The San Jose Sharks have a lot of defensemen to pick and choose from for the roster this season and now you can add one more to the list. General Manager Mike Grier grabbed Ty Emberson off of waivers today, stopping the New York Rangers from sending the 23-year-old defenseman down to its AHL team.
We asked our friends at Blueshirt Banter what the Sharks get in Emberson. Here’s what Tom Urtz Jr. had to say:
“Ty Emberson is a right-handed defenseman coming off his most successful season as a pro player. In 69 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he finished with 27 points (7 goals and 20 assists) and followed that up with a line of 2-3-5 in 9 playoff games. The highlight of his season was being named the AHL East’s best defensive defenseman, as voted upon by his peers. Emberson was a steady presence for the Wolf Pack as a defender that did a solid job possessing the puck. The Sharks are getting an underrated defender with some decent upside that will have greater opportunities than he otherwise would have had in New York.”
– Tom Urtz Jr., Blueshirt Banter
Jacob Stoller with The Hockey News and Yahoo Sports NHL had these details about Emberson’s game last season.
#SJSharks claimed D Ty Emberson off waivers from #NYR.
— Jacob Stoller (@JLStoller) September 30, 2023
Emberson, 23, was voted the best defensive defenseman in the AHL's Eastern Conference in the @thephpa Player-Voted Awards last season. pic.twitter.com/frDQY8TDZf
Notice that Emberson did not factor into his team’s power play. With its recent signings and pickups, San Jose has made it a habit of taking defensemen heavy on defense without much offensive firepower. So far, there’s a trend on GM Grier’s teams.
Emberson is signed to a one year contract with a $775,000 AAV. He will be an RFA at the end of this season.
Emberson was originally drafted 73rd overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2018 NHL Draft. He was traded from the Coyotes to the Rangers in July 2022 for Patrik Nemeth, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.
Given what the Rangers gave up, it’s likely team management did not believe that anyone would take Emberson from the waiver wire.
Since he’s a waiver claim, the Sharks will have to keep Emberson up with the NHL club. If he’s sent down to the Barracuda, he would first have to clear waivers. That means that if the New York Rangers really want him back, the team could reclaim him off of waivers and then put him into the lineup. Other teams could also take Emberson off of waivers.
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our