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2024 Flyers Draft Prospects: Cole Eiserman
Of the several names that crop up in conversation when it comes to speculating who the Philadelphia Flyers could draft at the No. 12 position, Cole Eiserman is probably the most recognizable—and most contentious.
Eiserman is a great player, especially when it comes to scoring. He recently broke Cole Caufield's USNTDP scoring record, netting his 127th goal for the team against Canada in the U-18 Men's World Championship.
Along with a shot that is arguably the best in this year's draft class, Eiserman has been praised for having incredible hands, his ability to read the game, and possessing a skill for finding space to score even when he's not "open." He's been described as a player that's "not afraid to play with a smidge of snarl and grit," and has an admirable work ethic on and off the ice.
With all those components, he sounds like a near-perfect fit for the Flyers, should he still be on the board when it comes time for them to make their pick. However, Eiserman has dealt with his fair share of criticism and doubt as to whether he can develop into more than just a kid that can score goals, and it's that debate that has made him a hot topic as this draft approaches.
In a comprehensive profile from The Athletic, the case is made for how Eiserman is a wonderful, yet misunderstood player who always has been and always will be unapologetically himself—and is more than what the scouting reports may say about him.
"First and foremost, Cole Eiserman's the best scorer in the draft," said USNTDP head coach Nick Fohr. "I don't think it's a question. And I love Macklin Celebrini. He's the only other one in my opinion that's close, but Cole's just better. He just scores in different ways.
"He is a driven scorer. He eats, breathes, lives scoring. That's all he wants to do. And he understands that there's more to the game than that. But he has always been able to get by on just scoring regardless. And in fact, he still does that here. But as he starts to look bigger picture and to the NHL level, he understands that he's going to have to be better in those areas away from the puck. And he's working on it."
His scoring is clearly no issue, but scouts voiced concerns about what they perceived to be selfishness and overly-emotional outbursts from Eiserman.
Fohr recalls Eiserman saying to him, "'Well, what do they want me to be, a robot? I'm not a robot and I have emotions.'
"He's emotional, and he's competitive. And I love him. His teammates love him. And that doesn't mean everything's sunshine and rainbows all the time. There's been times where there's some hard conversations had amongst him and his teammates, where they get after each other a little bit, but it's done in front of each other and it's done so that the next time they're out there they make the right play again. And that's really what drives him. And that's the best perspective that I can give on him."
Eiserman has committed to play for Boston University, and Terriers head coach Jay Pandolfo believes in his abilities as more than just a scorer as well.
"He's very capable of playing a complete game," Pandolfo said. "Of the guys his age, he has always been able to score. It's actually incredible. Like he can just score. But he's got a lot more to his game as well."
Pandolfo also spoke to the 17-year-old's work ethic—a cornerstone of Eiserman's game.
"The time I've spent with him and talking to other people, he loves the game and we love that," Pandolfo said. "We have some players here now that just have a passion for the game and they come to the rink every day wanting to get better, and that's what we see in him."
Trainer Owen Campbell—who also coaches players like Charlie Coyle, Kevin Hayes, Matty Beniers, Henry Thrun, Ryan Donato, and John Farinacci—says that Eiserman is "definitely not a me, me, me guy."
"He'll do whatever you tell him to do as long as it's going to make him better," Campbell said. "I love Cole. He's like a younger brother to me at this point.
"From my experience with other guys who are going through the draft process, physically Cole [a left-shot winger who is listed at 6-feet and 195 pounds] is definitely at the top of his age group. He's definitely a man now. He's one of the strongest kids that we have. He's definitely physically prepared for the next level. But it's not just the strength. It's the mental fortitude that he has now. The ability to look himself in the mirror at the end of a workout and know that he put his heart into everything...The biggest thing with him is, he just loves the process. He loves showing up and putting the work in and that's why he's in the position that he is at a young age."
In his own words, Eiserman knows what's said about him, and it's not that he doesn't care, but he knows that changing who he is and how he plays wouldn't be doing anyone any favors.
"It's being me, playing a physical and hard game while also scoring as much as I can and setting up guys," Eiserman said. "I know I can shoot so it's all about faking them out and passing it to get to that next level. But it's also about playing winning hockey and being a guy who will block shots and finish hits. [I'm] just continuing to be me. If I try being someone that I'm not, it's just not going to benefit the team or the teams I'm going to be on in the future."