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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Rangers defenseman prospect reminds NHL reporter of Brandon Carlo
Everyone loves a good comparison in hockey. Which NHL player is a good comp for a specific prospect? Who does this prospect remind you of? But what's really intriguing is when a comparison is made without prompting. Such was the case when draft and prospects expert Mike Morreale delivered this comp for the New York Rangers top pick in 2024, defenseman EJ Emery. 'He kind of reminds me of Brandon Carlo,' Morreale told Forever Blueshirts on the RINK RAP podcast, when discussing Emery. 'He's got a high pace to his game and he likes to get physical. Big, long defenseman, skates really well. He likes to defend and close his time and space really, really quickly, covers a lot of area with his length, with his speed. He can get that good first pass out and get the puck quickly up ice. He's a real athletic kid.' Emery is 19 and entering his sophomore season at North Dakota, so he has plenty of time to grow and develop his game. But you'd have to think that the Rangers would be quite pleased if he becomes a top-four staple on a perennial contender like Carlo's been with the Boston Bruins, and now Toronto Maple Leafs, since the 2016-17 season. Each is a tall, athletic right-shot, known more for his shutdown capability as a defensive defenseman than for offensive prowess. Carlo is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds; Emery is 6-foot-4, 189 pounds, though still filling out. Emery was the No. 30 overall pick (first round) in the 2024 NHL Draft; Carlo was chosen No. 37 overall (second round) by the Bruins in 2015. While Emery came up through the United States National Team Development Program and now is playing in the NCAA, Carlo honed his game in major junior, where he played four seasons in the Western Hockey League. Carlo also might have a bit more to his game offensively than Emery, who hasn't scored a goal in a competitive contest since 2023. Carlo twice scored six goals in a season with the Bruins (2016-17; 2021-22), though he only has 29 goals and 83 assists in 637 NHL games. 'Emery's never going to be known for his goal scoring, but he's just that physical, shutdown-type player,' Morreale explained. 'He absorbs and erases opposing rushes with a real smooth-skating style … the Rangers got a good one in Emery when they selected him.' And that's at the heart of the Carlo-Emery comparison. Each is a steady, smart, reliable, physical right-shot defenseman, more concerned with blocking shots and passing lanes than leading the rush the other way. Related: Rangers prospect EJ Emery has 'real good shot' to play in 2026 World Juniors Following Carlo's path as an NHL defenseman is far from the worst plan for Emery. Perhaps that next step is if Emery lands a spot on Team USA's roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship. Emery was among the final cuts last December before the United States won its second straight gold medal at the WJC. He's got a good chance to make the final roster this time when the U.S. seeks a threepeat on home turf in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. 'I think EJ has a real good shot,' Morreale stated. 'One of the things (United States coach) Bob Motzko said that struck me about the returning players — and obviously EJ is not a returning player, but the fact he's going into his sophomore year — those kids seem to have an edge on those players coming in maybe for the first time. 'And it's also his second (World Junior Summer) Showcase, too, so he's accustomed to what the coaching staff wants to see, how they want you to defend, how they may put you in different roles you're not accustomed to with your major junior or college team. And EJ was put into some of those roles, and I thought he did really well. I think now it's up to him showing that he deserves a spot with a good start to the season at North Dakota.' Carlo helped the United States win a bronze medal at the 2016 World Juniors, when he had four points (two goals, two assists) and was plus-9 in seven games. Nine months later, Carlo made his NHL debut at the age of 19 and turned 20 shortly thereafter. The Rangers are taking it slowly with Emery. There's no rushing him to the NHL. When he's mentally and physically ready, he'll take the next step. But make no mistake, this is an extremely important year in his development. 'It's going to be interesting to see. No. 1: how he starts the year with the Sioux. And No. 2: and if he's able to earn a spot on the back end with the United States National Junior Team.' You can the entire interview with Mike Morreale about Rangers prospects or Related Headlines Alex Ovechkin 6-year-old son scores 2 goals against Rangers' Igor Shesterkin in fun viral moment What makes Rangers prospect Drew Fortescue 'tremendous shutdown defenseman' Former Rangers goalie hopes success in 3-on-3 tournament will help get him back to NHL Rangers prospect Carey Terrance can be '200-foot borderline star': World Juniors coach
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers prospect EJ Emery impresses with slick assist at World Junior Summer Showcase
It's not often that EJ Emery makes the highlights for a pretty offensive play. But that's exactly what happened Friday for the New York Rangers' 2024 first-round pick. Playing for the United States at the 2025 World Junior Showcase in Minneapolis, Emery made a slick pass that sprung teammate Will Moore through the neutral zone and his way to a pretty breakaway goal. Emery, a standout stay-at-home defenseman set to enter his sophomore season at the University of North Dakota, doesn't find his way on to the score sheet that often. He had an assist in his NCAA debut last year with North Dakota, and it ended up to be his only point in 31 games. He's the first NHL Draft pick in NCAA history to record just a single point in a season. And Emery hasn't scored a goal in college, USHL or international play since the 2022-23 season. But he stood out at both ends of the rink in Team USA's 6-3 loss to Finland on Friday. 'Emery is one of the best shutdown defenders in this tournament, but it was nice to see him make a great long-range pass on USA's first goal,' Steven Ellis wrote in Daily Faceoff. 'He doesn't get a ton of points during a season, but he knows how to get the puck where it needs to be.' Related: Rangers prospect EJ Emery stands out on both sides of the puck at WJSS The Rangers want to see more production offensively from Emery as he gets older and his all-around game develops. But they're unconcerned about his point total last season, instead focusing on how well he played a shutdown role as an 18-year-old in his first year of NCAA play. Emery shrugged off a question about his lack of production at Rangers prospect development camp in July. 'It just shows that I've got something to work on,' Emery said 'You always want something to work on, to get better.' Emery and the Rangers are hoping that a strong summer showcase and start to the NCAA season this fall will help him land a spot on Team USA's roster for the 2026 World Junior Championship. He was among the final cuts last year, when the United States won a second consecutive gold medal at the WJC. Malcom Spence, New York's top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, picked up an assist for Canada in their 8-4 loss to Sweden on Friday. The 18-year-old forward, selected in the second round (No. 43 overall) this past June, has one assist and two penalty minutes in two games this week. Spence also was a standout in Canada's intrasquad scrimmage to begin the showcase. Related Headlines Former Rangers forward lands 2-year contract in Switzerland Igor Shesterkin enters 2025-26 season with $92 million worth of expectations from Rangers Why Dave Maloney believes this X factor with new Rangers coaching staff is 'beneficial' Matt Rempe 'still learning' as he prepares for training camp, Rangers reporter says
