Generally, if a defenseman is considered the most dangerous player on your team, you might be in trouble. That isn’t the case for Sweden as Flyers prospect Emil Andrae has taken matters into his own hands. Captaining his native squad, Andrae has his team just a few wins away from their first gold medal since 2012.
Drafted by Philadelphia in 2020 with the 54th overall pick, Andrae has been an important piece for Sweden. With the team set to take on the rival Fins in the quarterfinals on Friday, Andrae has led the way with four goals and eight points in just five games. He was key to their comeback against the United States in the preliminary round. And he scored the game-winning goal against Latvia in the semi-final round.
Midway through the 3rd period and its 2-1 for Sweden. Emil Andrae freezes the defender with a fake and rifles it into the back of the net putting @trekronorse back up by 1. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/QGcvJIP7v0
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 17, 2022
Andrae showed patience in getting the Latvian defender to bite on his move to avoid the block. It left him with a lane straight to the net and while it may have been deflected on the way in, it was exactly the type of play we’ve seen from him throughout the tournament.
Latvia came in as the underdog, a team that wasn’t even supposed to be in the tournament. With Russia being expelled from the WJC, Latvia was given the opportunity. They had stunned the Czechs with a 5-2 victory to end group play. And they ended up playing the Swedes close despite the 2-1 loss. Along with the goal, Andrae’s defensive play was key in the victory. He caught up to break up a shorthanded breakaway in the first period. He also had a big defensive clear in the final minute as well.
Speaking to The Hockey News after the team’s win, Andrae talked about the different ways that he tries to produce for Sweden.
"“I try to produce as much as I can and help my team as much as I can, if it’s a chip-out in the defensive zone or a shot from the blueline,” Andrae said. “My teammates have done a good job in front of the goalie and I have to get those shots through; that’s what I’m focused on.”"
His play at the World Juniors has continued to show the big steps forward that he has taken. Looking at just his team, Andrae is first in all offensive categories. His eight points lead all defensemen in the tournament. Overall, the 20-year-old is fourth in goals and fifth in points among all players at the WJC. If Sweden finds a way to capture gold, they have Andrae to thank for that.
Andrae has shown that he doesn’t balk in the face of pressure. His HV71 team in Sweden had faced a shocking relegation to the second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan. So what did he do with that? He only went and posted 33 points in 41 regular season games. That was good for fourth on the team and second among defensemen. For an encore performance, Andrae posted three goals and 11 points in 10 postseason games.
His play helped elevate HV71 back into the SHL where he will once again be this upcoming season. After making the jump to play for HV71 full-time last season, it’s clear that Andrae has only gotten better during his time in Sweden. He won’t be attending Flyers camp next month as he gets ready to head back for what will likely be a big role. While he has not been signed to an entry-level contract yet, it would not be surprising if the Flyers see him make the jump to North American hockey after this next season.