Samuel Ersson is heading to Ottawa on a two-year deal, giving the Senators the veteran backup they wanted behind Linus Ullmark.
The 26-year-old goaltender agreed to terms Wednesday as free agency opened at noon, with the contract carrying a salary of $2.2 million US per season. Ottawa had acquired Ersson’s rights from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a draft pick last Friday, then passed on giving him a qualifying offer by Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline. That move made sense because Ersson had the option to file for arbitration, and an arbitration award could have carried him straight to unrestricted free agency.
Steve Staios said the Senators saw a fit right away.
“Samuel is a goaltender we identified as a good fit with our system,” said Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager. “He has a combination of NHL and international experience and has an upside that our staff is excited to work with.”
Staios also made clear the club was comfortable moving ahead only after getting a deal lined up with New York-based agent Lewis Gross.
“They’ve identified Ersson as very good goaltender to bring into our system, and because of that, I wouldn’t acquire his rights, and we’ll work to negotiate a contract,” Staios said on Saturday. “They like the upside on the goalie.
“He’s been with the national team 4 Nations, you’d have to ask them, but the technical side of things and his movements are things that they’re those are attributes that they’re excited about.
The Senators spent last season juggling five goaltenders, a situation driven in large part by Ullmark’s leave of absence. The crease didn’t really settle until James Reimer arrived in mid-January as an unrestricted free agent. Reimer, now 38, has not decided whether he will play next season.
At his end-of-season availability, Staios said he took full responsibility for not properly solving the backup issue behind Ullmark. Leevi Merilainen was pushed into the No. 1 role in late December, and the team’s play in front of him didn’t help. He struggled under the pressure.
Even so, Ottawa still has faith in Merilainen. The 23-year-old will get a qualifying offer of $1.05 million as a restricted free agent, and the organization already made that offer Friday to keep his rights. But signing Ersson points to the Senators choosing experience while Merilainen continues to develop.
That approach also fits the bigger picture. Ullmark has never played more than 50 games in a season, and with the regular-season schedule set to grow to 84 games in 2026-27, Ottawa knows the backup role will have real weight. The club wants someone who can handle more than 30 games, and Ersson gives them that kind of NHL mileage.
Ersson’s own numbers show both the upside and the rough edges. Last season, he carried a $1.45 million US cap hit and went 14-11-5 for the Flyers with a 3.12 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage. In his career, the 2019 No. 143 overall pick has a 65-50-17 record, along with a 3.01 GAA and an .884 save percentage.
He also shared Team Sweden with Ullmark at the 4 Nations Faceoff in Montreal in February of 2025. For Ottawa, that connection now comes with a practical purpose: backing up the starter and giving the Senators a goaltending setup they believe is finally more settled.
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