Emil Andrae may only be 5-foot-9 but he plays a lot bigger, and his former GM Daniel Briere gave Leafs fans a taste of what to expect from the young defender.
On Tuesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to Philadelphia for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenceman Emil Andrae and a third-round pick in 2026. It was a bit of a shocker for sure and it looks like this is the first move of many that are going to be made in the coming weeks and months for the team as they transition into a new era.
Andrae is someone who can add a lot of offence to the blueline as his mobility and vision are two of his top traits. but he's also uber-physical despite his small stature, though he does weigh in at nearly 200 pounds so he's not exactly a small guy overall.
He's got a mean streak to him as well, as he has no issues throwing hands or getting in the dirtier areas of the game. Though he's not had a ton of time in the NHL, he's waiting for a chance to break out and Toronto may be the perfect place.
Daniel Briere explains why Maple Leafs fans should be excited about Emil Andrae
Fans should be excited about what Andrae can bring to the lineup even though the loss of Woll is going to hurt but his former GM is trying to give fans as much hope as possible.
Flyers GM Daniel Briere was on TSN's Overdrive and explained the type of player that the Maple Leafs are getting in Andrae, and beyond the offensive side of the game, Briere mentioned that Andrae's a fearless competitor who wants to go through everyone regardless of size:
He's a battler, he's a gamer. He doesn't care if you're 6'4', 6'8', he'll go right through you.
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That's evident when he took a few shots at Boston's Matthew Poitras after being taken down, then going primal on the forward and trying to get a few more shots in against the glass. He's got that fiery energy where anything can set him off; a great asset to have no doubt.
He has 119 hits and 104 blocks in 107 games, so it's not like he's defensively inept either, and his possession numbers were pretty solid for a third-pairing defender. He hasn't shown everything he can do, but so far he looks like a piece Toronto needed for a long time:
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Emil Andrae's hiding an incredibly solid offensive game and Toronto has the coach to unlock it
While Andrae hasn't shown a ton of that offensive potential he showed over in Sweden, he does bring a lot of good to the team's blueline and now that Jim Hiller is in charge, there could be a world where he blossoms under the analytics-driven coach.
His patience is second to none, and he doesn't rush passes and waits until the last possible second before making a decision:
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He's also a guy who loves to create havoc in front of the net, and manages to get a lot of second-chance opportunities for his teammates just based off his propensity to shoot whenever he can:
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That's exactly the type of playmaker the Maple Leafs need in their lineup, and while he won't be fighting for top pairing minutes, him on the third pair and second-PP unit would give the team a dynamic they haven't had in a long time.
Hiller's focus on analytics and proper lineup management is going to bring crucial for maximizing Andrae's potential. But his ability to connect with him as a former player is equally as important, and if he gives Andrae the green light to get more involved then we could see something special.
It may not be the trade that everyone wanted, or the pieces people expected but we should wait and see what Emil Andrae can do - because it sounds like he can do it all.
Will Emil Andrae be able to help the Maple Leafs blueline offensively?
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