Very suddenly, Matvei Michkov is not the only Philadelphia Flyers rookie stirring conversations in the broader hockey community. Defenseman Emil Andrae, who was re-called from the AHL on Oct. 26, is making a serious case for a permanent NHL roster spot, even after players like Jamie Drysdale and Cam York return from their injuries.
Andrae, 22, has appeared in eight NHL games for the Flyers so far this season, recording two assists.
“He’s made plays we haven’t seen yet this year,” head coach John Tortorella marveled before the San Jose Sharks game on Monday. “The ice time he’s getting he deserves.”
In the Flyers’ last two games, Andrae has taken a steep upward trajectory, eventually landing him on the top defense pairing alongside Travis Sanheim.
The 22-year-old Swede played a career-high 19:55 in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Then, Andrae followed that up with a career-high 25:40 with Sanheim against the Sharks on Monday, earning his second NHL assist on Travis Konecny’s power play goal.
In his short time in the NHL so far this season, Andrae has indisputably outplayed Drysdale, and with the team short on natural puck-moving defensemen, he’s earned a role on the Flyers’ top power play unit.
Even when Drysdale is healthy, it’s unlikely he wrests that role back from Andrae, barring an unforeseen increase in offensive production and in his general level of play.
As for York, it’s harder to say. York, over the last two seasons, has arguably been the Flyers’ most consistent defensemen overall. Will he return to the top defense pairing alongside Sanheim, even though Sanheim has been better playing left defense with Andrae and Rasmus Ristolainen?
That will all ultimately be Tortorella’s decision when the time comes, but most NHL coaches would love to have this kind of problem when it comes to sorting out their defenses. A deep blueline is a luxury, not a privilege in the NHL.
Andrae has been given an opportunity to allow the Flyers that luxury, and he’s taken full advantage so far.
“Of course, I have more to give in the offensive zone and in the D-zone,” Andrae told Philly Hockey Now. “I like to be on the power play. I like to be on the blueline, like to move the puck and be competitive and trying to be useful in every situation.”
