Maple Leafs sign defenseman to two-year contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Emil Andrae to a two-year contract on Saturday after acquiring the 24-year-old from the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this offseason. While the team did not announce financial terms, the agreement is reported to be worth $3.1 million overall, carrying an average annual value of $1.55 million, according to PuckPedia.

Andrae joined Toronto in the June 16 trade that sent goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia. As part of the transaction, the Maple Leafs also received goaltender Samuel Ersson and a 2026 third-round draft pick. Ersson was later dealt to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round selection, while the third-round pick was used to draft goaltender Juuso Ainsto with the 85th overall selection.

Originally chosen by the Flyers with the 54th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Andrae is coming off the first full NHL season of his career. He appeared in 61 regular-season games for Philadelphia in 2025-26, recording two goals and 11 assists for 13 points while averaging 15:20 of ice time per game. He also finished sixth on the team with 58 blocked shots and added one assist in four Stanley Cup Playoff games, averaging 11:05 per contest.

The Vastervik, Sweden native has played 107 NHL games across parts of three seasons, racking up three goals and 17 assists. Before finding his footing with the Flyers, Andrae developed through Philadelphia’s system, spending time with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He accumulated 59 points (10 goals, 49 assists) in 103 regular-season AHL games, along with nine points in 16 Calder Cup Playoff contests. During the 2023-24 AHL season, he amassed 32 points in 61 games before garnering 16 points in 25 AHL appearances the following year.

Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

Before moving to North America, Andrae played 91 games for HV71 in Sweden’s top league, collecting six goals and 33 points. Internationally, he represented Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Under-17 Championship and the 2022 World Junior Championship, earning bronze medals at both tournaments.

The new contract also prevents arbitration after Andrae became a restricted free agent when his entry-level deal expired on July 1, keeping the young defenseman under contract as the Maple Leafs continue to build for the 2026-27 season.