Cole Eiserman has built his reputation the old-fashioned way: by putting the puck in the net. The New York Islanders prospect has never had trouble finding goals, and that single trait is exactly why he keeps showing up as one of the most intriguing young players in hockey.
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler put Eiserman at No. 72 on his annual Top 100 prospects list, and his read on the 2024 first-round pick is pretty clear. The upside is real, maybe even loud. The question is whether the rest of Eiserman’s game can catch up in time.
Wheeler pointed to the winger’s offensive toolkit as the main reason for the buzz, writing that "his puck skill, quick release, shot variety - he can rip it in motion or standing still, and he'll make goalies guess wrong in alone because of how fast his hands are" Those traits have made Eiserman a dangerous finisher, the kind of player who can turn a chance into a goal in a flash.
But that same natural ease is also part of the concern. Wheeler wrote, "But how easy that part of the game has always been for him has also created some bad habits," and said Eiserman can get careless and selfish with the puck even though he has good vision.
At times, he can also force shots when the play isn’t there. That combination is what makes him such a polarizing evaluation: exciting to watch, but not always easy to trust.
Still, Wheeler isn’t backing away from the upside. "It's so hard to find goal scorers like him outside of the very top of the draft," said Wheeler.
"He has work to do still in other areas, and there's some risk that it doesn't work long-term. But he also often looks to me like he's capable of becoming a 30-goal winger and PP1 focal point, if a flawed one."
That’s why Eiserman’s next two years matter so much. Wheeler sees his move toward pro hockey as one of the more compelling prospect storylines in the league, and he said, "He's a complicated player and person, though I think he has been overanalyzed as well. His next couple of years are going to be fascinating to track as he makes the transition to pro."
For the Islanders, the hope is simple: the scorer stays the scorer, and the rest of the game grows into place.
In Other News...
Islanders Prospect System Suddenly Looks Better Than Anyone Expected
The Islanders prospect picture has taken a noticeable turn, and Scott Wheelers latest 2026 Top 100 NHL prospects list is a big reason why. Malte Gustafsson sits at No. 34 overall as the highest-ranked player in the organizations pipeline, a sign that the system is drawing far more respect than it did in recent years. New York also placed five players in Wheelers top 100, with Calum Ritchie, Victor Eklund, Kashawn Aitcheson and Cole Eiserman joining Gustafsson on the list.
For an organization that has spent plenty of time hearing about its shallow pipeline, that kind of representation matters. Ritchie, acquired from Colorado in the Brock Nelson trade, gives the group another high-end piece, while Eiserman remains one of the more intriguing names because his long-term value will depend on whether he can grow beyond being known mainly as a shooter. Wheelers rankings do not solve anything for the Islanders in the short term, but they do suggest the talent base is deeper and more interesting than it has been for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Reignited The Noah Dobson Debate Islanders Fans Know Well
The Canadiens contract picture for 2026-27 has a familiar name sitting right in the middle of the debate for Islanders fans. Noah Dobson remains the kind of player whose value is easy to argue over because his deal and his usage invite the same question from two different angles: what a defenseman of his profile should cost, and how much he should be asked to do. For a player who once drew so much of his appeal from his role on the power play, the discussion around him in Montreal has become a useful reminder of how quickly the context around a defenseman can change.
Mike Matheson is part of that same conversation, and his situation only sharpens the contrast. His five-year extension has pushed him into more of a shutdown role, even as the offense has cooled, which is the sort of tradeoff teams live with when they believe the rest of the package still works. Josh Anderson and Phillip Danault also factor into the broader evaluation, but for Islanders readers, the real hook is the way Dobsons name keeps surfacing whenever Montreals roster math turns into a referendum on value, usage, and what a team thinks it is actually buying. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Schedule Has A Few Dates Fans Will Circle Immediately
The Islanders 2026-27 schedule gives fans plenty to mark down before the puck even drops, starting with a Sept. 30 opener in Toronto and a home opener three days later against the Devils. From there, the calendar is packed with the usual Metro grind, including four meetings with the Rangers, plus a slate that mixes later start times, back-to-backs and the kind of road/home rhythm that can quietly shape a season long before spring arrives.
There are also a few dates that stand out for reasons beyond standings math, especially the first look at former captain Anders Lee and the games that come with it. Add in matchups against teams coached by Pete DeBoer, and the schedule has the feel of one that will keep Islanders fans checking the calendar as much as the box scores, with a handful of nights carrying a little more weight than the rest. [Read more 🡒]