Emil Andrae's elite transition game creates a lineup problem for the Maple Leafs

With GM John Chayka finalizing a two-year extension for veteran defenseman Troy Stecher, the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line remains heavily reliant on veterans.

However, 24-year-old Emil Andrae, acquired from Philadelphia this summer, brings the mobility and puck-moving ability Toronto specifically lacked from parts of its blue line last season.

The analytics behind Emil Andrae's transition game

One of the Toronto Maple Leafs' biggest weaknesses last season was their defense's inability to generate offense. Their breakout was weak, with top stars like Morgan Rielly struggling to get out of the defensive zone.

Heavy forechecking left the team scrambling at times, and it became a sore spot throughout the season. That said, Andrae is a player who can help change that narrative.

According to analytics expert JFreshHockey, Andrae is a player who excels at getting out of his zone quickly. He can make stretch passes all over the ice, and his analytics suggest he is a bang-for-your-buck solution when it comes to generating offense from the defensive zone.

Emil Andrae, acquired by TOR, is a two-way defenceman who has done well in sheltered minutes. A very high-motor and involved player who zooms around the ice a bunch and even throws some hits

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That's where Andrae could separate himself in camp. Jim Hiller has already said he wants Toronto to skate and attack with the puck, and Andrae's ability to move it out quickly gives him a skill that directly fits the new coach's stated approach.

How the Troy Stecher extension complicates the lineup

With Stretcher returning this season, the Maple Leafs have a bit of a logjam on their roster. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Philippe Myers, Jake McCabe, and Darren Raddysh are also on the team. That's eight defenders for six spots in the lineup.

This creates a dilemma for Jim Hiller. Do you play your young analytically minded defenseman, or do you prioritize the veterans who are getting paid more money? It's a tough question, and one that could lead to some sleepless nights for Hiller as the season goes on.

If Andrae proves his transition game makes Toronto better, Hiller could eventually face a harder decision than simply choosing a sixth defenceman. Keeping him in the lineup would mean reducing the role of one of Toronto's established veterans or eventually creating room elsewhere on the blue line.

Anchoring the second power play unit under Jim Hiller⁠

Andrae's puck-moving ability also gives Hiller another option to test on the second power-play unit. He hasn't earned that job yet, but his vision, mobility and ability to move the puck quickly should at least put him in that competition during camp.

There is an added benefit to putting Andrae on the second unit. This could help lessen the top unit burden on Morgan Rielly and Darren Raddysh. If the second power play unit establishes itself, Hiller won't have to run the top unit ragged. Over an 82-game season, those kinds of things become important.

Emil Andrae still has some developing left to do. At 24 years old, his career has only just begun. Furthermore, at 5'9”, he has to prove he can handle the physical load. However, his analytical bona fides make him someone that head coach Jim Hiller needs to take seriously. He could very well be this Leafs team's diamond in the rough.

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