LW Cole Eiserman - Boston Univ., NCAA (2024, 20th, NYI)

[Ryan Van Horne]

His goal scoring is among the best in recent drafts. If he wasn’t so one-dimensional, I think he’d be a lock to go first. No one in this draft is that good. It’s hard to pass up that rate of goal-scoring, but that’s all he does, so it becomes easier.

What I like most about Eiserman is that his burning desire to score is matched by his talent. Lots of people want to score as much as he does, but don't have the talent. Some people have the talent, but not the desire. He's also able to score in the blink of an eye, which bodes well for his skills transferring to higher levels.

He can pass and be a good playmaker, but he's often the best scorer on his team. As he plays with better teammates, he will learn to do distribute the puck more.

As for checking, he can learn. He's a winger, so it's bread-and-butter stuff. There's a famous draft day story from 1977 about Mike Bossy, who lit up the QMJHL with four consecutive seasons of 70-plus goals and averaged well over a goal per game.

Several teams passed on him because he was soft and one-dimensional and the Montreal Canadiens had a chance to draft him at No. 10. As this story in the Seattle Times tells, Scotty Bowman and Claude Ruel both pleaded with GM Sam Pollock to draft Bossy, who grew up in the Habs' backyard.

Pollock deferred to his scouting director, who thought Mark Napier would be a better pick because of his better two-way play.

The Islanders turn came up at No. 15 and the choice was between Bossy and some other guy. GM Bill Torrey asked his scouts about why this goal-scoring machine named Bossy wasn't getting picked. "He can't check!" Torrey was told.

"Give me the goal scorer," Torrey said. "We'll teach him to check."

 

[DatDude44]

It would have been easier to just say you just don't watch him play.

Watched plenty actually….. watch their power plays, he overshoots every time….

 

[William H Bonney]

Watched plenty actually….. watch their power plays, he overshoots every time….

Move those goal posts, buddy

 

[Postulates]

What I've learned from this thread is

- He's not a good skater
- He doesn't play defense
- He can't pass the puck
- He overshoots the net

and he's a shade under 6' 0"

Are we sure he's even going to be drafted at this rate?

 

[William H Bonney]

What I've learned from this thread is

- He's not a good skater
- He doesn't play defense
- He can't pass the puck
- He overshoots the net

and he's a shade under 6' 0"

Are we sure he's even going to be drafted at this rate?

Only a matter of time before they demote him to the U17s.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Only a matter of time before they demote him to the U17s.

They need to win games somehow.

 

[DatDude44]

What I've learned from this thread is

- He's not a good skater
- He doesn't play defense
- He can't pass the puck
- He overshoots the net

and he's a shade under 6' 0"

Are we sure he's even going to be drafted at this rate?

not what i meant by overshoots.... the decision making is what i have an issue with... It's almost everytime he touches the puck.

His tools are ridiculous, not sure who said he's not a good skater but that's a joke, my biggest issues with him are all mental processing related. Similiar to the issues I had with Byfield as a prospect.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

What I've learned from this thread is

- He's not a good skater
- He doesn't play defense
- He can't pass the puck
- He overshoots the net

and he's a shade under 6' 0"

Are we sure he's even going to be drafted at this rate?

Haha the funny thing is he actually does have a lot of deficiencies in his game despite his high rankings. I’m working on my October List and I currently have him ranked at 5. It hurts me to put him so low because I usually have a big bias towards American players.

He’s a great finisher. Cole knows how to bury the puck in a variety of different ways. He is undoubtedly a very dangerous player in the offensive zone. One of the best pure finishers I’ve seen play for the USNTDP. If he gets a breakaway it’s almost a guaranteed goal. His shot placement is fantastic and his confidence is through the roof.

But, a lot of the bullet points you posted are pretty accurate. Eiserman is not a playmaker, doesn’t have great puck possession ability, and really doesn’t have great acceleration on his feet. He’s not a versatile player. He’s not a gritty player.

Eiserman is absolutely one-dimensional but he’s elite in that skillset.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

The USNDTP isn't really a USHL team, not properly. The U-18 team plays a bunch of games against NCAA competition.

It's one of those "just so happens" things that a lot of the highest USNDTP prospects have been late birthdays - Kane, S. Jones, Eichel, Matthews all fit that bill, all were the top of their cohort and considered big time prospects.

Hughes is kind of the exception in that regard as an "early" birthday whose draft year was immediately after his last USNDTP season. The others all had gap years in there. Only think I'll say is I don't think Hughes ever made a college commitment. Presumably, had he not made the NHL, he might have played for Mississauga who held his OHL rights (and he was a GTHL product).

I’ve heard that Jack would’ve forced a trade to London if he ever went to the CHL

 

[Mathieukferland]

have him ranked at 5.

