Flyers lean on Andrae as defense depth is tested by injuries

The Philadelphia Flyers opened their season this week confronting a thin blue line and a short-term roster shakeup, recalling defenseman Emil Andrae from their AHL affiliate and loaning veteran Dennis Gilbert in a corresponding move as two of their top-four defensemen remained sidelined. Rasmus Ristolainen is recovering from April surgery to repair a ruptured triceps tendon and is not expected back until at least November, while Cam York is day to day with a lower-body injury, forcing coach Rick Tocchet to improvise early in the 82-game slate that begins with road games in Florida and Carolina before a home opener against the Panthers.

The team has publicly available cap space of more than $6.6 million after trading defenseman Ryan Ellis, and Flyers management has been exploring options to add a defenseman. League observers say Philadelphia is checking the market but do not expect heavy early activity, with the front office likely to target an impact player rather than a short-term stopgap. With depth circumstances strained, younger and less experienced defenders such as Adam Ginning, Egor Zamula and Noah Juulsen have seen increased minutes, while Nick Seeler has taken on...