Prospect Update: My Number One

I have been raving about this kid ever since I’ve joined Ducks Daily Blog, so why wouldn’t he be my number one prospect for the Ducks. The homegrown Emerson Etem has torn it up everywhere he has been, and the NHL is next.

Emerson Etem was born on June 16, 1991, I’m a few months older than him hahahaha okay I did it again. He is homegrown, born and raised in Long Beach, California. He is listed by the Medicine Hat Tigers at 6’1″ and 197 lbs. The Ducks drafted him in the in the first round of the 2010 NHL Draft, 29th overall. He shoots left-handed, like moi. Like Kyle Palmieri, Etem has been brought through the US National Team Development Program. That is of course until he went to the WHL to play for the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2009-2010.

Etem is by far my favorite prospect in the Ducks system. I think he is also by far their top prospect, but thats just me. Like most young American prospects these days, Etem has great speed and can turn the defense around all game. He has great acceleration and great top speed. His hard work ethic with his great speed and acceleration creates good two way play, especially as an offensive threat when his team’s shorthanded. He uses his great speed to put great pressure on opponents in his forechecking. Some scouts have commented about how his skating stride is awkward because he hunches over with his down. And we all know what will happen to him if he does that in the NHL. This happens. Another thing that stands out is his ability to disappear and reappear where you least expect him to and hurt you on the scoreboard. He also has a great wrist shot that is very accurate that can allow him to score goals on NHL caliber goaltenders. However, unlike Kyle Palmieri and Devante Smith-Pelly, Etem is not a very physical player at all. He doesn’t have the frame to be a physical player, so he stays with what he is good at, GETTING MANY GOALS.

Etem was a member of training camp once again this season, and unfortunately was cut and sent back to Medicine Hat. I thought he should’ve been on the team this year, but you can’t always get what you want. But, I can’t say that him being in the WHL is hurting him with the performance he is putting in right now. He’s 2nd in the WHL in goals scored and 6th in points. This kid is gonna be scoring a lot when he settles in in the NHL. One scout compared him to Montreal Canadiens’ Mike Cammalleri.

Career Stats – Regular Season:

2009-2010: Medicine Hat Tigers – WHL: 72 GP, 37 G, 28 A, 65 P, +8, 26 PIM

2010-2011: Medicine Hat Tigers – WHL: 65 GP, 45 G, 35 A, 80 P, +41, 24 PIM

2010-2011: United States – WJC: 6 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 P, -1, 0 PIM

2011-2012: Medicine Hat Tigers – WHL: 37 GP, 34 G, 31 A, 65 P, +19, 23 PIM

2011-2012: United States – WJC: 6 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3 P, -1, 2 PIM

Career Stats – Playoffs:

2009-2010: Medicine Hat Tigers – WHL: 12 GP, 7 G, 3 A, 10 P, +1, 0 PIM

2010-2011: Medicine Hat Tigers – WHL: 15 GP, 10 G, 11 A, 21 P, +4, 7 PIM

If the playoffs started today in the WHL, the Tigers would have the 4th seed, so Etem would see more playoff time.

Well, I hope you guys have enjoyed the series. If I stay here for another year, I will do the same kind of thing next year. Have a prospect update and have it end around the half way point of the season. I’ll probably also do a shorter series for the prospect that the Ducks pick in the draft. Hopefully that could include a player like Mikhail Grigorenko. Until then, keep an eye on these guys, they are the future of the Ducks.

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