Danny Briere reiterated that “if Wayne Gretzky can get traded, anyone can.” But it sounds like the Flyers won’t be shopping some of their younger players.
Emil Andrae's development overseas has come to an end.
The 21-year-old Swedish defenseman has taken his game to North America, signing a three-year entry-level contract Monday with the Flyers.
The club's 2020 second-round draft pick has already played two games for AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley on a tryout basis. His contract doesn't kick in until next season.
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Andrae, who turned 21 years old last month, is a smaller blueliner, standing at a generous 5-foot-9. But he's a skilled distributor with a competitive and cerebral game.
This season in the SHL, Sweden's top pro league, Andrae recorded six goals, 20 assists and a minus-3 mark over 51 games for HV71. He played 20:29 minutes per game, second most on the club, and had a team-leading 42 blocked shots.
Last year, Andrae shined at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship for Sweden. He captained the bronze medal-winning team and finished the tournament with eight points (four goals, four assists) and a plus-6 rating in seven games. The only defenseman to score more at the tournament was Canada's Olen Zellweger (11 points), a Ducks draft pick who is considered a top-50 prospect.
Andrae drew a comparison to former Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen.
NHL
"The biggest thing you notice right away is he's just a competitor, like he's not shy of the physical game and he plays with a lot of grit," Latvia assistant coach Karlis Zirnis said last August. "If I have to compare to anybody in the NHL, I would say Kimmo Timonen, also played for the Flyers. That would be my comparison. Good with the hands, can see the ice very well, but not afraid to play the physical game."
At training camp in September, Andrae will vie for the big club's roster. He's likely projected to start the 2023-24 campaign with the Phantoms, but he'll be aiming for the Flyers throughout the season.
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