Emil Andrae found himself on the waiver wire only weeks after being traded by the Maple Leafs in the Kirill Marchenko-Matthew Knies blockbuster.
Tuesday's waiver wire came with a surprising addition as the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to waive defenseman Emil Andrae after a slow start to the 2026-27 season.
-
Appearing in only five games for the club, he registered two assists and a plus-3 rating with five blocks and four hits in only 10:33 TOI.
Andrae's already been on the move twice - and may be again
Andrae was sent to the Blue Jackets as part of the blockbuster trade between Toronto and Columbus the day before the season started.
Out were Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and Andrae from the Maple Leafs, and in came Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins, and Miles Wood.
Andrae's inclusion was the second time this year he has been traded, as he was originally dealt to the Maple Leafs in a summer trade that sent Simon Benoit and Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers for Andrae, as well as goaltender Samuel Ersson.
But with him being on waivers, he is a likely candidate to be picked up especially for a team looking for a young puck-moving defenseman with some term.
Could the Maple Leafs revisit a deal with Andrae?
Considering the team was the one who signed him to his contract, they certainly know the price he comes in at, and right now it might be in their best interest to see what he can offer them.
He would make a solid replacement for Oliver Ekman-Larsson who may need a break, and can also step up alongside Troy Stecher and form a formidable duo who harasses opponents and play uber physical.
As it stands, the Maple Leafs would need to clear space on the roster for Andrae, while also still having Nick Blankenburg waiting to return from injury, though they may decide to send Andrae to the Marlies, give him loads of reps, and bring him up later on.
The Maple Leafs are in a good spot to claim Andrae if they want to, but they are going to need to hope other teams ahead of them don't have the same mindset as they do.
Do you think Emil Andrae will get claimed off waivers from the Blue Jackets?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Maple Leafs officially respond to Nikita Kucherov's interest in the franchise