalie situation wasn't sustainable when Ersson, Kolosov, and Vladar were all on the roster earlier this season.
What's Next for Philadelphia's Crease
Expect a Flyers offseason goalie trade to materialize aggressively once the season ends. The Wallstedt and Woll conversations are reportedly already underway at a preliminary level, and other names could emerge as teams reshape their rosters after the playoffs.
The smart play might be Woll — lower cost, proven NHL production, team-friendly contract. But if Briere believes Wallstedt's first-half dominance is the real version, the upside of a 23-year-old franchise goaltender behind a Vladar who's playing the best hockey of his career is tantalizing.
Either way, Philadelphia's goaltending picture will look different come September. The Flyers have the cap space, the draft picks, and the motivation. Now it's about finding the right dance partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Flyers targeting in a goalie trade?
The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly targeting Minnesota Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt and Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll as their top offseason goalie trade options. Both would serve as upgrades to the current backup situation behind starter Dan Vladar.
What is wrong with the Flyers' current goalie situation?
While starter Dan Vladar has been excellent with a 2.50 GAA and .904 save percentage, the backup goaltending has been among the worst in the NHL. Samuel Ersson holds an .859 save percentage in 26 games and Aleksei Kolosov posted an .830 mark in 4 appearances — numbers that are unsustainable for a team with playoff ambitions.
How much cap space do the Flyers have for 2026-27?
The Flyers project to have approximately $41.4 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season, with the salary cap expected to rise to $104 million. They also hold a 2026 first-round pick and two 2027 first-round picks, giving them enormous trade flexibility.
Will the Flyers trade for Jesper Wallstedt?
It is possible but would be expensive. The Wild are open to dealing Wallstedt per reports, but GM Bill Guerin wants a top-six center in return. The Flyers would likely need to include their 2026 first-round pick plus a top prospect. Wallstedt's inconsistent second half with an .873 save percentage after December 20 could lower the asking price.
