Prospect Info: 2024-2025 Rangers Prospects Thread (Prospect Stats in Post #1; Updated 12/6/2024)

[nyr2k2]

Yeah IDK, if you want to be concerned about Emery's lack of production there's a historical justification for that. No doubt.

There's also examples of players who didn't produce at lower levels that have gone on to be successful NHL players.

For me, it boils down to, this is exactly who we thought we drafted. What he's doing or not doing is basically what was to be reasonably expected. Whether he progresses from here, time will tell. I'm generally pleased with the drafting under Drury (whether you count 2021 and Othmann or not) so I'm inclined to give the 18-year-old some time.

 

[eco's bones]

Yeah IDK, if you want to be concerned about Emery's lack of production there's a historical justification for that. No doubt.

There's also examples of players who didn't produce at lower levels that have gone on to be successful NHL players.

For me, it boils down to, this is exactly who we thought we drafted. What he's doing or not doing is basically what was to be reasonably expected. Whether he progresses from here, time will tell. I'm generally pleased with the drafting under Drury (whether you count 2021 and Othmann or not) so I'm inclined to give the 18-year-old some time.

I'd add that Emery is playing for a noteworthy college program that over the decades has put lots of players in the NHL. Quite often too players wait a year after they're drafted so he's a teenager playing against bigger, stronger and faster competition than he had before. It's not just 17, 18 and 19 year olds. When you play for a better program also you're not going to start on the first pairing. You don't always start in the top 4. If instead you go to a lesser Div. 1 school you might get those opportunities right off. I'd also note that Dean Letourneau last I looked had two assists at BC....this is a guy who skates very well for his size and tore up his junior league last year and was drafted in the 1st round by Boston.

Laba was an overage when we drafted him and he went to Colorado College at least one year older than Emery.....CC is a pretty good team but not a top notch program. After Brody Lamb was drafted he spent the next year in the USHL and his freshman year he didn't produce very much. So it wasn't until his sophomore year (two years after he was drafted) that he started picking his game up. It also points to what a fantastic prospect Perreault is blowing the doors off in his draft year and it's basically because of stick skills and a top notch hockey IQ.

 

[2014nyr]

I think it’s pretty funny to start bagging on a freshman defensive defenseman prospect for not scoring after a whole 17 games…

it's impressive tbh...17 games getting a regular shift without recording a single point is not easy to do. he really should try a lefty stick..

to be clear, it doesn't mean anything. sounds like his play has been solid overall. he's also only 5 pts away from being tied for 3rd in dman scoring, so it's not exactly like the rest of the blue line is lighting it up and he's a glaring outlier. people just run to the extremes....if he had 20 points right now he'd be talked about like the second coming of bobby orr while 0 points means he's a writeoff. ppl have learned nothing from writing off laf when he didn't light it up at 18...who coulda seen that coming

 

[bhamill]

it's impressive tbh...17 games getting a regular shift without recording a single point is not easy to do. he really should try a lefty stick..

to be clear, it doesn't mean anything. sounds like his play has been solid overall. he's also only 5 pts away from being tied for 3rd in dman scoring, so it's not exactly like the rest of the blue line is lighting it up and he's a glaring outlier. people just run to the extremes....if he had 20 points right now he'd be talked about like the second coming of bobby orr while 0 points means he's a writeoff. ppl have learned nothing from writing off laf when he didn't light it up at 18...who coulda seen that coming

Well ONE point… hahahah.

 

[2014nyr]

Well ONE point… hahahah.

jesus murphy so he's on the board, a weekend of puck luck from 3rd on the team in dman pts, and people think the sky is falling? this is the kind of thing you see from fans here that explains everything about why the universe doesn't let the rangers have nice things.

 

[jay from jersey]

Emery's biggest weaknesses pre-draft were his hockey IQ and in particular his puck-moving ability. He was a divisive prospect though with some widely different rankings. Button had him 16th, Elite Prospects 31st, HockeyProspect (my go-to) 59th.

