Flyers sign prospect Emil Andrae to an entry-level contract

Andrae, 21, just wrapped up an impressive debut season in the Swedish Hockey League with HV71. The young defenseman joined the Phantoms last week and has two points in two games.

The Flyers rate young defenseman Emil Andrae very highly.Read moreProvided by Flyers

by Giana Han

Published March 27, 2023, 3:13 p.m. ET

Defenseman Emil Andrae, who has played two games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on Monday. The contract won’t officially start until the 2023-2024 season, according to interim general manager Danny Brière. Andrae will remain on an AHL tryout for the remainder of the 2022-2023 season.

The 21-year-old played the majority of this season in Sweden with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League. In 51 games, he had 26 points (6 goals, 20 assists), led his team in blocked shots (42), and was second in average ice time (20 minutes, 29 seconds). He also contributed on the power play, where his three power-play goals ranked second on the team.

Andrae is a left-shot defenseman, who currently checks in at 5-foot-9 and 191-pounds. Widely considered one of the organization’s top prospects, Andrae has been lauded for his leadership skills and his ability as a puck-mover. Last season, Flo Sports’ Chris Peters told The Inquirer that Andrae plays with an edge and competitiveness that helps him make up for his lack of prototypical size. Peters compared Andrae to St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug.

Last season, while playing in Sweden’s second tier, Andrae tallied 12 goals and 44 points in 51 games (including playoffs), for HV71. He previously represented Sweden internationally at the 2021 and 2022 World Junior Championships, captaining Sweden to a bronze medal in 2022.

The Flyers drafted Andrae, who was born in Västervik, Sweden, in the second round (No. 54 overall) of the 2020 NHL draft. He joined the Phantoms in March and made his AHL debut on March 25 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He recorded an assist in his debut and has two assists in two games.