I hope you like season previews, because yesterday's blockbuster trade just gave the Blue Jackets three more players who we need to talk about.
We'll start with Emil Andrae, who is definitely the most valuable player in the trade outside of Kirill Marchenko and Matthew Knies. He had been in the Philadelphia Flyers organization for four years, playing 107 games in the NHL and 103 in the AHL.
He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this offseason in a package deal with three other players and a draft pick. He appeared in two preseason games with the Leafs before the trade to Columbus, posting a -2 rating with no points.
Emil Andrae has fantastic analytics
Last year with the Flyers, Andrae led all defensemen in on-ice goals percentage at even strength, with Philly scoring 62.1% of the game's goals when he was on the ice, according to MoneyPuck. The next closest player was at just 52.7%.
Andrae also had good expected metrics, leading the team in on-ice expected goals percentage, although by a smaller margin, and in relative expected goals percentage.
He excelled defensively, allowing the least expected goals, shot attempts, and high-danger chances to opponents per 60 minutes of ice time out of all Flyers blueliners. To put it simply, he had the best metrics on the team.
He finished the season with just 13 points in 61 games, although only two were goals. He has made steady progress from an offensive standpoint, increasing his point-per-game pace every year in both leagues.
This may make you think that Emil Andrae was a steal in this trade (and you may not be wrong), but it's important to keep in mind that he played almost exclusively on the Flyers' third defensive pair, and wasn't on the ice too much against the toughest opponents.
He also doesn't play on either special teams unit, recording just 33 minutes of combined ice time between the power play and penalty kill. He is just 5'9 as well, although he holds his own in physical play. I may not want him trying to box out a large forward, but he gets the job done.
He's also a great skater who has good mobility and distributes the puck well in the offensive zone. The 24-year-old also still has time and room to grow, so he could have some sneaky upside as well.
With injuries to Dante Fabbro and Damon Severson (who may be returning before long), Emil Andrae could see some time on the second pairing with only Jake Christiansen and Erik Gudbranson for competition there, although the recent Carson Soucy signing could make that more difficult.
He is waiver-exempt this season as well, so sending him down to the Monsters would be a simple move if the team gets healthy and needs to clear a roster spot.
At the end of the day, Andrae is a solid snag by Don Waddell, especially if the Blue Jackets are starting the season a bit shorthanded on the blue line. With both Christiansen and Gudbranson having struggled at even strength, Andrae could become a steady third-pair defender this year.
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