Emil Andrae was one of the talented prospects who saw time on the Philadelphia Flyers big league roster last season. A native of Västervik, Sweden, the left-shot defenseman made his North American professional debut during the 2022-23 campaign, suiting up for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 10 regular season and three playoff games. A product of the Swedish ice hockey system, the blueliner was drafted 54th overall by Philadelphia in 2020.
Andrae is one of a handful of defensemen prospects at the American Hockey League (AHL) level in the Flyers organization. Along with fellow prospects Ethan Samson, Adam Ginning, and Helge Grans, he will likely spend significant time this season with the Phantoms. The 5-foot-9, 181-pounder’s NHL experience from last season will undoubtedly make him a strong candidate for call-ups this campaign to the big league roster. Despite being relatively small in stature, Andrae’s game has a number of strong elements, such as excellent skating skills, that can support his efforts to transition from being a minor-league player to a full-time NHLer.
HV71
Andrae made his Swedish Hockey League (SHL) debut with HV71 during the 2019-20 campaign. That season, he appeared in 10 games for the club recording four penalty minutes and a minus-1 rating. In the following campaign, he saw more time in the SHL, appearing in 31 games. He recorded seven assists and six penalty minutes for HV71.
Andrae did not see action in the SHL again until the 2022-23 season when he played in 51 games with HV71 before heading to North America to join the Phantoms for 13 total appearances. That season in the SHL, the blueliner showed Flyers front office personnel he was ready to head to the AHL, racking up 26 points (six goals and 20 assists) with 67 penalty minutes. He also demonstrated his ability to set up big scoring opportunities for his teammates through strong puckhandling and passing skills.
International Experience
Andrae has represented his country on numerous occasions in international tournaments. A respected leader on multiple Team Sweden World Junior Championship (WJC) squads, he wore the captain’s “C” on the 2020 (under-18) and 2022 (under-20) WJC teams. The 2022 squad captured a bronze medal at the tournament which was held at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
In seven games during the 2022 WJC, Andrae had four goals and four assists, finishing the tournament tied with Canada’s Connor Bedard for ninth overall in scoring. In three of these appearances, he had multi-point games, highlighted by a two-goal and one-assist performance in an Aug. 12 win over Austria (6-0). These significant offensive contributions for Sweden led to Andrae being named to the WJC All-Star team.
North America
After appearing in 10 games for Lehigh Valley during the tail end of the 2022-23 campaign, Andrae was given a spot on the Flyers’ roster out of training camp the following season. He made his NHL debut with the Flyers on Oct. 14 against the Ottawa Senators. He played a total of four games with the big league club between then and Oct. 24, before being sent back down to the Phantoms. In these four NHL appearances, he recorded a minus-1 rating, showing that he was still in need of additional development in the minor leagues.
In 61 AHL games, Andrae found his offensive confidence, scoring five goals and tallying 27 assists. He also added 66 penalty minutes to his regular season statistics. A campaign highlight included six two-point games over the course of the regular season for Lehigh Valley. He also played very well in the postseason, recording two goals and an assist. During the AHL Atlantic Division First Round showdown with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Andrae scored a goal and tallied an assist in the deciding Game 2 of the series.
Return to the NHL
Scouting reports recognize Andrae as a player with excellent acceleration, hockey sense, and offensive capabilities. Last season in the AHL, the 22-year-old had an outstanding season. His passing, puckhandling, and speed were on full display throughout the regular season and playoffs.
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At the time of this story, Andrae’s performance in camp has helped him to avoid roster cuts, as he remains with the Flyers’ big league training camp. When given opportunities during the current preseason schedule, he has made sure to get in on the offensive action. On Sept. 22, he tallied an assist and recorded a shot on goal (SOG) against the Washington Capitals. During the Sep. 26 game against the New York Islanders, he recorded another SOG. Despite skill areas in need of additional development, such as shot-blocking and shooting accuracy, Andrae’s performance in training camp this fall reveals that he will remain a contender to join the Flyers again at some point this season. Even if he does not start the campaign out of training camp in Philadelphia, Andrae will undoubtedly rejoin the Flyers for much-needed and extremely valuable NHL experience as the season progresses.
The Flyers will kick off the 2024-25 campaign on the road against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 11. This will mark the first of four games on a road trip that also includes stops in Calgary, Edmonton, and Seattle. The Flyers’ home opener is on Oct. 19 against the Canucks at Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia.
