When the New York Rangers drafted E.J. Emery, they hoped he could become the priceless piece of their defensive pipeline. Expectations were through the roof for the Blueshirts' first-round pick last year, and everyone was excited to see the Rangers snag him late in round one. At 6'3", his large size was supposed to be a factor as he developed a scoring threat in the NCAA this season, but it's gone the other way, as his size looks like his only strong attribute right now.
Emery's endured a bad season in terms of production, with a lone assist to show for 31 games with the University of North Dakota. That's not good enough for what the Rangers expected of him. He's underperforming, and it's an issue. While his defensive play has been excellent, finding stay-at-home defensemen is not nearly as tricky as picking up elite, scoring blueliners like Adam Fox.
Now, the Rangers have a difficult decision to make with Emery. Is it worth signing him to an entry-level contract and asking him to report to the Hartford Wolf Pack next season? He's struggling in the NCAA, so asking him to play in the American Hockey League this soon might be worrying for his development, but it could be good to get him somewhere under the Rangers' control and bring him into the system where the organization can instruct him.
Ultimately, something has to give regarding Emery. There's a world where he flames out and is nothing more than a depth defenseman, and there's a world where he is everything the New York Rangers want him to be. He needs to add more offensive intelligence to his game, but that could be said for many Rangers on the main roster right now; forget those in the pipeline. Something has got to be done with his future.