By the numbers, the Philadelphia Flyers are one of the worst teams in the NHL. After taking a step in the right direction last season, they have regressed to the basement despite adding Calder Trophy candidate Matvei Michkov to their roster. At 4-7-1, the organization has seen better days.
That record can’t be excused by “bad luck,” either. The Flyers have played a lot of uninspired hockey, unable to generate any sustained offense in their past few games (or, really, the whole season). However, one recent addition to their regular lineup (due to Cam York’s injury) has made a case to stay long-term. Defenseman Emil Andrae, just 22, should be a fixture of the Orange and Black.
How Andrae Earned a Shot with the Flyers
This isn’t Andrae’s first NHL rodeo. The 2020 second-round draft selection played professionally in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) in 2022-23, which earned him an extended look at the Flyers’ 2023 training camp. He earned a roster spot and played four games with Philadelphia in 2023-24. By the eye and analytics test, he wasn’t ready for that kind of jump, so he was sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) where he had an impressive campaign.
Vying to finish what he started, the 5-foot-9, 189-pound offensive defenseman looked worlds better during rookie camp and the Flyers’ main training camp before the 2024-25 campaign began. In the preseason, just five of the 15 Flyer defensemen who suited up had an expected goals percentage (xGF%) above 47.6—Andrae finished with a rate of 57.7. Out-generating his opponents and very comfortable with the puck on his stick, he seemed like a shoo-in to make the team with fellow defender Nick Seeler’s injury.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Spotlight: Emil Andrae
Andrae made the big club but was a healthy scratch throughout its season-opening four-game road trip. Despite the Flyers’ defense vastly underperforming during that time, he still couldn’t get a look. Seeler was healthy after the team plane headed back to Philadelphia, so the youngster was sent to the AHL.
While York’s injury wasn’t a great sight for an already sinking team, it presented an opportunity for Andrae to be called back up. Head coach John Tortorella wanted to shake things up a bit, so he looked to Andrae. Needing to reignite the spark that nearly resulted in a playoff berth in 2023-24,…
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