Rangers take defenseman EJ Emery
6-3 Defensive defenseman, not much offense
Right-handed shot
Analysis: Emery is a player with a lot of pro traits. He’s 6-foot-3 and skates very well being one of the more athletic defensemen in his age group. He is strong on gaps and retrievals, plays hard on his checks and has the potential to make a lot of NHL stops. He can attack with his feet and often jumps up into the rush. Emery’s offense is a question, as his pure production won’t excite you with zero goals on the season. I think the first pass offense in his game is good enough to play a regular shift in the league, but it will be the main part of his game he will need to prove versus better players.
Pick grade: B
Thoughts on the pick: Emery is a Rangers type of defenseman. He is a big, highly mobile defender who plays hard and can make a lot of stops. He has first-pass offense, but he also had zero goals this season, so offensive expectations aren’t that high. He can project to play in the NHL as a 4/5 D whom coaches love, and his elite athleticism gives him some upside to be better than that if he really hits.
Pretty good pick for 30th. See how he’s doin* after acouple years in North Dakota.
THEHOCKEYWRITERS.COM Want to get past 2024 NHL Draft prospect EJ Emery? Good luck - Daily Faceoff
From asking a panel of USA Hockey National Team Development Program players who the toughest player to face in 1-on-1 drills is, the same answer almost always came up: defenseman EJ Emery.
It’s easy to see why. He’s big at 6-foot-3 and around 180 pounds. He’s as competitive as it gets. His confidence is through the roof. He hits like a truck and gives you no space to play with near the net.
Emery’s parents still live in British Columbia, where he was born and raised. But Emery’s dad being American (with EJ’s hometown on the USNTDP website saying Compton, California), allowed him to suit up for one of the top hockey programs in the world. Emery was drafted 65th overall by the Saskatoon Blades, but he had his eyes set on heading to Plymouth if he ended up getting selected by USA Hockey.
NHL Draft 2024 Live Tracker And First Round Pick-By-Pick Analysis - FloHockey
No. 30 New York Rangers Select: EJ Emery, D, U.S. U18 Team
Scouting Report
The offensive numbers are not good, let's get that out of the way right away. Despite that, there’s so much to like about Emery’s game and his growth as a player. He grew into a shut-down defenseman and played that role excellently in the World U18s for Team USA. That was some of his best hockey of the year and also showcased improved puck play to go with higher-end footwork that allows him to do a little more when he has the puck on his stick. Emery still has a lot of filling out to do, but he’s a 6-foot-3, right-shot defenseman with high-end defensive sense, high-end skating ability and a foundation of skills to build off. He’s headed to the University of North Dakota, which has been a good finishing school for future NHL defensemen in recent years.
Instant Analysis
EJ Emery was our best available defenseman at No. 23 on our Top 100. He has said he really looks up to K'Andre Miller, and has followed a similar developmental path to him. Now they could one day be teammates. Emery's only scratching the surface of the player he'll be. I think two or three years of NCAA hockey at North Dakota will go a long way to getting him physically ready for the NHL. He is one of the draft's most athletic players as he showed at the combine, but he still has room to fill out and build strength. He defends at such a high level and will help a team win. He was one of my favorite prospects to track all season because you could see his progression.
Film Room: EJ Emery could become a shutdown force in the NHL (eprinkside.com)
Conventional wisdom says even shutdown defencemen need to score in junior, but there are some exceptions.
The exceptions usually have a few elements: mobility, reach, and enough skill to limit needless battles. Think Brady Skjei Dylan Samberg, Josh Manson, or even Alex Vlasic, all of whom scored little while advancing the ranks but still became impactful NHLers regardless.
EJ Emery could be next.
He had just 16 assists and zero goals in 61 games this season, yet the probability that he will carve out a lengthy NHL career seems almost certain.
Here's how he does it.
Infinite range and surfing skill
Emery certainly has NHL tools, and then some. He's a powerful open-ice skater, but it's really the first-step quickness, fluid pivots, and instant access to his outside edges that drive his mobility
2024 NHL draft live updates: 7-round, 32-team pick tracker - ESPN
30. New York Rangers
EJ Emery, D
Team: USA U-18 (NTDP) | Rank: 28
DOB: 03/30/06 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 185 | Shot: R
2023-24 stats: GP: 53 | G: 0 | A: 11 | P: 11
Scouting notes: EJ Emery has the makings of an impactful defenseman who can anchor a second pairing. Emery is a perfect complementary piece to an elite offensive defenseman who needs a reliable partner to augment their game.
Emery is a top transition defenseman, whose one-on-one defensive play stands out. He maintains excellent posture, effectively uses his stick to guide opponents, take away passes and poke pucks off opponent's sticks. In transition, he maintains good gap control, doesn't allow attackers to beat him to the outside and forces them to relinquish the puck. When the game needs a calming presence, the opponent's best players kept off the scoresheet and a quality defensive play, Emery is that player. From that perspective, he is a coach's dream. His defensive development this season has me believing he will continue to improve and likely become one of the best defenders in the draft class.
Offensively, there is not a lot there. That isn't Emery's calling card. That is likely why the model doesn't project him to be more than a second-pairing defenseman. He makes simple breakout passes and doesn't get caught up ice. While that is generally concerning, as a lack of offense at the junior level leads to a less confident statistical projection, his ability to defend in all three zones, skate well, and win physical battles should make him a top-four defenseman in the NHL. -- Doerrie
Team fit: There was a sense ahead of the draft that if the Rangers kept this pick, they were going defense. They selected a solid one here.
OHLWRITERS.ME 
SWISSHOCKEYNEWS.CH Rangers draft Nathan Aspinall big dude.
Kind of has become a Ranger thing, to use a 6th round pick to select a tall forward? Rempe and Edstrom, and then Roobroeck
Rangers draft Rico Gredig
Sounds like a guy who popped a little last year, and ended up playing as a bit of a shutdown center for the Swiss U20. Overager who made Davos as a bit of a surprise...can play wing or center. Bit of a long shot, but at this point of the draft, most are going to be. Will play in Switzerland this coming year
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