It’s now NHL Draft season, and the Kings front office and MM staff are shifting their attention from the action on the ice to what’s happening in Las Vegas next month.
Typically, Meyers Manor’s prospect interviews are only for players who have been previously drafted, but the next prospect we’ll be showcasing in our 2024 series is pretty special as he’s already been featured on the Kings of the Podcast. What makes this player even more noteworthy is his family ties to Southern California.
It’s a very interesting interview, so don’t miss it.
The Kings have a deep right-handed defenseman base, but the big blue lineman would bring something different to the mix than what Doughty, Roy, Clark and Spence bring to the table.
E.J. Emery
Vital Signs
Date of Birth: March 30, 2006
Height: 6 feet 3 inches
Weight: 185 lbs.
Shoot: Right
Position: Defense
2023-24 season
Emery spent the entire season with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), where he recorded 14 assists, 61 penalty minutes and a plus-30 rating in 58 games.
Let’s make it dual
Emery was born in Canada but is eligible to play for the U.S. national team because of his dual citizenship. His father attended Cal State Fullerton and lived in Compton.
Suitors
If a prospect plays in North American minor junior hockey, such as the BCHL, AJHL or USHL (where most of the USNTDP games are played), college is the next step in their hockey career. Emery was courted by multiple teams. The WHL’s Saskatoon Blades drafted him in the 2021 bantam draft, but playing in that league would make him NCAA eligible. The University of Michigan, Michigan State and the University of North Dakota were his main lures to join their teams next year. Ultimately, Emery committed to the UND Fighting Hawks.
Allow inspiration
The Colour of Hockey unearthed information that while Emery played Canadian football in his youth, it was no surprise that the Surrey native was also a Vancouver Canucks fan. After watching the Canucks lose to the Bruins in 2011, he decided to quit football to focus on hockey.
Ranking by an independent scouting service
As of March 16, he is ranked 35th by Future Considerations. A subsequent report described Emery as “a rugged, aggressive true blue lineman who excels at sealing off high-danger areas and corralling bouncing pucks. He uses his overall size and stick to disrupt key passing lanes and challenge puck carriers.”
He was ranked 30th by Elite Prospects. The NHL scout commented to EP Rinkside, “He’s their best prospect on the back end. He could be a Derek Forbort type of player. He has the ability to handle the puck, but he doesn’t have the offensive edge of a pro in his game. He’s big, long, mobile and athletic. He’s good defensively. If he develops into a tough, physical defender, a puck-eating, penalty-stopping type of player, he’ll play a long time in the NHL.”
He was ranked 43rd by Dobber Prospects in February. The magazine wrote, “Emery’s drop from 27th to 43rd is due to two factors. While other prospects have improved, Emery has not improved much over the past three months. Since our last ranking, Emery has earned just three points in 11 games. While attacking is not his forte, one would hope that we can at least see some adaptation in him getting the puck into danger areas more, but we haven’t seen it.”
He’s a great skater with the best rush defense in this draft.”
See for yourself
Here’s a video of EJ Emery playing against the USHL’s Fargo Force.
Past articles have said that the character, culture and depth of play will greatly improve a prospect. Under Emery, he has played consistently, tough and not afraid of contact. He seems to fit the Los Angeles Kings’ culture of being tough for opponents.
But as scouts have noted, he has yet to show a lot of the ability to suggest offensive upside. When it comes to discussing “depth of game,” the tall, burly blue-lineman still seems a bit lacking in that department. Let’s start with the opportunity for development.
His creativity in the offensive zone is very limited. He doesn’t confuse opponents with head fakes or spin-olamas. There are no overt or hidden attempts to attract defenders in the offensive zone before passing to a teammate. Moving the puck around the boards is an act of necessity rather than style. Emery is leaning towards sitting back and not taking unnecessary chances. Unless there is a change in overall philosophy and further development of his offensive skills, we can’t expect the tall defender to score at a massive scale.
Now that we’ve discussed his shortcomings, it’s time to discuss the qualities that make him worthy of a high pick. This defender plays the position extremely well. His 6’3″ frame gives him a long reach and he has a great combination of mobility and balance to close the gap on attackers. Even against more agile opponents, his active stick creates trouble that even natural puck skills can’t get through him.
Playing against Emery is miserable enough, but there’s still no discussion about his physical involvement. All young players need time to get stronger, but this blue-lineman’s ability to hold down guys along the boards tires opponents out and makes the forecheck a mortifying battle against him. He attacks hard and hurts opponents in front of the net.
In summary, Emery is a lot like former Kings Stanley Cup winner Matt Green: maybe a little less intense, but more mobile. The end result is a player who is defined as “difficult to play against,” and that seems to be the type of player Los Angeles always likes to add to its organization.
Chat with David: You can find him on Twitter David Kenneth I want to talk more about hockey.
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