The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Saturday that they had signed defenceman Emil Andrae to a two-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed by the Leafs, but it carries an AAV of $1.55 million according to TSN’s Chris Johnston.

Andrae was acquired by the Leafs in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on June 16, along with a 2026 third-round pick and Sam Ersson in exchange for Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit. Ersson was subsequently traded to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round pick, while the third-round pick the Leafs acquired was used to select goalie Juuso Ainsto 85th overall.

Andrae is a 24-year-old defenceman who just completed his first full NHL season with the Flyers, registering 13 points (two goals and 11 assists) in 61 games while adding an assist in four playoff games. The Swedish blueliner was drafted in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft and can slide into a puck-moving role on the Maple Leafs’ bottom pair. He’s certainly on the undersized side of things, standing at 5-foot-9 and 189 pounds, but his competitiveness outweighs his height.

Philadelphia controlled 55 percent of the expected goals at 5-on-5 when Andrae was on the ice in 2024-25, along with a 51 percent share in 2025-26 via Natural Stat Trick. He represents not only a major upgrade over Benoit, but also a shift in philosophy on how the Leafs want to play during the John Chayka-Jim Hiller era.

The Leafs’ GM told reporters after the trade that he had been tracking Andrae’s development for quite some time and was eager to get him into the fold.

“Our staff felt good about him. He’s a smart, competitive player, he helps us break the puck out more efficiently. A good puck-mover that can also help join the rush and support offence as well,” he said. “From that side we’re getting a good young D in an age group, that candidly, we could use some more defence in that age group. So, you know, it kind of satisfied a need there for us. And to add some draft capital as well, as we look to replenish, you know, it checked a lot of boxes.”

This marks the latest signing in what has been a busy start to the offseason for Chayka and the Leafs. Along with Andrae, Toronto signed Sergei Bobrovsky, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Jack Roslovic, Brandon Duhaime and Zack MacEwen as free agents, while acquiring Nick Paul from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Dennis Hildeby and two draft picks, and trading Nick Robertson to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round pick.

With Andrae locked up, the Leafs are down three RFAs that were given a qualifying offer and need a new contract in Jacob Quillan, Ryan Tverberg, and William Villeneuve.