Artur Akhtyamov made Samuel Ersson expendable and not only is he growing into a potential stud, but he helped the Maple Leafs grab a young prospect as well.
Ersson was acquired as part of the Joseph Woll deal that sent him and Simon Benoit to Philadelphia for Ersson, Emil Andrae and a third-round pick in 2026 (85th overall). He didn't stick around long though, as his signing rights were traded to the Ottawa Senators for a 2027 5th-round pick.
Akhtyamov was one of the main reasons the Toronto Marlies not only made it to the Calder Cup Final but actually found themselves hoisting the trophy at the end of the day. His stellar play led him to winning the Playoff MVP as the Maple Leafs start to realize just how special he is and how important he could be one day.
Toronto's logjam and prospect foresight led them to deem Ersson expendable
It's why the team found Ersson expendable and due to the team already employing Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby - plus potentially a goalie like Sergei Bobrovsky then you're already in a tough spot. Add Akhtyamov into that equation? There's no real spot for Ersson.
It's not that he's a bad goalie but he did have a bad season last year. He needed a new contract and since Toronto didn't have him in mind (and possibly had their sights set on some prospects) he had to go.
Toronto also drafted two goalies with some pretty high upside in the draft as well. Both Patriks Plumins and Juuso Ainasto are exciting and potentially solid goaltenders who are going to need time to grow once they come to North America, and Ersson just adds another roadblock for them.
He was important though, as he was able to get a 5th-round pick for his troubles, which is actually what Toronto paid to get Darren Raddysh in their sign and trade.
The Maple Leafs then were able to flip that pick to the Vancouver Canucks for the 161st pick in the draft and select Yaroslav Fedoseyev, so Ersson led to a pretty decent prospect all things considered.
That's not too shabby for the team especially if they never had intentions to bring in Ersson as a player, and managing to get something in this year's draft for him at the end of the day is a savvy move on behalf of John Chayka.
What the Calder Cup run quietly told Chayka about his crease
But it was Akhtyamov's performance in the Calder Cup that gave Chayka all the more reason to trade Ersson. Not only has Akhtyamov proven that he can win under pressure but he's also not going to be thrust into a bad position like Ersson was.
Akhtyamov went 15-7-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .923 SV% for the entire playoffs after taking over for Dennis Hildeby and his combination of calm demeanour mixed with some insane saves and unorthodox position led fans to quickly fall in love.
He also went 21-12-6 in the regular season with a 2.88 GAA and .904 SV% so it wasn't like he was a one-trick pony. He was consistently good and turned it up in the playoffs - apropos for a guy who has already won a league title prior to the Calder Cup.
Chayka learned quickly that his crease is an ever evolving thing and it led to now two goalies being shipped out in Woll and Ersson. There's still potential for others to leave like Stolarz, especially if the team is throwing their chips all-in for the rookies.
There's a lot of hope for the Maple Leafs goaltending pipeline going forward, and Akhtyamov came out of nowhere to stand atop the rest. Toronto may have lucked out with Gavin McKenna in 2026 but in 2020 they certainly hit the jackpot.
Is Artur Akhtyamov going to be the Maple Leafs' starter in 2027-28?
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