Overview
- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they signed 24‑year‑old Swedish defenseman Emil Andrae to a two‑year contract on Saturday, July 4, finalizing the roster piece acquired in the June 16 trade with Philadelphia.
- Multiple outlets report the deal is worth $3.1 million total with a $1.55 million average annual cap hit, figures that were not disclosed by the team but corroborated by TSN and PuckPedia.
- Andrae is expected to play a bottom‑pair, puck‑moving role after a 2025–26 season in which he posted 13 points in 61 games for the Flyers and showed strong puck‑possession metrics.
- The signing completes one strand of GM John Chayka’s offseason plan to add younger, mobile defenders and follows quick follow‑through on that trade when Samuel Ersson was flipped and the acquired third‑round pick was used on goalie Juuso Ainsto.
- The contract increases Toronto’s tight offseason cap situation — reports show roughly $2.7 million over the cap — meaning the club will need further roster and cap management before the 2026–27 season begins.