Flyers: Assessing the Flyers picks in the 2020 NHL Draft

Emil Andrae | 2nd Round | 54th Overall

Grade: D

The Flyers stayed with 54th pick overall and took Swedish defensemen Emil Andrae.  On paper, Andrae dominated the J20 Swedish League (their top junior league) leading all defensemen in scoring.   He is an undersized but mobile defender that can work the powerplay.  But that can be misleading.  The leading scorer in that league was his teammate winger Zion Nybeck, who went in the fourth round to Carolina.  Further, the consensus best defender was William Wallinder.  I would also put Helge Grans as a better defensive prospect.

To me, this pick continues a discouraging trend that the Fletcher team has shown when drafting defenders.  Fletcher seems to have a penchant for drafting defensemen that are skilled but have real questions about how they handle defense in their own end.

They spent a first-round pick on Cam York, who was underwhelming in just about every aspect last season, particularly defensively.  Where York appears destined to be a second pair puck mover with a questionable defense, Andrae will be lucky to reach that not so loft standard.  Think of the trouble that Gostisbehere has in his own end,  now Imagine it with Ghost only being half as smart as he is. That will be Andrae.

I hope I am wrong, but I do not see Andrae playing 200 games in the NHL.  I think that he will progress in Sweden, and may get called over to the AHL in two or three years.  I see a few camps and some spot duty for him in the future.  With no dynamic offensive component, just an undersized puck-moving defenseman there will not be space for him with Myers, Provorov, Sanheim, Zamula and perhaps Cam York dressing each night.