Cole Eiserman’s calling card has never been in doubt. The New York Islanders used the 20th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on a player who can flat-out fire the puck, and that kind of shot is a big reason he’s stayed near the top of the conversation among the team’s prospects.
The challenge now is turning that weapon into a complete NHL game.
Last season gave the Islanders some reasons to believe that’s happening. Eiserman put up 18 goals and 28 points in 32 games at Boston University before signing his entry-level contract in March. After that, he moved on to Bridgeport and posted two goals and nine points in 12 games, getting his first taste of professional hockey during a playoff race.
"It was a big jump," Eiserman said. "Every game mattered. I got to learn in those games right away," said Eiserman at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Chicago in July.
For Rocky Thompson, who coached Eiserman in Bridgeport before joining Pete DeBoer's Islanders staff, the bigger takeaway from that stint wasn’t just the production. It was the way Eiserman began to understand where NHL offense actually comes from.
"You just don't want to be on the perimeter at the NHL level," Thompson said. "The players are too good at checking, and the goaltenders are too good for your offense to be able to put numbers up on the board from that area of the ice."
That message lines up with what happened at BU, too. Terriers coach Jay Pandolfo saw a stretch when the goals didn’t come as easily, and instead of letting that derail the rest of his game, Eiserman leaned into the other side of the puck.
"He focused on other parts of his game and didn't let that slip away," Pandolfo said. "He got better defensively, he got better away from the puck, all the little things that make a difference in playing in the NHL on a daily basis."
The Islanders don’t need Eiserman to become somebody else. They know exactly what makes him dangerous, and that shot is what could eventually make him special.
What they are trying to build around it is everything else: the habits, the physical edge, the willingness to go into tougher areas and stay there long enough to keep scoring.
Thompson saw some of that in Bridgeport, where Eiserman showed he could play a more physical, grinding style that can support the offense. The goal now is simple.
The Islanders already know he can score. They’re working to make sure he can do it while staying on the ice.
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For the Islanders, that kind of contract lands as more than a Boston headline. It adds another data point to the bargaining table for future restricted free agents, especially as the club looks ahead to young forwards whose next deals will need to fit into a tighter cap picture. Simon Holmstrom and Cal Ritchie are the names to keep in mind, because contracts like Mintens have a way of setting expectations before those talks even begin. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes Maccelli intriguing for New York is not just where he has been, but what he can do once the puck gets to the offensive zone. The Islanders need help feeding their finishers and giving their power play a steadier distributor, and Maccellis role figures to be built around that exact need. The fit is still in the early stages, but this is the sort of addition that could quietly change how the attack looks if it clicks. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Transition Suddenly Feels Different With A Franchise Defenseman Emerging
The Islanders keep describing this moment as a transition rather than a teardown, and there is a real reason that language matters. The organization believes in its current management, trusts the player-development path it has laid out, and sees a chance to build something sturdier than a quick fix. With veteran pieces still in place and some upcoming salary-cap flexibility, the goal is not just to chase a good season, but to assemble a playoff roster that can actually last.
Matthew Schaefer is the biggest proof of concept so far. The 19-year-old defenseman arrived with the kind of momentum that changes the feel of an entire roster, and his rookie year immediately put him among the leagues most intriguing young players. Prospect evaluators already view him as a franchise-caliber talent, which is a major shift for an Islanders team that has spent years looking for a cleaner bridge between its present and its future. [Read more 🡒]