A Dual-Citizenship Defender with a seeming third eye for his own end? I like him already!
Analysis:
EJ Emery is going to be a rock, a beacon of safety, and a boon for anyone who drafts him. He made a splash at the NHL Combine by crushing the physical portion of the day, which will already make him attractive to a great many scouts, and his pedigree of a Canadian sporting family (that officially considers themselves American. To which I say, Lol. Lmao.) will also likely get people talking about this young man in the now secretive world of the Draft table; but the real thing you need to know about him throughout all the noise, is this:
EJ Emery is arguably the blueprint for shutdown defensemen prospects in 2024.
Emery’s single biggest selling point is not just physical attributes, but his ability to play defense. That’s usually a good thing for any defenseman in an average NHL Draft, but Emery seems to just have it down to a science. Or perhaps a level of technical wizardry. Either way, he is damn good at it.
Emery, like most of the first rounders, is a great skater with good hands, but what stands out for him is his agility in the defensive zone. He’s able to maneuver in and out of bodies with ease, get the puck through a well-placed check or by expertly inserting himself between the puck carrier and the puck, and then sending that sucker directly out of the zone; whether by using his own skating speed, or by hard pass out of the zone. Lanes dry up quickly when he’s out on the ice, and he can initiate transition with smart, sane passing that gives him almost a calming demeanor while he’s out there.
The thing that Emery will have to work on is his offense going forward, because while he’s a great passer and has decent stick skills…it’s not very natural to him to try and create something on his own. Emery’s tools seem hardwired towards making sure that the puck leaves his own end of the ice, and then all work around the offensive side of the game is the safest possible play. He’ll get off a great pass here or there, but otherwise, that’s about it. He hasn’t scored a goal for a calendar year, and his point totals aren’t anything to write home about. In fairness to EJ, the USNDTP isn’t asking him for extra offense, especially given the USNDTP’s particular proclivities towards high scoring dogfights at the USHL level, they needed his acumen for defense a helluva lot more, and he gave them that. He does have at least the basics to, at least in my opinion, place opponent’s in a dark place offensively if he really wanted to, but I don’t think he’s being asked to, and I don’t think he, or anyone who’s drafting him, considers this a major point of emphasis for his development.
Emery’s another player set for a transition to the NCAA; being committed to the University of North Dakota, which means he’ll get plenty of time to hone what he does have, and maybe take a chance on coaxing a little more dynamism into his game.
Personally, I love what Emery brings to the table. With defensive depth on the Bruins being kind of shaky beyond it’s first pairing, and I’m gonna be real; I’m a little concerned about what the other four guys on defense are gonna be like in three to four years. Having someone like Emery around to settle things down and get a clear would be a huge boon for this team.
Granted, with how people have been talking about this kid, I think he might be taken well before Boston gets a chance.
Rankings
- Ranked 31st by EliteProspects
- Ranked 27th by TSN’s Bob McKenzie
- Ranked 16th by TSN’s Craig Button
- Ranked 49th by THN’s Tony Ferrari
- Ranked 20th by McKeen’s Hockey
- Ranked 23rd by FloHockey
- Ranked 24th by FC Hockey
- Ranked 18th by DailyFaceoff
- Ranked 39th by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
- Ranked 56th by DraftPro Hockey
- Ranked 35th by SportsNet’s Kevin Bukala
- Ranked 44th by Smaht Scouting