EJ Emery

February 2024 – Emery’s drop in our rankings from 27th to 43rd is based on two factors: other prospects have elevated their game, and Emery hasn’t as much over the past three months. Since our last rankings, Emery has only logged three points in 11 games, and although offense is not what he is known for, you want to see at least some form of adaptation to get more pucks to dangerous areas, and we just haven’t.

A fantastic skater with some of the best rush defending tools in this draft, Emery is still worth a shot as a second-rounder — he’s exploring with offense, though, which bodes well for his future on a second pair. If he can’t figure out what works and what doesn’t, there’s still a role for him as a bottom-pair rush specialist in the NHL. Hadi Kalakeche

February rankings: 43rd (-19)
November rankings: 27th