Philadelphia Flyers
James: Flyers Can’t Send Emil Andrae Back to Lehigh
The Philadelphia Flyers are going to have some choices to make regarding their blueline, and those choices have to be made soon.
Defenseman Cam York is nearing his return from the IR. When he does come back, the Flyers are going to have to waive someone. Currently, the team has seven active defensemen. Obviously, the top three are safe. However, once York comes back, it could be anyone sent down. Adam Ginning, Egor Zamula, Emil Andrae, and Noah Juulsen are all players who could be waived or loaned to Lehigh.
Andrae may be the easiest/safest option, for now, as he remains waiver exempt. He signed his NHL contract on 3/27/23, meaning he is waiver-exempt until 3/27/26, or once he reaches 80 NHL games. Andrae has played in 47 NHL games in his career.
While sending Andrae back to Lehigh Valley is the safest option for the Flyers, the 23-year-old defenseman proved on Monday that sending him back is the last thing they should do.
Among the Flyers’ bottom four defenseman (Andrae, Ginning, Juulsen, and Zamula), Andrae’s performance on Monday was the best any of them has had this season.
Again, for Andrae, pressure is a privilege, but he is taking it game by game, proving he has earned his spot.
Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers & Andrae Reunite; Frustration in Buffalo; Montreal’s Big Deal
Andrae on His Latest Performance
If Andrae is going to stay with the Flyers, he knows he needs to put himself above the competition. He needs to find some consistency with how he plays his game. Andrae told Philly Hockey Now that he thinks he played well on Monday.
Describing his night from his own eyes, Andrae said, “I think I played solid. I played a simple game, quick and fast, and joined the rush. And I think I played my style of game.“
Andrae was moved around the Flyers’ pairs. He started the game playing with Juulsen. Throughout the game, he was taking shifts with Jamie Drysdale, then going back to Juulsen. It’s worth noting that they were actual shifts with Drysdale – the following pair was Ginning-Juulsen.
When asked what he liked about his game from Monday, Andrae said he felt efficient. “Sometimes it’s not the sexiest play that’s most efficient. Sometimes you just gotta advance the puck and just keep playing fast. And I think I did that pretty well yesterday.“
He looked like one of the team’s top-four defensemen in the game, and it was not even close. Even with the return of York, it won’t hurt the Flyers to have another puck-moving defenseman that can join the rush and contribute on both ends of the ice. Andrae was solid on offense and responsible defensively as well.
Still, the young defender knows he needs to take things game-by-game and show improvement if the Flyers are going to keep him around. In the same conversation with PhHN, Andrae said what he thinks he needs to do to stay in Philadelphia. “You’ve got to prove everything. I think just getting up the rush more, and quicker plays. Just do everything better. And, obviously, get a bit more shots to the net.”
Who Should the Flyers Waive?
If the Flyers do keep Andrae, obviously, the team would have to waive someone else. Who should it be?
I don’t think it’s over-complicated, but we’ll break it down anyway.
The Flyers have seemed to like what they have got from Adam Ginning so far. He is fourth amongst the team’s defensemen in time on ice average this year with 17:25. In fact, he got over 20 minutes in Monday’s win over the Panthers. I’d go out on a limb and say that Ginning’s job is secure.
That then brings us to Noah Juulsen and Egor Zamula. Neither has been great, nor have they proven they belong on the roster instead of Andrae. So, between the two, who should the Flyers waive?
Neither player has done anything as far as offensive production this season. In fact, neither player has anything to show on the scoresheet, aside from a single penalty from Zamula. In the preseason, neither player played well. The only difference is that Juulsen began to play better as it went on, and Zamula seemed to get worse.
I doubt the team would have any worry if either player gets claimed off waivers, so that should not be a factor either.
Ultimately, the choice boils down to position. Juulsen is a right-shot defender, a position the Flyers don’t have great depth at on the active roster, or even as far as NHL-ready prospects. So, the choice should be clear. To keep Andrae in Philadelphia, Zamula is the odd man out.
Who would you waive?
Read More: Flyers Postgame Thoughts: Couturier’s Surge, Zegras’ Skill, Michkov’s Struggles & More
Egor’s days may be numbered in Philly.
The Flyers should send down either Z or Andrae. Andrae should go down if keeping him up wouldn’t result in him getting significant playing time at the NHL level. While he looked okay the other night, facts are facts and he got the least ice time of any Flyer dman and he was highly sheltered at that (MoneyPuck shows him with just one defensive zone start). If the franchise wants him to develop into a competent NHL’er, then he’d need to get more ice time in more varied situations to do so. That’d mean LHV. If he would realistically get more NHL ice time after acclimating with the team more, then Z should get moved (waived or traded if there’s a team that would give up anything for him).
Yes. I was surprised when they send Andrae down. Zamula has been here and hasn’t shown much. Now his agent is complaining (which probably means Zamula is complaining through his agent). Time to move on from him.
If Andre played 60 games this year he’d easily score more points than York. Who they love for some reason. The Flyers are in danger of being another bottom 6 team simply because they lack talent, scoring (especially from the D men), and they really don’t like to check hard ( Couts).
Oh, and Ersson has had his chance.
I wholly disagree that “If Andre played 60 games this year he’d easily score more points than York”. Just look to last season: Andrae skated in 42 NHL games and produced 7 points or 0.167 points per game. York skated in 66 NHL games, some playing while injured/recovering from injury, and produced 17 points or 0.258 points per game. That’s York with the approximately 50% better production rate even though his zone start rate was skewed MUCH heavier defensively than Andrae’s (York was utilized about 60% of the time in defensive zone starts vs. about 40% for Andrae per H-R). For a guy who project as an offensive dman, Andrae just hasn’t brought it at the NHL level yet. Not only did his offensive production rate significantly trail York last year, it also significantly trailed such offensive stalwarts as Nick Seeler and Radko Gudas. He’s not NHL ready yet, hopefully may be at some point, and belongs in the AHL now where he can refine and develop his skills enough to justify an NHL roster spot.