COLE EISERMAN

Left Wing
6’0/196
Left
US National U18 Team (NTDP)/ USNTDP Juniors (USHL)

Related: Tanner Howe

Cole Eiserman, the 6-foot winger who was a product of Shattuck St. Mary’s, the same school that has produced countless NHL Superstars; Eiserman started the season with as much expectation as any prospect this year, with some expecting him to crush Cole Caufield’s single-season record of 72 goals in a season, but is clearly not going to be touching that total. Despite not being able to reach those lofty expectations, Eiserman has still had an incredible season with the US National U18 Team at the US NTDP, putting up 48 goals and 25 assists for 73 points in 45 games, along with 24 goals and 31 points in 20 games with the USNTDP Juniors in the USHL. Eiserman has still scored over a goal per game at the NTDP and USHL, which is incredible for any prospect. A dynamic goal scorer in the truest sense, Eiserman possesses an exhilarating ability to cleanly pick his spots in the net and beat defenders and goalies one-on-one when the shot isn’t there. He can score in every way: long-range, mid-range, jam plays, rush plays, quick hands in tight, the one-timer, a lethal catch-and-release. Eiserman isn’t the best playmaker in the world, but he has game-breaking qualities with his one-on-one play and shot when the puck is on his stick. He projects to be the type of player you build a power play around. Eiserman is an elite goalscorer; his release is as potent as his ability to find soft ice off-puck, but his on-puck game and defensive engagement remain raw. As good as his Offensive game is though, he can be a defensive liability and he could improve on little things such as puck control and creating for himself in traffic. Cole Eiserman is a player who does have superstar potential because of his goal-scoring ability along, but some teams might question his defensive game, which might take some time to iron out. For this reason, I could see Cole Eiserman being selected outside of the top 5 but should go later than 15.

Size/Strength Average
Skating Average
Shot/Scoring Excellent
Puckhandling Average
Physical Play Great
Offensive Play Excellent
Defensive Play Below Average
Hockey Sense Excellent
Competitiveness Good

Strengths

1. A dynamic goal scorer in the truest sense, Eiserman possesses an exhilarating ability to cleanly pick his spots in the net and beat defenders and goalies one-on-one when the shot isn’t there. He can score in every which way.
2. The type of player you build a power play around, and your team’s leading scorer.
3. Great Hockey Sense; knows how to find open areas on the ice to find scoring opportunities.

Areas of Improvement

1. Not Reliable Defensively.
2. Has a weak stride and lacks explosiveness.
3. Needs to improve his passing ability.

Scouting Report

Once touted as the undisputed second-overall pick to surefire superstar Macklin Celebrini, Cole Eiserman has slipped quite a bit in this year’s rankings as a product of his competitors’ stocks rising while his play has remained somewhat stagnant. If there’s one thing that has stayed consistent — and lethal — in Eiserman’s game, it’s his shot. Now just 10 goals away from the US National Team Development Program’s all-time goal record, he continues to prove that he has the most dangerous shot of anyone in this year’s draft class. In 45 games this season with the NTDP, he’s tallied 48 goals and 73 total points. He’s currently seventh all-time in points for the program, thanks to a 69-goal, 104-point 2022-23 campaign, which he split between the U17 and U18 teams. It’s no secret that Cole Eiserman has the best shot in the 2024 draft class. It’s powerful, accurate and given time and space, is nearly guaranteed to be a given goal. He can, and will, shoot from anywhere in the offensive zone with pinpoint accuracy, showcasing his deadly and deceptive release en route to beating the opposing goalie cleanly. He can release the puck in extremely tight spaces, using his supple hands to quickly toe-drag release around defenders; he doesn’t need to be open to be a goal-scoring threat, though he is also excellent at reading the defense in-zone and finding open shooting lanes for himself. Eiserman has found particular success on the power-play, where he can take full advantage of the extra ice to punish any PK unit that doesn’t give him his due respect. This alone is likely to see him land quite high on draft day as his release is NHL-ready. Seeing Eiserman playing trigger-man on an NHL team’s first PP unit is not far. However, when you zoom away from his core strength, Eiserman carries with him a few key flaws. Particularly, he’s got a lot of work to do in his skating. While effective off the rush and in odd-man opportunities, he lacks the edgework and explosiveness to create separation from defenders who focus on him. His weak stride also doesn’t make him much for a forechecking threat and far too often, leaves him behind play which leads to penalties taken. His playmaking is currently underutilized as pucks tend to end up behind the net or frozen shortly after receiving the puck. Going forward, Eiserman will need to develop some extra layers to his game in some way. It is tough to predict Eiserman’s future in the NHL because while he does have the potential to be a 40+ goal scorer, he does need refining is a lot of other areas of his game, so if he gets drafted to a bad and incompetent organization, he could be a bust. With that said, with the right development and the right situation, Cole Eiserman could turn into one of the top goal scorers in the league someday, and a player who excels on the powerplay, thanks to his lethal one-timer, but he would take some time to get to be NHL ready. My NHL Comparison for Cole Eiserman is a mix between Auston Matthews and Cole Caufield; he has the shot and release of Auston Matthews, but the rest of his game is a lot more similar to Cole Caufield when he was coming into the NHL, hence the reason he fell to 15 in his draft year, despite his record-setting 72 goals with the NTDP. Rankings have him anywhere from third overall to 16th, and there isn’t really a tell about where he will get drafted but given that he is not NHL-ready and still has plenty to refine in his game, it is more likely he gets drafted anywhere from the 8-12 range.

Skill: Elite goalscorer, with a potent release and a savant on the powerplay

NHL Comparable: Auston Matthews/Cole Caufield

NHL Potential: First Line, Goal Scoring Winger

Season	Team	League	GP	G	PTS
2022-23	US National U18 Team	NTDP	20	26	32
	USNTDP Juniors	USHL	32	28	44
	USA U18	WJC-18	7	9	11
2023-24	US National U18 Team	NTDP	45	48	73
	USNTDP Juniors	USHL	20	24	31

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