Who do you have in front

 

[sigx15]

The past 6-8 months or so I've started looking at Eiserman as a Phil Kessel/Tyler Toffoli type player. I think he's got more grit than those guys and a bit higher upside but he's of those guys ilk in my head now. I also think people here aren't giving him enough credit for his skating. He's not one of these guys with insane edgework or anything but he's still a good skater

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

The past 6-8 months or so I've started looking at Eiserman as a Phil Kessel/Tyler Toffoli type player. I think he's got more grit than those guys and a bit higher upside but he's of those guys ilk in my head now. I also think people here aren't giving him enough credit for his skating. He's not one of these guys with insane edgework or anything but he's still a good skater

This is underselling him - Toffoli had a career year last year but before that he was never a 60 point guy, one time 50 point player. So before 30 he had hit 50 point once, he is good but his career has not been anything close to Kessel in any way.

I think its safe to say Eiserman projects to put up a lot more goals and pts than Toffoli. Not that he's a bad player, and maybe this year he can show that he is having a late blooming career. but up until this point if Eiserman was anything like Toffoli that would be a major disappointment

 

[sigx15]

This is underselling him - Toffoli had a career year last year but before that he was never a 60 point guy, one time 50 point player. So before 30 he had hit 50 point once, he is good but his career has not been anything close to Kessel in any way.

I think its safe to say Eiserman projects to put up a lot more goals and pts than Toffoli. Not that he's a bad player, and maybe this year he can show that he is having a late blooming career. but up until this point if Eiserman was anything like Toffoli that would be a major disappointment

I think you missed the whole point of what I was saying. I said he has more upside than both him and Kessel, it was more of a playstyle comp than a talent perspective

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

I think you missed the whole point of what I was saying. I said he has more upside than both him and Kessel, it was more of a playstyle comp than a talent perspective

I still don't see the Toffoli comparisons...he's just on a different planet in terms of offensive awareness and skating to Toffoli at the same age.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

Who do you have in front

It’s still very early and will probably change but as of today:
1. Macklin Celebrini
2. Anton Silayev
3. Ivan Demidov
4. Artyom Levshunov
5. Cole Eiserman

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Haha the funny thing is he actually does have a lot of deficiencies in his game despite his high rankings. I’m working on my October List and I currently have him ranked at 5. It hurts me to put him so low because I usually have a big bias towards American players.

He’s a great finisher. Cole knows how to bury the puck in a variety of different ways. He is undoubtedly a very dangerous player in the offensive zone. One of the best pure finishers I’ve seen play for the USNTDP. If he gets a breakaway it’s almost a guaranteed goal. His shot placement is fantastic and his confidence is through the roof.

But, a lot of the bullet points you posted are pretty accurate. Eiserman is not a playmaker, doesn’t have great puck possession ability, and really doesn’t have great acceleration on his feet. He’s not a versatile player. He’s not a gritty player.

Eiserman is absolutely one-dimensional but he’s elite in that skillset.

I disagree about his skating. I would watch that area the next game you see him play because I think it’s his second big strength.

The rest of your post I’m completely in sync with you about. He’s very good, but there are deficiencies he needs to work on that would make him a lot better of a player.

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

The past 6-8 months or so I've started looking at Eiserman as a Phil Kessel/Tyler Toffoli type player. I think he's got more grit than those guys and a bit higher upside but he's of those guys ilk in my head now. I also think people here aren't giving him enough credit for his skating. He's not one of these guys with insane edgework or anything but he's still a good skater

Kessel could skate circles around Toffoli. The comparison between these two must be on another plane.

I disagree about his skating. I would watch that area the next game you see him play because I think it’s his second big strength.

The rest of your post I’m completely in sync with you about. He’s very good, but there are deficiencies he needs to work on that would make him a lot better of a player.

Agree on the skating.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Not sure what happened to Eiserman. I was at tonight's game. Cole was out there in the first period, but at some point he left the game. I know he didn't play at all in the 3rd period. I didn't notice any play where he was injured.

 

[IWillMakeTheNHL]

Not sure what happened to Eiserman. I was at tonight's game. Cole was out there in the first period, but at some point he left the game. I know he didn't play at all in the 3rd period. I didn't notice any play where he was injured.

Bro better not be injured cuz I have tickets to the bu game

 

[Whalers Fan]

Eiserman scratched from tonight's game vs. Western Michigan.

 

[William H Bonney]

Eiserman scratched from tonight's game vs. Western Michigan.

Hopefully nothing too serious

 

[WarriorofTime]

Assuming his health is ok (I haven't seen any indication of a serious injury), Eiserman (and USNDTP U18) will be playing @ Celebrini (and Boston University) tomorrow night at 7 pm Eastern, for anyone that might be inclined to watch the potential top 2 picks.

James Hagens for USNDTP and Lane Hutson for BU are also must-sees.

 

[Breakers]

Outplaying Celebrini

BU looks like a franking disaster right now
Their structure this weekend is like some all star game of shinny

 

[William H Bonney]

He's back in the lineup and he's having fun playing against his buddy Celebrini. Eiserman has 2g, 1a so far less than halfway through the game. NTDP is up 5-0.

 

[William H Bonney]

Make that 2g, 2a. Just picked up another assist on a fantastic pass to set up Plante. But he's one dimensional I guess.