It was a surprise to many when Emil Andrae was cut from training camp before the start of the season. Many believed he was far better than the options the Flyers had on the backend.
Andrae appeared in just two preseason games before the decision was made. But it didn't take him look to make it back to the NHL. After collecting two assists in the Phantoms' season-opening loss, Andrae was a healthy scratch for their game on Sunday. That led to speculation that he could be heading back to Philadelphia.
It wasn't long before the Flyers made that official. There's a good chance Andrae will draw into the lineup for the Flyers' home opener against the Florida Panthers. It would be hard to imagine the team would call him up if he wasn't going to play. In his place, Dennis Gilbert was sent down to the AHL. He had been the extra defenseman for both games.
Depth on the backend has been an issue as the team has been without Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York. The former won't be back for at least a few more weeks, but there was a chance York could be activated for Monday night's game. He was placed on IR with a lower-body injury before the season began.
When Andrae was originally sent down, it seemed that the Flyers were rather underwhelmed with his performance. Add in the already smaller-statured Jamie Drysdale and York, and it appeared as if the Flyers also did not want to have a third in Andrae. Beefing up on defense has been something the team has wanted to do. Fair or not, the decision was made to send Andrae down.
But through the majority of the preseason and the start of the regular season, there has been inconsistent play on the backend. No one has stepped up to take control of a roster spot. Egor Zamula has struggled immensely, leading many to push for his place on the roster to be replaced. Noah Juulsen, who has a history with Rick Tocchet, has been lackluster as well.
Adam Ginning was a dark horse to make the final roster. His presence on the ice hasn't been spectacular either. He's routinely been beaten on plays and hasn't shown that the Flyers should be confident in him as an NHL defenseman.
So Andrae will get another chance after appearing in 42 games for the Flyers last season. He was impressive at times, but faded down the stretch. But he needs to carve out a role for himself sooner rather than later. While the team isn't necessarily shopping him, there have been some rumors that they are open to moving on from him.
He can't be worse than what the Flyers have put up on defense, can he?