Category: Sports News

For the first time in six games, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae will step back into the lineup, ending a prolonged stretch as a healthy scratch that, while difficult, may ultimately serve as one of the more important developmental checkpoints of his young NHL career.

Sam Ersson will start for the Flyers tonight vs. Rangers. Emil Andrae will draw back into the lineup.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) February 26, 2026

For both Andrae and the Flyers, his return represents a recalibration of sorts—of expectations, responsibilities, and trust.

And maybe most importantly, it’s another test of whether Andrae can consistently differentiate himself from a promising call-up into a dependable, everyday NHL defenseman.

A Necessary Pause in a Promising Trajectory

When Andrae was first recalled earlier this season, he impressed straightaway.

He moved the puck decisively, drove offense, and played with the kind of assertiveness that belied his size. At 5-foot-9, Andrae will never overwhelm opponents physically, but he compensates with anticipation, mobility, and pure fearlessness. He closes gaps aggressively and can escape pressure cleanly. And when he does get the puck, he sees the ice like a player who has always been accustomed to controlling it.

That early success confirmed the already favorable opinions he had garnered from previous NHL stints—at 24 years old, he's obviously not a finished product, but he does possess a heap of desirable qualities in a blueliner, and has oodles of potential for his coaches to work with as he continues developing.

But as the season wore on, the natural inconsistencies of a young defenseman began to surface. The reads that came easily in his first stretch required quicker processing, and the risks became more costly.

Head coach Rick Tocchet was candid in his assessment of where Andrae’s game had slipped before the Flyers' game against the New York Rangers on Feb. 26.

“I think he played his best hockey when he was first called up,” Tocchet said. “I think he was obviously good on the breakouts, good on wheeling the puck… It’s just stuff he tries too much—making passes in the middle of the ice or being out of position, things like that. But that’s growing as a young defenseman.”

#Flyers coach Rick Tocchet on what Emil Andrae needs to do to get back in:
"Well, I think one of the reasons why we have to do this is our PK...That's the problem, he's not a PK guy. So actually, this week, he's worked on his [PK]. That's really what it's going to come down to." https://t.co/rD63WBHETa

— Jackie Spiegel (@jackiespiegel93) February 25, 2026

Roles, Trust, and Lineup Balance

Andrae’s absence wasn’t solely about performance. It was also about his fit in the overall lineup.

Tocchet pointed to penalty killing responsibilities multiple times, along with the importance of balanced right-left defensive pairings, as key factors in Andrae’s temporary removal from the lineup. 

Defensemen must earn that trust incrementally. It comes through consistency, through reliability, and through proving that risk-reward decisions consistently favor the team.

Now, Andrae has a prime chance to make a case for his usefulness not just in 5-on-5 play, but on special teams as well.

“He might get some PK time tonight [against the Rangers],” Tocchet said. “So hopefully if he’s out there that he can help us out on the PK, too.”

Even limited penalty-killing usage would be an important step in signaling growing confidence from the coaching staff in both Andrae’s offensive instincts and his defensive discipline.

What Andrae Brings That the Flyers Need

Despite his recent absence, Andrae offers something the Flyers’ blue line doesn’t have in abundance: natural puck-moving fluidity.

They have offensive-minded in defensemen in players like Cam York and Jamie Drysdale, but Andrae adds a layer of relentlessness to that core of smaller offensive defensemen. 

His skating allows him to escape pressure without defaulting to glass-and-out clears. His vision allows him to identify transition opportunities early, and his willingness to attack open ice forces opposing forechecks to hesitate.

Those traits are especially valuable for a Flyers team that relies heavily on structure and pace to generate offense. A clean breakout is often the first offensive play, and Andrae has shown he can initiate those sequences.

What he’s learning now is when to be aggressive and when to be simple—a crucial and delicate balance that separates promising young defensemen from reliable NHL regulars.

