Should Flyers Give Emil Andrae a Try on Defense?

In the midst of all the injuries on defense, the Philadelphia Flyers appear to have forgotten about Emil Andrae, a player who started the season on their roster and hasn’t been back since.

Andrae was officially returned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Oct. 26, starting his stint in the AHL and ending his stint with the Flyers. The 22-year-old made his Flyers debut on Oct. 14 – a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators – and would play three more games before being sent down.

So, how has Andrae been since then?

All the young Swede has done is post four goals, 26 assists, and 30 points in 48 games, which are more than respectable totals in Andrae’s first full season playing in North America. It’s understandable that John Tortorella and Co. returned him to the AHL for more seasoning, but the Flyers could use someone with Andrae’s offensive pedigree more than ever.

Nick Seeler is out, but he could be back from injured reserve sooner rather than later. The Flyers are missing the offense that Sean Walker and Jamie Drysdale provided them with, and there’s no guarantee that Drysdale actually returns to the ice this season.

Would the Flyers really insist on trotting out veterans Marc Staal and Erik Johnson, two players well past their prime and struggling in elevated minutes?

Tortorella has preached to the importance of the Flyers’ young players getting experience in meaningful games, and a lot of those players have excelled to varying degrees. Ronnie Attard is a name that sticks out, and players like Cam York and Tyson Foerster have played at a high level all season.

If Andrae is to be a meaningful piece of this Flyers team in the near future, his name should be included in this conversation, and he should be getting ice time during this push, too. Sam Ersson and Felix Sandstrom make up a small Swedish contingent already, and Andrae should get another chance to be that extra piece.