Emerson Etem Makes His Rangers Debut

Emerson Etem (Getty Images)

It may not have been the best game to make his debut, but Emerson Etem has finally played his first regular season game as a member of the New York Rangers. It wasn’t opportune because the Rangers got blanked by a very hot Montreal Canadiens team 3-0 in their home opener but Etem has the opportunity to take more out of it than just a loss.

Making your debut with a new team is a special occasion; it had to feel good for Etem to finally be out there. Before the game when he spoke with John Giannone of MSG Network, Etem said he stayed prepared and kept his conditioning up. When asked about what he did to prepare while being scratched, Etem said, “I got my legs in game shape and saw guys’ tendencies from the press box.”

Etem also praised the coaching staff and team for helping him assimilate to the organization after swapping the west coast for the east following his trade from Anaheim.

The Rangers have to hope he continues to play more and contributes in a big way. They pegged him as the guy they wanted when trading away a good teammate, player, and fan favorite in Carl Hagelin and I’m sure Etem will be up to the task.

He’s a big kid with lots of skill and talent — that’s just the type of players the Rangers need. In their loss to Montreal, Etem was a minus 1, with 4 hits, one giveaway, and one takeaway in 7:09 on the ice.

For the Rangers and Etem to improve he will need to see his ice time increase going forward!