I’ll churn out another of these today as a special nod to this tweet:
Cole Eiserman
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 197lbs
The Leafs have a ton of flaws throughout their lineup. If you ask 5 different people they’ll likely give you 5 different answers ranging from goaltending, to defense, to the ability to score in the playoffs.
No doubt, the ability to score when it matters have been a massive issue, which is why they may be interested in Cole Eiserman, because all he does is score.
Eiserman suited up for 24 games in the USHL this season, where he scored 25 goals and added 9 assists. He also played in 57 games for the U.S. National U18 Team of the NTDP, where he scored 58 goals and 89pts. Lastly, he played 7 games in the WJC-U18 tourney, where he scored 9 goals and added a single assist, for 10pts.
If you want goals, he’ll give you goals. A player that will shoot often and from anywhere to make full use of a very heavy and accurate shot, Eiserman knows what he’s good at and isn’t afraid to exploit that gift.
On the flip side it appears that almost every other facet of his game is in need of work. For years he was locked in as the #2 pick behind Macklin Celebrini, but his game hasn’t evolved much and those around him just kept getting better. He isn’t the fastest skater on the ice, although he is competitive and willing to battle for pucks. He’s too often the reason those pucks are turned over though, which is likely why he battles so hard to retrieve them. His stick handling is in need of work as well, as he isn’t adept at beating defenders one on one and doesn’t find his teammates with good passes often enough. His skating in terms of agility and acceleration aren’t strong points, which makes him a poor selection to carry the puck from zone to zone. Lastly, his decision making in his defensive end isn’t appealing.
If you’re wondering why he is ranked as high as he is it’s because of his ability to find space in the offensive zone when he doesn’t have the puck and if a teammate can get it to him the puck is wrangled in and placed in the back of the net at lightning speed. It’s that ability alone that has some scouts projecting him as a 1st line winger in the NHL. If he is aligned with skilled teammates that can create zone entries and are good distributors he’ll flourish as a goal scorer.
If he is willing to put in serious work on his flaws, Eiserman could be a project that makes any team that skipped on him look foolish. However, when somebody says the team that takes him will “like me for me” it makes me wonder if he’s happy playing hockey exactly the way he already does.