For the last few seasons, we've been waiting for Emil Andrae to claim a roster spot on the Flyers. First, the promising prospect took a puck to the face and missed a large chunk of the 2022-23 season. Other prospects, like Ronnie Attard and Egor Zamula, jumped ahead of him and took their place on the roster.
But Attard couldn't hold down the spot and was traded. Zamula's path also seems to be in jeopardy. Despite having a great attitude and a budding friendship with fellow Russian Matvei Michov, he hasn't done much to cement his role on the team. Is Andrae the next man up?
What does Andrae have to do to claim a roster spot?
What helped Andrae in the past was his grit and determination. Much like Zamula, he's gotten a chance to play for the Flyers with injuries to Jamie Drysdale and Rasmus Ristolainen. For being 5'9", he plays like someone who is a foot taller. In the 42 games he appeared in last year, he doled out 46 hits. That's pretty physical for a smallish rookie.
While playing in Sweden, his strength was not on the offensive side. While he is fairly swift, he was never a goal scorer. Instead, he was a solid defender. Last year, he scored one goal with seven assists. It's not terrible, but not something that is going to turn heads either.
If he could bulk up his 180 lbs. frame without losing any speed, he might be able to impress new head coach Rick Tocchet. Former coach John Tortorella appreciated Andrae's work ethic, but could tell that the 23-year-old blueliner was still raw and needed to earn his way into the NHL.
Which is the problem Andrae currently faces. Travis Sanheim. Nick Seeler, Jamie Drysdale, and Cam York are all locks on defense. Rasmus Ristolainen, if and when he becomes healthy, will hold the other spot. That leaves two spots to fill. Noah Juulsen will most likely have one of those spots because of his familiarity with Tocchet. Oliver Bonk is also waiting to break into the NHL.
This means it could come down to who has a better camp: Andrae or Zamula. If Bonk is NHL-ready, one of them will have to remain in the AHL, be waived, or traded. Even then, Helge Grans could also find himself in a similar spot. So is this Andrae's time to shine, or is time running out for the fiesty Swede?