A Critical Stage in His Long-Term Development

The six games Andrae spent out of the lineup may ultimately, in a twisted sort of way, benefit him in the long run. 

From the press box, the game slows down. Patterns become clearer, making mistakes easier to recognize without the immediacy of competition. As frustrating as it is not to be on the ice, for young defensemen dealing with stagnation, those observational stretches can accelerate growth, allowing Andrae to return with both perspective and motivation.

He knows what earned him his initial opportunity. He also knows what cost him his place, and no doubt he understands what’s required to keep it.

The good thing is that Andrae doesn't have to scrap his whole game and start over. As Tocchet pointed out, the expectation is not for Andrae to completely reinvent his game, but to refine it and stay consistent with it. Keep the mobility; keep the confidence; keep the creativity. But going along with that, pair those clear strengths with restraint, positional awareness, and situational judgment.

A Meaningful Opportunity for Player and Team

For the Flyers, reinserting Andrae is more than just switching up the lineup in the hopes of taking three points away from New York. The team is simultaneously evaluating his nightly performance and his trajectory.

Can Andrae become a reliable puck-moving presence in their top six? Can he handle defensive responsibility in critical moments? Can he grow into a player they can trust in all situations?

Those answers won’t come after one game, but they’ll begin to emerge now, as he steps back onto the ice—not as the wide-eyed up-and-down kid from his first stints with the big club, but as a more mature and experienced young defenseman who has felt both the momentum of early success and the humility of stepping back.

For the first time in six games, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae will step back into the lineup, ending a prolonged stretch as a healthy scratch that, while difficult, may ultimately serve as one of the more important developmental checkpoints of his young NHL career.

Sam Ersson will start for the Flyers tonight vs. Rangers. Emil Andrae will draw back into the lineup.

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) February 26, 2026

For both Andrae and the Flyers, his return represents a recalibration of sorts—of expectations, responsibilities, and trust.

And maybe most importantly, it’s another test of whether Andrae can consistently differentiate himself from a promising call-up into a dependable, everyday NHL defenseman.

A Necessary Pause in a Promising Trajectory

When Andrae was first recalled earlier this season, he impressed straightaway.

He moved the puck decisively, drove offense, and played with the kind of assertiveness that belied his size. At 5-foot-9, Andrae will never overwhelm opponents physically, but he compensates with anticipation, mobility, and pure fearlessness. He closes gaps aggressively and can escape pressure cleanly. And when he does get the puck, he sees the ice like a player who has always been accustomed to controlling it.

That early success confirmed the already favorable opinions he had garnered from previous NHL stints—at 24 years old, he's obviously not a finished product, but he does possess a heap of desirable qualities in a blueliner, and has oodles of potential for his coaches to work with as he continues developing.

But as the season wore on, the natural inconsistencies of a young defenseman began to surface. The reads that came easily in his first stretch required quicker processing, and the risks became more costly.

Head coach Rick Tocchet was candid in his assessment of where Andrae’s game had slipped before the Flyers' game against the New York Rangers on Feb. 26.

“I think he played his best hockey when he was first called up,” Tocchet said. “I think he was obviously good on the breakouts, good on wheeling the puck… It’s just stuff he tries too much—making passes in the middle of the ice or being out of position, things like that. But that’s growing as a young defenseman.”

#Flyers coach Rick Tocchet on what Emil Andrae needs to do to get back in:
"Well, I think one of the reasons why we have to do this is our PK...That's the problem, he's not a PK guy. So actually, this week, he's worked on his [PK]. That's really what it's going to come down to." https://t.co/rD63WBHETa

— Jackie Spiegel (@jackiespiegel93) February 25, 2026

Roles, Trust, and Lineup Balance

Andrae’s absence wasn’t solely about performance. It was also about his fit in the overall lineup.

Tocchet pointed to penalty killing responsibilities multiple times, along with the importance of balanced right-left defensive pairings, as key factors in Andrae’s temporary removal from the lineup. 

