EJ EMERY

Defenseman
6’3/185
Right
US National U18 Team (NTDP)/USNTDP Juniors (USHL)

Related: Zayne Parakh

A reliable and towering presence on the backend, standing at 6 foot 3 and 185 pounds, Emery has shown great aptitude for being a shutdown defenseman; especially when it comes to defending the rush, his anticipation combined with his superior speed and size make him a tough wall to climb. But what sets him apart from the similarly styled members of his team is his play on the puck. Emery skates well for his size and has done a fantastic job complementing the offensive-minded Cole Hutson, who is the point-producing defenseman on the team. mery owns and commands his ice defensively, continues to show growth in handling and transporting pucks, and has major steps that he can continue to take in his development. He’s not going to be a power-play guy in upper levels, but he defends and skates well enough to project as an effective five-on-five defender and potential penalty killer. Although Emery is not going to generate eye-popping stats, his shown all the abilities to be a shutdown defenseman. He is strong on gaps and retrievals and has the potential to make a lot of NHL stops. Offense is a minor question in his game, but he can move pucks well enough and has the requisite skill to potentially be a 2nd pair, shutdown defenseman in the NHL with some puck-moving ability. In terms of where he could be drafted in the 2024 NHL Draft, I think because of the combination of his size and defensive impact, it is not out of the possibility, he is a late-round pick.

Size/Strength Excellent
Skating Good
Shot/Scoring Below Average
Puckhandling Good
Physical Play Great
Offensive Play Average
Defensive Play Great
Hockey Sense Great
Competitiveness Great

Strengths

1. Reliable and towering presence on the backend, Emery has shown great aptitude for being a shutdown defenseman.
2. A fantastic skater with some of the best rush-defending tools in this draft; he defends and skates well enough to project as an effective five-on-five defender and potential penalty killer.
3. Emery owns and commands his ice defensively, is strong on gaps; an effective five-on-five defender, and potential penalty killer.

Areas of Improvement

1. Emery hasn’t really elevated his game much compared to other prospects.
2. Needs to continue to show development in handling and transporting pucks.
3. Offense is a minor question in his game, but that is not a primary staple of his game.

Scouting Report

EJ Emery is a towering and reliable presence on the backend, Emery has shown great aptitude for being a shutdown defenseman; especially when it comes to defending the rush, his anticipation combined with his superior speed and size make him a tough wall to climb. But what sets him apart from the similarly styled members of his team is his play on the puck. Standing at 6 foot 3 and 185 pounds, Emery skated well for his size and helped get the play started by retrieving the puck and then playing a more passive game. Emery owns and commands his ice defensively, continues to show growth in handling and transporting pucks, and has major steps that he can continue to take in his development. He’s not going to be a power-play guy in upper levels, but he defends and skates well enough to project as an effective five-on-five defender and potential penalty killer. Emery’s dropped from a late first-round pick in some draft rankings to an early second-round pick due to two factors: other prospects have elevated their game, and Emery hasn’t as much over the past three months. In the 2023-24 season, Emery has 0 goals and 10 points in 47 games for the US National U-18 team with the NTDP and 5 points in 21 games for the USNTDP Juniors of the USHL. Although the offense is not what he is known for, teams and scouts would want to see at least some form of adaptation to get more pucks to dangerous areas, and so far, that just has not happened. An NHL Comparison for EJ Emery is current Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson, who was actually a very high pick in the 2011 NHL draft, and while he never quite became the top-flight defenseman, he was hyped as, he has turned into a very solid top pair, shutdown defenseman. Despite some of his weaknesses, EJ Emery is still worth a shot as a second-rounder —his size along with his shutdown ability is going to translate well to the NHL, which bodes well for his future on a second pair.

Skill: Big, Mobile Shutdown type defenseman, with Tremendous rush-defending tools and puck-moving ability

NHL Comparable: Adam Larsson

NHL Potential: Top 4 Shutdown Defenseman

Season	Team	League	GP	G	PTS
2022-23	US National U17 Team	NTDP	60	2	12
	USNTDP Juniors	USHL	42	1	10
	USA U17	WHC-17	7	1	2
2023-24	US National U18 Team	NTDP	47	0	10
	USNTDP Juniors	USHL	21	0	5

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