By the numbers, the Philadelphia Flyers are one of many worst groups within the NHL. After taking a step in the correct course final season, they’ve regressed to the basement regardless of including Calder Trophy candidate Matvei Michkov to their roster. At 4-7-1, the group has seen higher days.
That report can’t be excused by “unhealthy luck,” both. The Flyers have performed a variety of uninspired hockey, unable to generate any sustained offense of their previous few video games (or, actually, the entire season). Nevertheless, one current addition to their common lineup (as a result of Cam York’s harm) has made a case to remain long-term. Defenseman Emil Andrae, simply 22, needs to 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 choice performed professionally within the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) in 2022-23, which earned him an prolonged have a look at the Flyers’ 2023 coaching camp. He earned a roster spot and performed 4 video games with Philadelphia in 2023-24. By the attention and analytics check, he wasn’t prepared for that form of soar, so he was despatched all the way down to the American Hockey League (AHL) the place he had a formidable marketing campaign.
Vying to complete what he began, the 5-foot-9, 189-pound offensive defenseman seemed worlds higher throughout rookie camp and the Flyers’ principal coaching camp earlier than the 2024-25 marketing campaign started. Within the preseason, simply 5 of the 15 Flyer defensemen who suited up had an anticipated targets proportion (xGF%) above 47.6—Andrae completed with a charge of 57.7. Out-generating his opponents and really comfy with the puck on his stick, he appeared like a shoo-in to make the group with fellow defender Nick Seeler’s harm.
Associated: Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Highlight: Emil Andrae
Andrae made the massive membership however was a wholesome scratch all through its season-opening four-game street journey. Regardless of the Flyers’ protection vastly underperforming throughout that point, he nonetheless couldn’t get a glance. Seeler was wholesome after the group airplane headed again to Philadelphia, so the teenager was despatched to the AHL.
Whereas York’s harm wasn’t a terrific sight for an already sinking group, it introduced a possibility for Andrae to be known as again up. Head coach John Tortorella needed to shake issues up a bit, so he seemed to Andrae. Needing to reignite the spark that just about resulted in a playoff berth in 2023-24, Tortorella’s choice is paying off.
Why Andrae Must Keep in Philadelphia
Among the many 221 defensemen who’ve not less than 50 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5, solely six of them have allowed fewer than 20 pictures on objective per 60 minutes—Andrae is considered one of them. By way of anticipated targets allowed relative to his group, his charge is the third-best in that group. Although his ability set is extra catered to excelling on offense, he has prevented scoring possibilities at among the best charges within the league.
Some may assume Andrae is just too small to be an NHL defenseman, a lot much less one who performs nicely in his zone. However measurement is irrelevant to how successfully a participant is ready to get the puck from his zone to the impartial zone, laying the groundwork for his teammates to create offense. Regardless of being one of many smallest gamers within the sport (particularly for a defender), it hasn’t mattered.
The numbers may inform you that, whereas Andrae has been good, he hasn’t offered sufficient offense to make him thrilling. That has been true up to now, however there have been some promising indicators. He’s selecting the best occasions to pinch within the offensive zone and has been glorious in breakout conditions. He confirmed a variety of poise in transitioning from protection to offense within the preseason—he has continued to do that. On a group that has constantly struggled to make clever performs, Andrae has been the outlier.
Even when York comes again, Andrae needs to be within the lineup. Contemplating the latter’s youth, he solely has room to develop his offensive recreation. He put up high quality numbers at each the SHL and AHL ranges, so the pure subsequent step is the NHL. There have been some flashes of this within the early phases of his profession, particularly on a main help sequence versus the Boston Bruins.
Tyson obtained the second probability and did not miss it. 😤#PHIvsBOS | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/yhIhcN9guP
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 30, 2024
A minimum of relative to the remainder of the group, Andrae has been profitable his minutes. It has been a breath of contemporary air when he has come on the ice, particularly since York was kind of the glue holding the protection collectively. Not like the opposite Flyers, Andrae hasn’t proven danger aversion—he’ll make the mandatory performs to place targets on the board however is concurrently very accountable. On this manner, he’s paying homage to Sean Walker final season, although the numbers gained’t precisely agree with that evaluation.
If the Flyers are pondering sending Andrae again to the AHL to play with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, they need to rethink their strategy. At 22 years of age, there’s a lot for the left-shot defender to study on the NHL stage however he has lived as much as the expectations of the league. He has developed quite a bit up to now few months, so this subsequent step could possibly be what he must unlock his full potential sometime.
Stats courtesy of Pure Stat Trick