Defensemen must earn that trust incrementally. It comes through consistency, through reliability, and through proving that risk-reward decisions consistently favor the team.

Now, Andrae has a prime chance to make a case for his usefulness not just in 5-on-5 play, but on special teams as well.

“He might get some PK time tonight [against the Rangers],” Tocchet said. “So hopefully if he’s out there that he can help us out on the PK, too.”

Even limited penalty-killing usage would be an important step in signaling growing confidence from the coaching staff in both Andrae’s offensive instincts and his defensive discipline.

What Andrae Brings That the Flyers Need

Despite his recent absence, Andrae offers something the Flyers’ blue line doesn’t have in abundance: natural puck-moving fluidity.

They have offensive-minded in defensemen in players like Cam York and Jamie Drysdale, but Andrae adds a layer of relentlessness to that core of smaller offensive defensemen. 

His skating allows him to escape pressure without defaulting to glass-and-out clears. His vision allows him to identify transition opportunities early, and his willingness to attack open ice forces opposing forechecks to hesitate.

Those traits are especially valuable for a Flyers team that relies heavily on structure and pace to generate offense. A clean breakout is often the first offensive play, and Andrae has shown he can initiate those sequences.

What he’s learning now is when to be aggressive and when to be simple—a crucial and delicate balance that separates promising young defensemen from reliable NHL regulars.

A Critical Stage in His Long-Term Development

The six games Andrae spent out of the lineup may ultimately, in a twisted sort of way, benefit him in the long run. 

From the press box, the game slows down. Patterns become clearer, making mistakes easier to recognize without the immediacy of competition. As frustrating as it is not to be on the ice, for young defensemen dealing with stagnation, those observational stretches can accelerate growth, allowing Andrae to return with both perspective and motivation.

He knows what earned him his initial opportunity. He also knows what cost him his place, and no doubt he understands what’s required to keep it.

The good thing is that Andrae doesn't have to scrap his whole game and start over. As Tocchet pointed out, the expectation is not for Andrae to completely reinvent his game, but to refine it and stay consistent with it. Keep the mobility; keep the confidence; keep the creativity. But going along with that, pair those clear strengths with restraint, positional awareness, and situational judgment.

A Meaningful Opportunity for Player and Team

For the Flyers, reinserting Andrae is more than just switching up the lineup in the hopes of taking three points away from New York. The team is simultaneously evaluating his nightly performance and his trajectory.

Can Andrae become a reliable puck-moving presence in their top six? Can he handle defensive responsibility in critical moments? Can he grow into a player they can trust in all situations?

Those answers won’t come after one game, but they’ll begin to emerge now, as he steps back onto the ice—not as the wide-eyed up-and-down kid from his first stints with the big club, but as a more mature and experienced young defenseman who has felt both the momentum of early success and the humility of stepping back.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would never let it happen in today's NHL President Clarence Campbell did 'way back when, and the Blueshirts were the victims.

It all took place in the 1959-60season, Rangers GM Muzz Patrick dealt defenseman Bill Gadsby and forward Eddie Shack to Toronto.  In addition to Leafs defenseman Red Kelly, New York also would obtain forward Billy McNeill on Feb. 5, 1960

On the surface the exchange seemed reasonable all around. Gadsby and  Kelly wound up in the Hall of Fame while Shack and McNeill proved to be useful second liners.

There was only one problem; the deal never was officially made.  Kelly chose to retire than play for a Blueshirt sextet run into the ice – or ground, if you will – by Patrick. 

"As it happened," said Associated Press reporter Shelly Sakowitz, "Kelly never intended to retire. He got an offer to play for Toronto and accepted.

Leafs boss Punch Imlach moved Kelly up to center and he helped Toronto win four Cups in six years."

Campbell killed the original deal while Gadsby later was traded to Detroit. Postscript: Gadsby played 20 years in the NHL but never for a Cup-winner.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would never let it happen in today's NHL President Clarence Campbell did 'way back when, and the Blueshirts were the victims.

