The Rangers have chosen defenseman EJ Emery from the US National Program.
He is 6-3, 185 and is a right handed shot.
McKeen‘s ranked Emery as the second best defensive defenseman in the draft.
On ESPN, Meghan Chayka said “he’s quite a lot like K’Andre Miller, defends well, he’s a stay at home defenseman…he’s a great player, limits oppositions quality chances, keeps the play in low danger areas, pushes people out to the perimeter and uses his skating to get up in the play to join the rush.”
His NHL Role Model was listed as K’Andre Miller.
Kevin Weekes said on ESPN, “he reminds me so much of K’Andre Miller, not only the size and the frame and style of play, but in a lot of ways his attributes are very similar to K’Andre Miller.”
He is slated to play for North Dakota this season.
McKeen‘s wrote as part of their draft preview, “The 6’ 3”, 185 pound, right shot defender projects as a high-end shutdown defender, at the very least. He has excellent four-way mobility and is the kind of player who oozes athleticism thanks to his bloodlines (father Eric was a CFL player). The reach and mobility combination makes him nearly impossible to beat with pace. He keeps attackers to the outside with excellent gap control and he routinely prevents clean offensive zone entries. Emery also plays a physical game, taking away space below the goal line and near the crease. As his frame fills out, he projects as a physical beast who can be an insanely difficult player to match up against.”
Adam Rotter: Emery seems like a solid pick as a complementary defenseman. He doesn’t, at the moment, seem to have a ton of offensive upside, but he defends. Sometimes you need players that you just trust to stop the other team and Emery seems like he has the potential to be that. He’s got good size and maybe his good defense matches well with Adam Fox’s offense. Maybe he and K’Andre Miller combine to be a huge pair on the back end. There is something to be said about having a big defenseman who can keep players and the puck in front of him and makes smart plays. It could easily be 2-3 years before Emery turns pro, but when he does the Rangers should have someone they can just plug into the lineup.