Eiserman Feels the Buzz Around Islanders as Camp Nears
The 2024 first-rounder says the Islanders' incoming wave of young players is arriving together, and he wants his shot to earn him a spot.
Cole Eiserman thinks something is stirring on Long Island, and he wants to be part of it when Islanders training camp opens.
"There's a new coach and it seems like there's a lot of buzz around the Islanders, which is pretty cool especially with 'Schaef,' Eklund and Aitcheson, (Malte) Gustafsson, all these young guys," the forward said at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Chicago in July. "It's cool everyone's coming at the same time-ish, which is important for all of us. We all feel very comfortable and excited, mostly because we're all in it together."
Eiserman, who turned 20 on Aug. 29, was the No. 20 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He had 28 points (18 goals, 10 assists) in 32 games at Boston University last season before signing his entry-level contract on March 18 and adding nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 12 games with Bridgeport of the American Hockey League, plus two Calder Cup Playoff games.
The calling card is the shot. Jay Pandolfo, his coach at BU, called him "a sniper." Rocky Thompson, who had him in Bridgeport, described it as "an NHL-level shot, for sure."
The jump to the pros came in the middle of a playoff race. "Every game mattered," Eiserman said. "I got to learn in those games right away. It was a big jump and I'm excited and happy I was able to get those games."
He is one of several young Islanders pushing for roles under Peter DeBoer, who was hired as coach on April 5. The group also includes defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft who won the Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie last season, along with forwards Victor Eklund and Daniil Prokhorov and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson.
