Why Emil Andrae ‘couldn’t be happier’ with trade to Maple Leafs

MILTON, Ont. — Emil Andrae was on the 18th hole in mid-June when he saw Daniel Briere’s name pop up on his phone. Curiosity could wait for a putt.

The shifty defenceman finished his round before ringing his boss back and learning that he (and a third-round pick and goalie Samuel Ersson’s rights) had been traded from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit.

“A little shocking at first,” Andrae said Monday at his new club’s annual Leafs & Legends Charity Golf Classic. “But when I found out it was Toronto, I couldn’t be happier.”

It was a bit of a stunner for Andrae, getting jolted away from the organization that had spent six years developing 2020’s 54th-overall pick. The left-shot Swede had just taken some impressive strides in his second full NHL campaign, posting career highs in games played (61), goals (two), assists (11), plus-minus (plus-15), and hits (68). Plus, he had his first taste of playoff action, as the house-money Flyers upset their rival Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1.

As emotions attached to Briere’s 19th-hole news bomb subsided, though, Andrae understood why Philly put him in play. Puck-moving D-men, regardless of their stature or experience, hold value.

“I had a little bit of a feeling, maybe. There’s a lot of young guys coming up there, a lot of prospects that they need to get into the team, into the league,” said Andrae, already busy defending Gavin McKenna at Toronto’s captain’s skates. 

“For me, it was a great thing to get moved, too. I love the guys there, and I love the place, and I love to play in that city. But I think a fresh start for me now is going to be perfect. And I couldn't be more excited to be here.”

That the 24-year-old grew up a Leafs fan in the coastal town of Vastervik and will now be working with Swedish icons Mats Sundin and Daniel Alfredsson only boosts excitement. So, too, does Andrae’s previous relationship with veteran Swedes William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Nylander took Andrae out for dinner on the eve of the charity golf tournament and extolled the virtues of Toronto.

“We had a good chat about the city, and he’s trying to help me get a place, (telling me) where to go and eat and all that stuff,” Andrae said. “He loves it here. It’s a great city and great hockey market. So, he has a lot of good things to say.”

(And, yes, Nylander picked up the bill.)

Since the trade — and subsequent two-year, $3.1-million bridge deal — Andrae’s door for opportunity in Toronto hasn’t exactly swung wide open.

After spending all or a portion of each of his four North American seasons in the AHL with Lehigh Valley, Andrae’s stated goal is to improve his defensive game and establish himself as an NHL “everydayer.” But there will be hurdles.

Because fellow lefty Morgan Rielly returns untraded, five no-brainer everydayers will start camp on the Maple Leafs blueline. Andrae will be hard-pressed to steal a lineup spot from Reilly, Ekman-Larsson, Darren Raddysh, Jack McCabe, or Chris Tanev — provided the veterans stay healthy.

That leaves one slot for an undersized third-pairing guy. Re-signed fan favourite Troy Stecher and fellow righty Nick Blankenburg — who scored eight goals last season and joins camp on a PTO — want those shifts as well.

Andrae has youth on his side, plus the built-in optimism that comes with a defenceman who feels he can still improve his small-ice game after learning the sport on the big European ice.

“A smart, competitive player. Helps us break the puck out more efficiently. A good puck mover that can also help join the rush and support offence as well,” Leafs GM John Chayka described his return for Woll and Benoit. “We’re getting a good young D at an age group that we, candidly, could use some more.”

Andrae is listed at 5-foot-9, 194 pounds. “Pretty small,” by his own admission. 

But like Stecher, Andrae vows to make up a few inches with 200 feet of effort. 

“I like to move the puck, move my legs, and I think my vision is probably the biggest strength I have out there,” Andrae said.

Chayka had been eyeing Andrae for a while. As the targeted return from Briere, Andrae will be given a legitimate shot to stick. And unless the 28-year-old Blankenburg makes the squad, he’ll be six years younger than any other member of Toronto’s D corps.

“I’ve always been questioned if I can play the game against these big players,” Andrae said. “You have to use (your body) in a smart way to be a good player in this league, and I have more to improve, but I think I’m on a good path.”

And in a fine landing spot, considering the boyhood Leafs fan had no control over the trade.

“It’s probably the biggest hockey market in the world,” said Andrae before teeing off. “It’s going to be a little different from Philly, of course, but I just can’t be more happy to be here and have fans that love hockey. And, I mean, you guys, reporters, that love it too. So, it’s gonna be fun.”