Before Cam York makes his season debut tomorrow night against the Winnipeg Jets, the Philadelphia Flyers have demoted Emil Andrae.
Rick Tocchet intimated earlier today that Noah Juulsen will remain in the lineup because he wants a defenseman with size and someone who can kill penalties against a heavier team like the Jets.
This is not the first time that Tocchet has taken that route. He played Nicolas Deslauriers and Rodrigo Ābols in the team’s season opener against the Florida Panthers over rookies Nikita Grebenkin and Jett Luchanko.
Nevertheless, it’s a bit disappointing that Andrae couldn’t stick around with the big club after he had a solid debut against the Panthers on Monday night. He only played 10:22TOI, but he still made an impact and was visibly better than some of his counterparts.
However, Tocchet has stated several times before that he’s looking for a specific mold on his bottom-pair, one that generally revolves around size and defensive acumen, which is why Juulsen and Adam Ginning are more than likely the fifth and sixth defenseman tomorrow night.
It might have just been a one-game sample, but Andrae had a CF% of 87.5% and a FF% of 100% with chances created compared to Juulsen, who is currently at 33.3% in both categories, Ginning having a 31.3% CF and a 25% FF, and Egor Zamula having a 44.2% FF and a 42.1% FF.
Juulsen’s role on the team was relatively downplayed for most of the off-season and training camp; however, it has become clear that he will be a mainstay for as long as Rasmus Ristolainen remains on the mend, which could still be for another month.
Additionally, it felt like Andrae was initially demoted during training camp because of his stature, and the Flyers felt they couldn’t roll with York, Andrae, and Jamie Drysdale in the same lineup. Even though having all 3 of them with Travis Sanheim and Nick Seeler is far more impactful on and off the puck than having some combination of Zamula, Juulsen, and Ginning – sometimes all together.
The curious treatment of Andrae hasn’t escaped the insiders either, as Anthony Di Marco (Daily Faceoff) had mentioned that rival executives are keeping tabs on what the Flyers are doing with the Swedish defenseman. He is technically available for trade, but the team isn’t going out of their way to make a move, yet.
Andrae had a great first stint with the Flyers in 2024-25; however, it was slightly muted the second time around, seemingly placing a label on him heading into the off-season. The organization lacked size to some degree, and it doesn’t sound like they’re comfortable rolling with too many “small defenseman” right now.
It probably also helps that they can demote Andrae to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms without having to use waivers, as they would have to for most of their remaining defensemen.
Andrae is certainly a step above the rest when it comes to what the Flyers are currently rolling on the bottom-pair, but their need to roll with “defensive defenseman” and size is peculiar.
When Ristolainen eventually makes his return, it will be interesting to see how the Flyers reconfigure their lineup; however, for the time being, they seem more than comfortable with giving Juulsen and Ginning consistent runs at the bottom-pair with Zamula cycling in.
