First-hand look at Rangers 2024 top pick EJ Emery when North Dakota visited Cornell
ITHACA, NY — It was well worth the drive here Saturday to get a first-hand look at New York Rangers 2024 first-round draft pick EJ Emery. The 18-year-old defenseman was in town with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks for their game against Cornell University Big Red, and New York’s seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft, Hank Kempf.
While I was fortunate enough to catch Kempf and coach Mike Schafer on their way into Lynah Rink, I just missed Emery getting off the bus and walking into the visitors’ entrance. Neither defenseman participated in pregame soccer with teammates in the hallways before getting dressed, so I next saw them on the ice for warmups.
The first thing I noticed about the Rangers most recent first-round selection is Emery’s size. He stands out, listed at 6-foot-3. Watching him play, you see him use his height and range to his advantage when poke-checking pucks away from attackers and angling opposing forwards away from danger. The freshman weighs just 180 pounds, but the NCAA development path will allow him to spend time in the weight room adding muscle.
Similar to 2023 third-round pick Drew Fortescue, a Boston College defenseman in his sophomore year, Emery is known primarily as a shutdown defender, and his role with North Dakota sees him deployed as such. Emery entered the game Saturday with one assist through six games. He did not score a goal last season during his draft year, so adding a bit of offense to his game is an area the Rangers will want to see him improve.
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I can say from watching him during warmups that he has the shot to contribute if he can find opportunities. Emery had one shot on goal against Cornell and has one shot in each of five consecutive games. As far as special-teams play, Emery is entrusted with penalty-killing duties, but to get some power-play time, the coaching staff will need to see him contribute more 5-on-5.
Another aspect of Emery’s game that impressed me watching him live was his poise when playing the puck. Emery routinely took the time to read the play, then make the safe, simple pass to his defense partner, or make an outlet pass on a breakout, or clear the puck off the boards to get it out of the defensive zone. While these plays won’t make highlight reels, Emery’s ability not to panic under pressure is one of the details scouts and coaching staffs notice and use to make decisions on playing time. And USA Hockey will factor that in when deciding if Emery will represent the national team at the 2025 World Junior Championship.
Knowing when to back out and not get caught pinching is an understanding defenseman need, and Emery did an admirable job in that area against Cornell. There weren’t instances when Emery was caught being too aggressive in the offensive zone, resulting in an odd-man rush against.
A major attribute Emery brings which endears him to teammates — and fans will come to appreciate, is his hard-nosed style and grit. He doesn’t back down from a challenge or tolerate any unnecessary behavior from opponents. On multiple occasions, Emery was in the middle of a post-whistle scrum in front of his own net and also in the offensive zone. He’ll need to restrain himself in the eyes of the officials though, since Emery was charged with a minor penalty for “hitting after the whistle” in the first period.
There were a few extended shifts I observed, when Emery was not being as involved in the play due to exhaustion. Unfortunately, a couple of these instances resulted in goals against, though not necessarily directly Emery’s fault. Emery finished the game against Cornell with a minus-1 rating in a 5-3 loss, as Cornell swept the weekend series.
As mentioned earlier, one knock against Emery and area he will need to improve upon is his lack of offensive production. He must gain confidence with more experience and games played at the collegiate level. Having said that, I would expect Emery to return to North Dakota for a sophomore season before making a decision regarding turning pro.
That’s not a wild take since the Rangers said they will not rush him after drafting him this past June.
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