Emil Hemming – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

by

Emil Hemming

2023-24 Team: TPS (Liiga)
Date of Birth: June 27, 2006
Place of Birth: Vaasa, Finland
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 194 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible

Rankings

If ever there were a polarizing player in terms of the difference between his toolkit and draft projection, it’s Emil Hemming. The big power forward spent most of his 2023-24 in the Liiga, Finland’s top league, where his production admittedly dipped to just seven goals and 11 points in 40 total games. That low production is a bit misleading, though, as Hemming was put into a fourth-line checking role where he wasn’t really able to showcase his skill set like he was in Finland’s U20 league (one in which he torched for 11 goals and 18 points in 13 games before making the jump to the Liiga).

Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide

Bar none, Hemming’s best asset is his shot. He’s got a quick trigger in open space, being able to send an effective shot on net while having defenders pressuring him. His one-timer is extremely threatening, especially on the man advantage. Through two games of the Under-18 Men’s Worlds, Hemming has three power-play goals using his one-timer.

Beyond his shot, his skating is very impressive. He can accelerate to top speed extraordinarily quickly, using his powerful strides to create momentum at the drop of a dime. His agility is noticeable as well, with his edge work placing as some of the best in the entire draft class. For a power forward, I’m not sure I’ve seen better mobility out of any draft-eligible prospect in recent years.

Emil Hemming Team Finland
Emil Hemming, Team Finland (Photo by Bjorn LARSSON ROSVALL / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo by BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL/TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Images)

The problems in Hemming’s game most predominantly show themselves in the form of consistency issues. Where he can look and play like the best player on his team on any given night, he can just as easily follow it up with a complete dud where he looks not invisible, but detrimental to his squad. At times, his decision-making with the puck is questionable, sometimes throwing a risky pass into open ice and offering the opposition an easy takeaway. His confidence can bite him as well, thinking that he can take on multiple defenders in close quarters at once and turning the puck over in the offensive zone as a byproduct of his poor thought process.

On the defensive side of things, Hemming, like many draftees, has things to work on, to say the least. He has a tendency to puck-watch, staying stagnant in the defensive zone while the opponent he’s supposed to be covering moves into open space. It doesn’t come as a shock — most highly-skilled offensive forwards around the draft are somewhat of a defensive liability, but it does take away from the good that he can do on the opposite end of the ice.

Emil Hemming – NHL Draft Projection

Originally a consensus top-20 pick, Hemming has slipped in many rankings as a byproduct of his lack of production at the professional level in Finland. He has all the tools to be an early-to-mid first-round selection, but consistency issues and a slowdown in production in the Liiga will likely make him fall to the latter third of the first round. It’s almost a surefire certainty that he’ll be picked on the first day of the draft, though, especially considering his strong performance thus far into the U18 Men’s Worlds.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Quotables

“If the draft was all about raw talent then the big Finnish winger would be in serious contention to go top 10… He is creative with silky hands, and when he is “on” this combined with a natural swagger and confidence means that he will undress defensemen regularly.” — Alex Appleyard, SMAHT Scouting

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“Hemming is a fast, high-energy two-way forward that’s used in all situations and could fill a lot of different roles. He has a strong shot, is solid on the puck, and would most likely be a strong bottom-six forward on an NHL level. To me, his best assets are his speed and skating. He has to be one of the fastest forwards in this class.” — Samuel Tirpák, Future Considerations

Strengths

  • Superb straight-line speed and acceleration
  • Quick edges
  • Smooth hands
  • NHL-level shot
  • Power play one-timer threat
  • Highly confident when playing his best game

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

  • Must work on consistency
  • Work ethic lacking at times
  • Struggles on the defensive side of things
  • Continue improving playmaking ability
  • Concerns in pertinence to his decision-making with and without the puck

NHL Potential

Hemming has all the tools in the world to become an effective middle-six sniper with top power-play unit potential at the NHL level. His one-timer is absolutely deadly from the left side, being showcased en masse at the U18 Men’s Worlds, and he has the wherewithal in the offensive zone to find the little space he needs to get an effective shot on net. If he is unable to work out the kinks in his game — predominantly consistency and decision-making — he might struggle to make it to the big leagues, but I have confidence that he’ll be able to step onto NHL ice in a meaningful way in a couple of years.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 7.5/10, Defense – 3/10

Awards/Achievements

Hemming, in 2022-23, helped Finland take home bronze in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and aided his team in placing third in U20 SM-sarja.

Emil Hemming Stats

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