Steve Eminger career profile at HockeyDraftCentral.com

2002 NHL Entry Draft

STEVE EMINGER

WASHINGTON • ROUND: 1 OVERALL: 12

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Previous Team: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Pre-Draft Rankings

NHL Central Scouting: 6 Midterm Rank: 5

The Hockey News: 9 Red Line Report: 7

Vital Statistics

Position: D • Height: 6-1½ • Weight: 196 • Shoots: Right
Birthdate: Oct. 31, 1983 • Hometown: Vaughan, Ontario

Pre-Draft Notes

Central Scouting Report: A solid, agile skater with excellent mobility ... a very strong backward skater with very good lateral movement ... a standout offensive defenseman with exceptional puck-handling and playmaking skills ... a very good decision maker with impressive hockey sense and anticipation ... has the ability to control the tempo of a game ... plays a sound game in the defensive zone ... very effective in one-on-one situations ... does not shy away from physical play and is willing to sacrifice himself to block shots ... a tough competitor who plays with poise and confidence ... quarterbacks the powerplay and is used in all game situations.

THN Draft Preview: Steve Eminger is another defenseman prospect who is solid offensively and so-so when it comes to taking care of business in his own end. Eminger has great wheels and won the puck-control event at the 2002 Top Prospects Game. He has exceptional puck-handling and playmaking skills and quarterbacked the Kitchener power play this season. He showed at times he can change the tempo of a game if he wants.

Red Line Report: Maybe the top "sure-thing" in the OHL this season. Classic two-way defender can play it any way you want. Solid in his own end. A horse with tremendous stamina -- plays 30 minutes a night and rarely makes mistakes. Physical enough without being stupid. Makes great breakout passes. Decision-making is excellent, particularly in puck distribution. Strong skater with a great stride who makes the transition from defense to offense in a heartbeat. Very intelligent in all situations. Never going to be an overly physical player, but defensively his game has grown by leaps and bounds from last year. Still needs to get stronger, but his positioning is very good. Has a strong, accurate shot that makes him a potential power play contributor, and does a good job varying the type of shot to suit the situation.
Projection: Potentially a No. 2 d-man. At worst a top 4. Style compares to Kenny Jonsson/Glen Wesley.

Pre-Draft Quotes

Of all the great defensemen I have coached while in Plymouth, Steve Eminger is probably the best NHL prospect of them all. ... His greatest asset is his feet, with regards to his mobility and his skating ability. He is a guy that plays in all situations for us. He is our number one power-play guy, penalty-killer, and plays in all the tough situations late in the game.

-- Steve Spott, Assistant Coach, Kitchener Rangers

This is a guy who gets involved offensively, but it wil be a project to improve him defensively. But he will play, and he has a chance to be a top-4 defenseman because of his offensive abilities.

-- Anonymous NHL Scout, Hockey News Draft Preview

I am not sure he is all that smart in seeing the ice, but I think he is relatively smart when it comes to deciding when to step in to the play.