Draft R1 #30: Rangers select EJ Emery (RHD, USNTDP/USHL)

[RangerBoy]

Don’t think it’s a trash pick but for once can they draft for ceiling? Should be looking for star players, not defensive d men. There was a lot of higher ceiling players left

Ceiling? Which player? Some Russian kid playing in the MHL?

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

Ceiling? Which player? Some Russian kid playing in the MHL?

There were a lot of upside prospects left, was hoping for Luke Misa or Nikita Artamonov

 

[Clark Kellogg]

I just hope he is not another Matthew Robertson but in the 1st round of future busts

Yes. If I have a concern it would be what happened to Matt Robertson after he completed his 1st professional season.
Organization tried to add offensive to his game and it backfired greatly.

 

[eco's bones]

Don’t think it’s a trash pick but for once can they draft for ceiling? Should be looking for star players, not defensive d men. There was a lot of higher ceiling players left

Eh......you need good defenders too. I'm quite excited to see Victor Mancini at training camp this year. He didn't put up a lot of offense at Nebraska-Omaha but he was a first pair and shutdown guy and really good at it plus he can skate and has lots of size.

Too many people are production stats hounds. Skjei was brought up by RangerBoy. Played 3 years at Minnesota U. About 100 college games and maybe 25 points total. His offensive game developed when he hit the pros. Emery is going to one of the best college hockey programs. I like D with size and who can skate and think of themselves as defenders first. These are guys you want down your lineup in playoff situations.

We don't need to score 9 goals every game. The most important thing is to win. We did that better than any other in the league in the regular season. We need to figure out how to do it better in the playoffs. Emery's down the road a piece but I don't think picking him is at all a detriment to us getting better.

 

[eco's bones]

Yes. If I have a concern it would be what happened to Matt Robertson after he completed his 1st professional season.
Organization tried to add offensive to his game and it backfired greatly.

Robertson is a big D who skates well and can pass and shoot the puck well too. He's got a very good set of tools but in 3 years in Hartford he never really put it all together. If it were me I would probably have given him another year. Sometimes players take a step forward with a change of scenery. It wouldn't shock me if another team grabbed him and that happens but he was kind of spinning his wheels with us.

 

[Lion Hound]

Welcome EJ Emery!

Top 3 on my wishlist were off the board before the Rangers took the podium.

Solberg
Surin
Parascak

I did like Artamonov and Elick next, but i'm not dissapointed in anyway with the pick.

After the draft I got a text from the LI Royals coach. He thinks its a great pick. He also thinks the K'Andre comparison is completely inaccurate. He thinks there a ton of upside. Called him a 3 zone Dman. Thinks of him as a stronger, bigger version of Schneider.

 

[mas0764]

I’m happy with the pick. 30OA in a meh draft.
Tough on Drury though, passing on 2025 or 2026 1st pick from Edmonton.
The odds would have been in the Rangers favor.

What’s this now?

 

[mas0764]

I rather enjoy Drury seemingly focusing on the less sexy aspects of a well rounded team.

You know who focused on high-end skill? Buffalo. Reinhardt. Eichel. Nylander. Mittlestadt. Dahlin. Cozens. Quinn. Power. Rosen. Savoie. Ostlund. Kulich. Benson. Every one of them an offense first player with high end skill for ten straight drafts in the first round.

Why can't we be like Buffalo, everyone asks. Why can't we have the Sabres dynasty, they mournfully wail. They can't keep getting away with this, they cry.

WON'T SOMEONE STOP ALL OF BUFFALO'S HIGH END SKILL.

I do think we should focus substantially more on getting high end skill.

But there were not really any names I thought were good bets to be NHL stars at this point. D is a need too.

 

[GAGLine]

Don’t think it’s a trash pick but for once can they draft for ceiling? Should be looking for star players, not defensive d men. There was a lot of higher ceiling players left

if they did that and the player busted, you'd be first in line to criticize the team.

