Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2024 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr, and Frederik Frandson on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! Today we bring you our Cole Eiserman Scouting Report.
The US NTDP continues to crank out talent and this year is no different. The top prospect from the program is Cole Eiserman, who has scored 118 career goals for the US NTDP, second in program history behind only Cole Caufield. This season, Eiserman scored 49 goals and 27 assists for 76 points in 49 games for the Under-18 team. He spent the 2022-23 season split between the Under-18 team (26 goals and 32 points in 20 games) and the Under-17 team (43 goals and 72 points in 42 games).
Eiserman is now getting ready for the 2024 Under-18 World Championships. He was a menace at the international level in 2022-23. Eiserman scored 12 goals and 20 points in just seven games at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, leading the tournament in both goals and points. He also helped the Americans to the Gold Medal. Eiserman also scored nine goals and 11 points in seven games at the Under-18 World Championships, again leading the tournament in goals and winning a gold medal.
Eiserman is committed to joining the Boston University Terriers next season. Should he decide to go the CHL route, his rights are owned by the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL.
Cole Eiserman 2024 NHL Draft Scouting Report
Left Wing — shoots Left
Born August 29th, 2006 — Newburyport, Massachusetts
Height 6’0″ — Weight 197 lbs [183 cm / 89 kg]
Skating
Eiserman is a very good skater. He has a very good first step and excellent acceleration. His top-end speed is also very good. This allows him to lead the rush through the neutral zone, or to keep up with the play if his teammate is setting things up. Eiserman also has excellent agility and edgework. He can weave in and out of traffic, finding openings to make plays both with and without the puck. He also has a low centre of gravity and good balance. It is tough to knock Eiserman off the puck or win battles against him on the boards or in front of the net. As he gets stronger, this should improve.
Offensive Game
Eiserman is the best pure goal scorer in this draft class. No matter what type of goal you want to see, Eiserman can score it. Whether it is shooting off the rush, setting up for a one-timer, going to his backhand, beating a goalie on a breakaway, pouncing on a rebound or getting a deflection in tight, he can do it all. His shot is extremely heavy and he gets it off with a quick release. His release is quick and deceptive and drives goaltenders crazy. Eiserman is not afraid to shoot from anywhere in the offensive zone. He knows how to use his lateral movement and puck control to open up shooting lanes. He also understands how to find the soft spots in the defence. Eiserman finds open ice and opens himself up for a pass from a teammate.
Eiserman is also a very good stickhandler. He can make plays for himself and open up space. Eiserman can make plays in tight spaces and get to the dirty areas of the ice. His passing game is also a bit underrated. His coaches want him to shoot the puck and shoot it a lot. However, when he does look to make a play for a teammate he has the vision to read the game and make the smart pass. Eiserman can use his stickhandling to open up passing lanes and make a tape-to-tape pass through tight areas. He is not afraid to play a physical game. Eiserman will battle on the boards and in front of the net. He’s also not afraid to take a hit to make a play. This should only improve as he matures.
Defensive Game
Eiserman’s defensive game is a bit of a work in progress. There are times when he can get caught puck-watching instead of staying with his man and effectively checking. On the puck, he can get caught lunging for a poke-check and getting himself caught out of position. There are also times when he leaves the defensive zone early, looking too much to create an offensive chance. All that said, Eiserman’s defensive game has been improving over the year. However, there is still room for additional growth. When he engages, he is willing to fight for pucks and play a physical game to contain the cycle. He could stand to add some muscle to his frame before going pro.
Projection and Comparison
Eiserman’s shot and goal-scoring ability is second to none in this draft and is NHL-ready. However, he still needs to round out the rest of his game. If he reaches his potential, Eiserman can be an elite game-breaking scorer on the wing. However, he will need time to work on his defensive game. A year of college hockey, especially on a perenially strong team like Boston University could help him to reach the next level. Eiserman could be ready to join an NHL team following his freshman season, finishing the 2024-25 season on an NHL roster. His game is reminiscent of Phil Kessel, but this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on skill and ability.
Highlights
The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and features of Cole Eiserman that are available on YouTube and Twitter.
Check back later for our latest draft article.
Main Photo: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