"So, we have a 6’3” frame with huge athletic upside. He’s a better 1-on-1 defender than anything else. E.J. isn’t a natural mauler or big hitter despite how he often gaps up in the neutral zone. And the puck skills might actually be a stopper in terms of NHL upside. His decisions with the puck put some caution on the overall hockey sense and mental processor that this player offers as well. Even in lengthy in-zone coverage situations, there are moments when Emery seems to freeze for a couple beats trying to figure out what’s happening and even then he doesn’t always come away with neutralizing the biggest threat. Emery says he models his game after K’Andre Miller – and there’s some stylistic connection there – but Miller was bigger, meaner, and more skilled by a significant degree. "

Hockey Prospect's Black Book last year

As a 18 year old, Put me on the side of not too concerned with the #’s currently. Not surprising seeing how it was never a big part of his game to begin with.
The more important thing right now is that he seems to be playing well in his new environment… KAM being meaner in his comparison of the 2 , isn’t ideal hah..miller/skjei comp is nice though.
Hopefully he keeps developing and his offense comes later like guys have said in previous post.
Seems he is a real good skater already and has an extremely powerful legs/lower body…. Similar to Guys like Skjei/McD/Hedican etc
Important trait of Defensemen in todays league

 

[Gordon Bombay]

After the years of flipping pucks out of the d zone all I care about anymore is if someone can make a first pass. Can he do that?

 

[UnSandvich]

After the years of flipping pucks out of the d zone all I care about anymore is if someone can make a first pass. Can he do that?

In a word?

Depends who you ask.

 

[GAGLine]

After the years of flipping pucks out of the d zone all I care about anymore is if someone can make a first pass. Can he do that?

In a word?

Depends who you ask.

We'll get to see for ourselves in a couple weeks.

 

[kovazub94]

After the years of flipping pucks out of the d zone all I care about anymore is if someone can make a first pass. Can he do that?

A. Can he defend?
B. Can he make the first pass?
C. Can he carry the puck out of the zone?

 

[B17 Apricots]

After the years of flipping pucks out of the d zone all I care about anymore is if someone can make a first pass. Can he do that?

Uh oh

 

[Leetch3]

 

[nyr2k2]

Unfortunately looks like our guy is a scratch tonight, unless he's out injured. And NMU looks like they're about to be shut out and fall to 1-15-1.

 

[GAGLine]

Brody Lamb with a goal to make it 2-1 Minnesota. They're playing on the Big Ten network, btw.

 

[Leetch3]

here is the lamb goal

 

[Mugless]

Read the tweet and read the replies. Lamb is #17 they refer to:

 

[eco's bones]

Unfortunately looks like our guy is a scratch tonight, unless he's out injured. And NMU looks like they're about to be shut out and fall to 1-15-1.

I don't think he's played the last few games so I think he's injured. Could be grades too though it might be a little early for that.

 

[2014nyr]

I don't think he's played the last few games so I think he's injured. Could be grades too though it might be a little early for that.

that would require doing something so impossible it'd actually be an accomplishment. you don't even need a room temperature iq to stay eligible if schools want you in the lineup...trust me. the only people who'd miss extended time for grades are practice dummies because their whole purpose is pumping the team gpa/grad rate.

 

[nyr2k2]

I don't think he's played the last few games so I think he's injured. Could be grades too though it might be a little early for that.

It's weird with him. They played a game on November 2 and I mentioned he wasn't in the lineup. Then the next day come to find out he apparently played, but less than 5 minutes. The game against Ferris St last weekend he played less than 2 minutes. I didn't watch last night and I don't think he played but who knows lol. The stats say he has played 16 games which would mean he only missed one game (NMU has played 17 official games).