If a player we pick at 30 has that high of a ceiling, it means he has a high chance of not reaching that ceiling, otherwise he would have been picked in the top 10.

Emery isn't a sexy pick, but he's the kind of player we need.

 

[UnSandvich]

I'm down on this pick, but anyone throwing out a McIlrath comparison is completely off their rocker. Emery can skate for days but really isn't overly physical. McIlrath was very physical but a poor skater.

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Ultimately, I don't need every drafted Dman to be another Adam Fox. What I do need is for drafted Dmen to be able to quickly and accurately move the puck to a teammate while under pressure. Sure there are times when you're just going to have to dump the puck out, but it can't be every time, like a Trouba or Ryan Lindgren. And I have less faith here than with a lot of other guys on the board.

The lack of production is honestly a huge red flag for me. Emery played a grand total of 95 games this year (including 6 at the WJC), and put up just 28 points across all competition. He did not have a goal in 95 games. Over the same time frame, the NTDP had 8 players put up 50+ points in just NTDP competition, not including USHL games played. The fact that he didn't luck into more points on a team with that high production is worrying.

For comparison, in his draft year, Lindgren wore the C for a NTDP game that had just 5 players score more than 35 points in NTDP competition. That season, Lindgren finished with 8 goals and 42 points total across all competition. And we've seen just how poorly Lindgren moves the puck at the NHL level.

Direct comparison:
NTDP games
Emery: 61 GP, 0-16-16
Lindgren: 61 GP, 6-19-25

USHL games
Emery: 27 GP, 0-6-6
Lindgren: 25 GP, 4-8-12

WJC 18 games
Emery: 7 GP, 0-6-6
Lindgren: 7 GP, 2-3-5

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Big mobile defender who has a ton of hockey IQ, a wall defensively and makes a great first pass?

Sounds like what everyone was saying the Rangers needed after they lost to the Panthers?

What's not to like especially at 30?

 

[UnSandvich]

Big mobile defender who has a ton of hockey IQ, a wall defensively and makes a great first pass?

Sounds like what everyone was saying the Rangers needed after they lost to the Panthers?

What's not to like especially at 30?

EP and HP would disagree on multiple points there. Average to below average hockey IQ and decidedly below average passing and puck skills.

EDIT: I'm stupid & forgot to attach the pics (EP top, HP bottom)

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

EP and HP would disagree on multiple points there. Average to below average hockey IQ and decidedly below average passing and puck skills.

EDIT: I'm stupid & forgot to attach the pics (EP top, HP bottom)
View attachment 889240

View attachment 889239

No worries, this has a summary from some of the pundits

EJ Emery | EJ Emery Profile | EJ Emery Scouting Report 2024

EJ Emery scouting report for NHL Draft. Profile contains EJ Emery stats, videos and written bios

www.mynhldraft.com

Also from TSN:

E.J. Emery - Defence | TSN

www.tsn.ca

 

[nyr2k2]

A couple people quoted me about saying it's a lazy comparison to Miller. After I posted that, I saw he himself compared himself to Miller.

It's still a lazy comparison because he doesn't play like K'Andre at all, really. If these people who are talking about him and describing what he is had actually seen any of him beyond a 90-second highlight package, they wouldn't make that comparison themselves. They could say, "One of the players he models himself after is Miller," but I swear on ESPN one of the very first things they said was, "He reminds you a little of K'Andre Miller." No, he really doesn't remind you of him.

That's my point. I'm sure Miller is a role model for the kid for obvious reasons but their games aren't alike.

 

[SeanAveryTheGreatOne]

What’s this now?

He's assuming Edmonton gave us the same offer they gave for the 32nd

 

[NYR Viper]

I'm down on this pick, but anyone throwing out a McIlrath comparison is completely off their rocker. Emery can skate for days but really isn't overly physical. McIlrath was very physical but a poor skater.

