E.J. Emery's Surprise USA World Juniors Cut Adds to Rangers' Growing Frustrations

The New York Rangers are already taking heat for failing to live up to their Stanley Cup contender status. Having dropped 11 of their last 15 games falling to 16-15-1, the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners find themselves out of a playoff spot as December winds down. Significant moves like trading captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim and sending former prospect hope Kaapo Kakko to Seattle haven't sparked the turnaround fans had hoped for. To make matters worse, franchise cornerstones Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox have been underwhelming.

Now, the Rangers' woes are trickling down to their prospects. Defenseman E.J. Emery, New York's 2024 first-round pick (30th overall), has been cut from Team USA's World Junior Championship roster. Emery, a freshman at North Dakota, was expected to anchor the U.S. blue line alongside Quinn Hutson, his former USNTDP partner and current Washington Capitals prospect. Instead, he's watching from the sidelines as Team USA chases repeat Gold in Ottawa.

How did this happen? Emery underperformed. The early December camp in Plymouth, Michigan, was his moment to shine, and he didn't rise to the occasion. It's frustrating for him and Blueshirts Nation, you can't blame GM John Vanbiesbrouck and head coach David Carle, a reigning gold medalist and national champion with Denver and the rest of his staff. They had tough choices and opted for Minnesota Duluth's Adam Kleber (a Buffalo Sabres prospect) and St. Cloud State's Colin Ralph (a St Louis Blues prospect), who showed more promise during camp.

For Emery, this is a setback. After an impressive showing at last spring's IIHF World U-18 tournament, where he helped the U.S. secure Silver, Emery earned his spot in the first round of the NHL Draft. At #15 ranked North Dakota, he's been a key piece of an injury-plagued defensive corps, averaging over 20 minutes per game in a shutdown role. Yet he hasn't brought it offensively (just one assist), and his inconsistent play at camp sealed his fate.

While Emery watches from home, Rangers fans still have reason to tune into the World Juniors. There's 2024 6th-round pick Rico Gredig for Switzerland. But the actual show will reside in red, white, and blue. Boston College star and 2023 first-rounder Gabe Perreault, who's tearing it up as a Hobey Baker candidate, will lead the U.S. top line. He's skating alongside consensus 2025 No. 1 overall pick James Hagens and his Boston College teammate Ryan Leonard, a Washington Capitals prospect and the team captain.

On defense, Rangers fans can cheer for Drew Fortescue, another Boston College standout and third-round pick in 2023, returning after winning Gold with Perreault last winter. The rest of Team USA's roster features plenty of firepower, with forwards like Anaheim Ducks prospect Terrance Casey, Chicago Blackhawks pick Oliver Moore, and Detroit Red Wings prospect Max Plante. The blue line includes talents such as Dallas Stars prospect Aram Minnetian, Edmonton Oilers pick Paul Fischer, and Denver standout Zeev Buium. On the net, the Americans will lean on Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine and OHL Barrie Colts goalie Sam Hillebrandt to backstop their title defense.

Team USA's schedule kicks off on December 26 against Germany at 2:30 PM ET, followed by games against Latvia on December 28 and Finland on December 29. They close group play with a highly anticipated showdown against Canada on New Year's Eve at 7:30 PM ET. You can watch all the games on NHL Network. Even without Emery, the Americans boast a stacked roster, and for Rangers fans, it's an exciting chance to watch the organization's and hockey's future compete on the international stage.