It looks like Emerson Etem survived the New York Rangers’ training camp cuts, but that doesn’t mean he thrived.
Instead, it sounds like he has a lot of room to improve, especially considering this quote from Rangers GM Jeff Gorton via the New York Post:
“His camp has been pretty average, and I think he knows that, I think we all know that,” Gorton said. “We’ve known him for a long time. We know the player, we scouted the player, we’ve liked what we’ve seen. He’s yet to show that to maybe all of you guys, but we have faith that in time he’s going to show us that.”
Fair or not, many will turn the heat up a little bit extra on Etem if he struggles because he was part of the trade that sent Carl Hagelin to the Anaheim Ducks.
At 23, he’s at that awkward stage where he’s producing nicely at the AHL level but struggling to put up points in the NHL.
He has time to develop, yet as a first-rounder (29th overall in 2010), the word “bust” is lingering off in the distance. It sounds like he didn’t take a great step in the other direction this month, either.
(H/T to Rotoworld.)