It all took place in the 1959-60season, Rangers GM Muzz Patrick dealt defenseman Bill Gadsby and forward Eddie Shack to Toronto.  In addition to Leafs defenseman Red Kelly, New York also would obtain forward Billy McNeill on Feb. 5, 1960

On the surface the exchange seemed reasonable all around. Gadsby and  Kelly wound up in the Hall of Fame while Shack and McNeill proved to be useful second liners.

There was only one problem; the deal never was officially made.  Kelly chose to retire than play for a Blueshirt sextet run into the ice – or ground, if you will – by Patrick. 

"As it happened," said Associated Press reporter Shelly Sakowitz, "Kelly never intended to retire. He got an offer to play for Toronto and accepted.

Leafs boss Punch Imlach moved Kelly up to center and he helped Toronto win four Cups in six years."

Campbell killed the original deal while Gadsby later was traded to Detroit. Postscript: Gadsby played 20 years in the NHL but never for a Cup-winner.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

Back to work are the Detroit Red Wings following the Olympic break, which saw Dylan Larkin and Team USA capture the gold medal for the first time since the iconic Miracle on Ice squad of 1980.

Detroit’s first game out of the break will immediately pit Larkin and the Red Wings against his Team USA teammate Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators, who have been a thorn in Detroit’s side over the past three seasons.

Ottawa is currently fighting for its playoff life, while the Red Wings are looking to gain ground in the tightly packed Atlantic Division standings after slipping into the first Wild Card spot.

They are tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres, but both teams hold the tiebreaker.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Defenseman Mortiz Seider, who led all Team Germany defensemen in total ice time during the Olympics, is looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. 

"It's going to be great, everyone is really excited," Seider said following Detroit's skate on Thursday morning. "It's been a while since we've worn the red and white jersey. Everyone is looking forward to having a good start, don't overcomplicate things, and get right back into action." 

With 24 games left in the schedule, the onus is on the Red Wings to maintain a consistent level of play that allows them to get a leg up on their competition. 

"They're going to be crucial, especially since we have a lot of four-point games ahead of us," Seider said of Detroit's remaining games. "We play a lot of divisional opponents, and those will be key. You can separate in those situations, and that's exactly what we had to do. Tonight will be a good challenge for us to do so." 

Among the 24 games Detroit has left on the schedule are 10 against Atlantic Division opponents, beginning on Thursday against the Senators. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

Back to work are the Detroit Red Wings following the Olympic break, which saw Dylan Larkin and Team USA capture the gold medal for the first time since the iconic Miracle on Ice squad of 1980.

Detroit’s first game out of the break will immediately pit Larkin and the Red Wings against his Team USA teammate Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators, who have been a thorn in Detroit’s side over the past three seasons.

Ottawa is currently fighting for its playoff life, while the Red Wings are looking to gain ground in the tightly packed Atlantic Division standings after slipping into the first Wild Card spot.

They are tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres, but both teams hold the tiebreaker.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Defenseman Mortiz Seider, who led all Team Germany defensemen in total ice time during the Olympics, is looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. 

"It's going to be great, everyone is really excited," Seider said following Detroit's skate on Thursday morning. "It's been a while since we've worn the red and white jersey. Everyone is looking forward to having a good start, don't overcomplicate things, and get right back into action." 

With 24 games left in the schedule, the onus is on the Red Wings to maintain a consistent level of play that allows them to get a leg up on their competition. 

"They're going to be crucial, especially since we have a lot of four-point games ahead of us," Seider said of Detroit's remaining games. "We play a lot of divisional opponents, and those will be key. You can separate in those situations, and that's exactly what we had to do. Tonight will be a good challenge for us to do so." 

Among the 24 games Detroit has left on the schedule are 10 against Atlantic Division opponents, beginning on Thursday against the Senators. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.