Samuel Ersson was barely unpacked in Toronto and Elliotte Friedman was already floating him toward Florida on Sunday night.
On NHL Tonight, Friedman noted the Panthers may have interest in Ersson, who the Maple Leafs just acquired, and that Toronto isn't sure they're keeping him.
That kind of reporting doesn't land out of nowhere.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Panthers: Maybe they have some interest in Samuel Ersson who Toronto just acquired and I'm not sure they're gonna keep him
The Panthers finished 40-38-4 this season, a rough landing for a franchise that not long ago was competing for Stanley Cups.
Their goaltending situation is the elephant in the room. Sergei Bobrovsky carried 52 starts, posted a .876 save percentage, and costs $10 million against the cap.
That number is brutal for a team that allowed 276 goals on the year.
Daniil Tarasov was the surprise. He went 12-15-2 with a .895 save percentage in 33 games, and he costs just $1.05 million.
Ersson's .869 save percentage won't excite Panthers fans
Here's where it gets complicated for Florida. Ersson posted a .869 save percentage across 33 games with Toronto this season, winning just seven.
The Maple Leafs went 32-36-14, finished 28th overall, and allowed 299 goals. That context matters when you're evaluating any goalie who played behind them.
Ersson is 26, left-handed, Swedish, and carries a $1.45 million cap hit. That price is the whole point.
If the Panthers are looking for a low-cost backup or bridge option behind Tarasov, Ersson fits the budget. But a .869 save percentage is a number that deserves scrutiny, not a pass.
Think of it like buying a used car at auction because the mileage looks fine on paper, without knowing how the previous owner drove it.
Bill Zito and Paul Maurice have real decisions to make this summer with a team that needs structural changes, not cosmetic ones.
Trading for a goalie who struggled in Toronto because he's cheap is the kind of move that looks sensible in June and painful by November.
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Friedman's report doesn't confirm a deal is close. It confirms the Panthers are at least having the conversation, which means Florida's goalie room is still an open question heading into the offseason.
Should the Maple Leafs trade Samuel Ersson this offseason?
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