 

[eco's bones]

that would require doing something so impossible it'd actually be an accomplishment. you don't even need a room temperature iq to stay eligible if schools want you in the lineup...trust me. the only people who'd miss extended time for grades are practice dummies because their whole purpose is pumping the team gpa/grad rate.

A couple things. I don't know if this is an ongoing thing with most college teams anymore but it use to happen quite often. The second point is it's not like Northern Michigan really needs him or any of other of its players in the lineup. As far as this season has gone for them they are just playing games and pretty much losing all of them. They're ranked like 63rd out of 64 teams. It's a gone season already.

 

[eco's bones]

It's weird with him. They played a game on November 2 and I mentioned he wasn't in the lineup. Then the next day come to find out he apparently played, but less than 5 minutes. The game against Ferris St last weekend he played less than 2 minutes. I didn't watch last night and I don't think he played but who knows lol. The stats say he has played 16 games which would mean he only missed one game (NMU has played 17 official games).

Probably some injury he's dealing with. Maybe tried the one game and it flared up again. They're losing all the time I haven't looked but the shooting % of that team has to be in the toilet which would make it very hard for defenseman to put up assists which might speak to his stats.

 

[eco's bones]

Looking at Northern Michigan this year. After 17 games their leading point producer has 6 points. Their leading goal scorer has 3 goals. As a team in those 17 games they've scored 19 goals.

Their main goaltender Ryan Ouellette though---1 win 14 losses 1 tie but a 2.80GAA and a .916 save %. As a team they must have some defensive structure and Ouellette must be pretty damned good. They're losing almost every game and can't score but they're not getting blown out.

 

[2014nyr]

A couple things. I don't know if this is an ongoing thing with most college teams anymore but it use to happen quite often. The second point is it's not like Northern Michigan really needs him or any of other of its players in the lineup. As far as this season has gone for them they are just playing games and pretty much losing all of them. They're ranked like 63rd out of 64 teams. It's a gone season already.

can't say he's a guy i've seen or have any expectations, so idno what the deal is there. hard to imagine there's any potential when he's already 20 if he's not getting much time on a team that gets its doors blown off every night.

i def wouldn't have any trouble believing it happened years ago. for one, college is just easier now - look at avg gpa's over time. everyone has like a 3.6 or above. there's also a lot more flexibility in scheduling to meet requirements, more online classes, and schools have way more in the way of academic support/resources available to players now. plus, it's become way easier to monitor where players stand btw tech and added administrative support, so there aren't any surprises. the only thing i ever saw was sitting 1 game for breaking the attendance policy.

 

[nyr2k2]

Looking at Northern Michigan this year. After 17 games their leading point producer has 6 points. Their leading goal scorer has 3 goals. As a team in those 17 games they've scored 19 goals.

Their main goaltender Ryan Ouellette though---1 win 14 losses 1 tie but a 2.80GAA and a .916 save %. As a team they must have some defensive structure and Ouellette must be pretty damned good. They're losing almost every game and can't score but they're not getting blown out.

Yeah and after Potulny left to go to Hartford, they lost several players.

Matvei Kabanov, a sophomore who has 5 points in 9 games for Ferris St.
Reilly Funk, a senior who has 9 points in 17 games for Bemidji St.
Grant Slukynsky, a sophomore with 12 points in 14 games for Western Michigan.
Connor Eddy, junior with 7 points in 16 games for UM Lowell.
Michael Mesic, who had 9 points for NMU last year and went back to the USHL for this season.

They had also already lost Kevin Marx Noren who had 17 points for them last season on a transfer to RIT, and Artem Shlaine on a graduate transfer to AZ State. Shlaine in particular was devastating as he had 28 goals and 72 points over the previous three seasons.

They ALSO lost their starting goalie who started 63 games over the prior two years who also went to UML, Colby Enns, graduate transfer defenseman to Merrimack, and Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, a hulking defenseman who went to UConn.

I mean, that team was absolutely decimated. That they were able to field a full squad to play this year is a miracle in itself.