NY Islanders prospect Cole Eiserman determined to show he's more than a sniper

There has never been much mystery about Cole Eiserman's best attribute.

The kid can shoot the puck.

It's why the New York Islanders selected him 20th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, and why he's remained one of the more intriguing prospects in their system. Eiserman's shot already looks NHL-caliber. But becoming an NHL regular was always going to require more than standing on the perimeter waiting for an opportunity to use it.

Last season offered some encouraging signs that he's figuring that out.

Eiserman finished with 18 goals and 28 points in 32 games at Boston University before signing his entry-level contract in March. He then joined Bridgeport, scoring two goals and nine points in 12 games while getting his first experience in 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.

What Rocky Thompson saw during that stretch may be more important than the two goals.

Thompson, who coached Eiserman in Bridgeport before joining Pete DeBoer's Islanders staff, believes the next step is getting him away from the perimeter and into the more difficult areas of the ice.

"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's where Eiserman's development at BU becomes encouraging.

Terriers coach Jay Pandolfo watched Eiserman go through a stretch where the goals weren't coming as easily. Instead of allowing that to affect everything else, Pandolfo said Eiserman started concentrating more on defense, checking and his play without 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."

Nobody wants Eiserman to become something he's not. His shot is what could eventually make him special.

But Thompson also saw a player willing to play a more physical, grinding game in Bridgeport, something he believes can complement that offense.

The Islanders already know Eiserman can score.

Now they're trying to develop everything that allows him to stay on the ice long enough to do it.

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