After being acquired from Toronto last week, Ersson finally signed a deal with Ottawa as a high-stakes backup for Linus Ullmark.
A week ago Friday, in the lead-up to the NHL Draft, the Senators acquired goalie Samuel Ersson from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fifth-round selection in next year's NHL Draft. Five days later, after not being qualified by the Senators, Ersson was allowed to walk into free agency as a UFA.
But it wasn't a very long walk.
Minutes after free agency opened on Wednesday, first reported by Elliotte Friedman, Ersson reportedly signed a two-year deal with the Sens worth $2.2 million a season.
The 26-year-old is coming off a two-year deal with he Philadelphia Flyers at $1.45 million a year
Ersson spent each of the past four seasons with the Flyers and played a career-high 51 games in 2023-24. In 2025-26, he appeared in 33 games for the Flyers, posting a 14-11-5 record with a 3.12 GAA.
The 6-foot-3 is regarded as one of Sweden's finest goaltenders, just like the man he'll be backing up. With Wednesday's $2.2 million investment, there's no doubt that he is officially Ottawa's number two. Given Linus Ullmark's history of never playing more than 50 games, Ersson will carry a heavy load in 2026-27.
“Samuel is a goaltender we identified as a good fit with our system,” Staios said Wednesday in a club statement. “He has a combination of NHL and international experience and has an upside that our staff is excited to work with.”
Ersson represented his country at the 4 Nations Face-Off in a third-place finish. He also represented Sweden twice at the World Hockey Championship, winning bronze in 2024 and 2025. He played for Sweden at last year's worlds, even though Linus Ullmark expressed a desire to play at season's end.
The Sens goaltending was all-Swedish two seasons ago when Ullmark was backed up by Anton Forsberg, who has since moved on to Los Angeles in free agency. Last year, the backup duties were split between Leevi Merilainen and James Reimer.
The Ersson acquisition speaks volumes about how mightily Merilainen's stock has fallen. He was anointed as the undisputed backup last season, and the Sens clearly aren't ready yet to give him that opportunity again.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
