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Corey Pronman details what to expect from the New York Rangers’ new prospects and how they fit into the farm system. This page will be updated throughout the 2024 NHL Draft.
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2024 draft grade: C+
The Rangers didn’t have many picks, but their first-rounder, EJ Emery, is a strong defenseman prospect who has the clear looks of a guy who will make a lot of stops in the NHL. They didn’t pick again until No. 119 but rolled the dice on a couple of players who I think have a chance to make it. I thought they made good work of their limited draft capital.
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Draft Class
30. EJ Emery, RHD, U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
March 30, 2006 | 6′ 3″ | 185 pounds
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Below NHL average
Player comparable: Dylan Samberg
Analysis: Emery is a player with a lot of pro traits. He’s 6 feet 3 inches and skates very well being one of the more athletic defensem*n in his age group. He is strong on gaps and retrievals, plays hard on his checks and has the potential to make a lot of NHL stops. He can attack with his feet and often jumps up into the rush. Emery’s offense is a question, as his pure production won’t excite you with zero goals on the season. I think the first-pass offense in his game is good enough to play a regular shift in the league, but it will be the main part of his game he will need to prove versus better players.
Pick grade: B
Thoughts on the pick: Emery is a Rangers type of defenseman. He is a big, highly mobile defender who plays hard and can make a lot of stops. He has first-pass offense, but he also had zero goals this season, so offensive expectations aren’t that high. He can project to play in the NHL as a No. 4/5 D whom coaches love, and his elite athleticism gives him some upside to be better than that if he really hits.
119. Raoul Boilard, C, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
January 7, 2006 | 6′ 1″ | 190 pounds
Tier: Has a chance to play games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Boilard took major steps forward this season after being an average BCHL forward in his 16-year-old season. He was an important part of a top QMJHL team this season. Boilard has a lot of tools that could translate to the NHL. He’s a good-sized center who skates quite well. He has a technically smooth stride with the quickness to skate at the NHL level. His pure point totals, especially in the Q, don’t jump out, but he has legit offensive talents. Boilard has strong hands and offensive IQ. He can make plays on the move and finish from range. I don’t think he’s overly physical and can play a bit too much on the outside. There are clearly components of an NHL forward in his game, but exactly where he would fit in a lineup is unclear.
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159. Nathan Aspinall, LW, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
March 30, 2006 | 6′ 7″ | 190 pounds
Tier: Has a chance to play games
Skating: Poor
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Aspinall’s pure numbers with Flint this season won’t wow you, but he was an important player for them and has some intriguing traits for the NHL. He’s massive and has strong individual skill, especially for a big man. Aspinall isn’t overly physical, but he creates a lot of offense around the net and shows good finishing touch in tight. He can make enough plays with the puck even though I wouldn’t call him a play driver by any means. The biggest concern in his game is his skating. He’s quite slow by NHL standards, although with his frame if he finds a way to score even at decent levels he has a chance to play a lot of games.
191. Rico Gredig, LW, Davos (NL)
February 1, 2005 | 6′ 1″ | 179 pounds
Beat writer’s analysis
The Rangers’ main pick of the draft was EJ Emery, a 6-foot-3 defenseman out of the U.S. National Team Development Program. He prides himself as a strong defensive defenseman, and though the Rangers don’t see him as someone who will ever run a top NHL power play, they believe he could add more offense to his game. He had six assists in seven games for the U.S. at under-18 world championships.
New York didn’t have another pick until the fourth round. It then traded up to select center Raoul Boilard at No. 119. John Lilley, the Rangers director of player personnel and amateur scouting, referred to Boilard as a natural centerman who can play a two-way game. The Rangers took a 6-foot-6 winger, Nathan Aspinall, in the fifth round, continuing the Rangers’ recent trend of taking giant wings with late-round picks (see Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom). The Rangers rounded out their draft with Rico Gredig in the sixth round. — Peter Baugh
(Photo of EJ Emery: Michael Miller / Getty Images)
Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreypronman