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Ultimately, I don't need every drafted Dman to be another Adam Fox. What I do need is for drafted Dmen to be able to quickly and accurately move the puck to a teammate while under pressure. Sure there are times when you're just going to have to dump the puck out, but it can't be every time, like a Trouba or Ryan Lindgren. And I have less faith here than with a lot of other guys on the board.

The lack of production is honestly a huge red flag for me. Emery played a grand total of 95 games this year (including 6 at the WJC), and put up just 28 points across all competition. He did not have a goal in 95 games. Over the same time frame, the NTDP had 8 players put up 50+ points in just NTDP competition, not including USHL games played. The fact that he didn't luck into more points on a team with that high production is worrying.

For comparison, in his draft year, Lindgren wore the C for a NTDP game that had just 5 players score more than 35 points in NTDP competition. That season, Lindgren finished with 8 goals and 42 points total across all competition. And we've seen just how poorly Lindgren moves the puck at the NHL level.

Direct comparison:
NTDP games
Emery: 61 GP, 0-16-16
Lindgren: 61 GP, 6-19-25

USHL games
Emery: 27 GP, 0-6-6
Lindgren: 25 GP, 4-8-12

WJC 18 games
Emery: 7 GP, 0-6-6
Lindgren: 7 GP, 2-3-5

Guys develop at different rates though. Lindgren very well may have been the same size at 18 that he is now.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

This feels like a guy that can skate and nothing else is really there at a high level.

Literally what?

He’s not just a great skater. He’s the most athletic guy (by far) in the entire draft. Please watch him play.

He’s a ball of clay right now. He is raw, but he’s an insane athlete and already has fantastic defensive awareness.

He's one of the best in the draft with transitions as well. Super smart player.

For someone that is always wanting a guy with a great outlet pass or smarts when moving the puck out of the defensive zone, you sure seem to be critical of someone you would invariably love as a pro.

Just a weird take from you. Have you watched him play at all? Anything?

 

[DanielBrassard]

Big mobile defender who has a ton of hockey IQ, a wall defensively and makes a great first pass?

Sounds like what everyone was saying the Rangers needed after they lost to the Panthers?

What's not to like especially at 30?

I think the hockey IQ and makes a good first pass statements have been objected to by quite a few people who do scouting. That’s the issue. If those two things were higher end skills he wouldn’t have made it to 30.

 

[Mike in Houston]

 

[Vitto79]

With Trouba out they likely stop gap 3rd RD and In a few years hope this kids ready

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Miller seems like a weird comparison. More like maybe Ekholm if he tops out. Just more of a defensive guy. Not a bruiser but not soft. Kind of an interesting pick to be honest. Let him hit college and see where he is in 3ish years.

ekholm is a dude who’s had multiple 35+ point seasons def dont see emery as that kind of dude. maybe more like a modern luke schenn

 

[GAGLine]

McDonagh didn't show much offense in college or in his limited time in the AHL, yet he has 389 points in 928 NHL games.

There's no reason to believe that Emery can't improve offensively. I doubt that will ever be a strength of his game, but it doesn't have to be a weakness either.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Does he have any chance of making the WJC team? I see he was one of 18 defensemen invited to camp this summer. I feel like they already have a good defensive dman on the team with Fort though.

 

[GAGLine]

Does he have any chance of making the WJC team? I see he was one of 18 defensemen invited to camp this summer. I feel like they already have a good defensive dman on the team with Fort though.

I don't see why not. He played for the US in the U18s.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

I think the hockey IQ and makes a good first pass statements have been objected to by quite a few people who do scouting. That’s the issue. If those two things were higher end skills he wouldn’t have made it to 30.

It's a mixed bag. I've seen him play a bit (u18) then reading about a dozen different scout/pundit summaries it's about 50/50 on the IQ/first pass. His defensive awareness is excellent (positioning, stick work etc, angles)

He is an excellent skater and extremely athletic. He has to fill out some. If he was a very good first passer he would have went much earlier