In the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft on Wednesday, the Flyers selected Swedish defender Emil Andre with his 54th overall pick.
The 5-foot-8, 181-pounder is considered a skilled mobile and offensive blueliner. Playing for HV71 Junior Club during 2019-20, he was the No. 1-scoring defender in Sweden’s top junior league with 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 40 games. He played 10 games for HV71 in the Swedish Elite League and has played five this season.
The comparable 18-year-old current player on NHL Central Scouting is Torre Krug. Andre was the 15th ranked European skater of the Scouting Service in the draft. Craig Button of TSN ranked him 64th in the draft, while Chris Peters of ESPN ranked Andre 53rd.
Flyers like puck-handling defenders pushing north and head coach Ellen Wignault’s get-to-you, pin-you-back system. The position has become an organizational strength.
“I like its outrageous dynamics,” said amateur scout Mark Gregg on Wednesday, according to J. Civil, director of public relations for the flyers. “He’s a good skater and he’s a head-up player who’s a really skilled puck-handler. He has vision. At times you can see him slow down in transition into the game and then move forward. He can also be dynamic with an offensive blue line. .And find the offense. I think that’s the strength of his game. He’s a little understated but he’s very conscious, so he doesn’t get himself in trouble. “
Flyers evaluates Sweden heavily and well under the leadership of European amateur scout Joachim Grindberg. Oscar Lindblom and Robert Hague are Swedish natives. In April, Flyers signed SHL product Linus Sandin. This past season, his four prospects at the club also include SHL – Ole Lexel, Linus Hogberg, Adam Jining and Samuel Erson.
Andre was Sandin’s partner last season and said he sees Rasmus Sandin, the flyer’s brother, who is a defense officer at Maple Leafs.
“This year, I was looking at it a lot,” Andre said in a conference call on Wednesday. “I want to compare my next game to that. He plays an effective game and I also want to play an effective game with great grip movement.”
Like any small, offense-first defender, lefty-shot Andre said he could improve his game in the defensive zone.
Here are the Flyers Day 2 draft slots.
