Prospect Cole Eiserman fired up to join NY Islanders rising young core

Cole Eiserman hasn’t played a single game for the New York Islanders yet, but listening to him talk, you can tell he's thinking about when that day will come and the players he'll be skating alongside.

On Tuesday’s episode of the Empty Netters podcast, the 2024 first-round pick opened up about his draft experience, his motivation, and just how pumped he is to be part of the Islanders’ future.

The energy in his voice made one thing clear: this kid already sees himself as a long-term piece of the franchise. Eiserman admitted he went into the draft without any idea where he would land. He heard the chatter, at times being mentioned as a top pick, but he also understood the “wild card” label that followed him throughout his draft year.

“You just kind of know going in you’re a wild card, which I was okay with,” he said. “I like being my own player and who I am.” But the second the Islanders called his name, everything else evaporated. “Once you get picked, everything goes away,” Eiserman said. “For the Islanders to pick me there… everything went away. I’m an Islander. That’s all I care about.”

And what really fires him up is what he’s watching unfold on Long Island. He talked about the organization’s recent drafts, the influx of young talent, and the buzz created by players like Cal Ritchie and especially No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer.

“They haven’t had a first-round pick in the last four or five drafts, so there weren’t many prospects,” he said. “But now they’ve got excitement. Ritchie is there. 'Shay' is balling out. It’s pretty cool to be in that conversation.”

Eiserman even gets stopped on BU’s campus by Islanders fans telling him they’re excited about the future. And the sniper shares the feeling. With Schaefer emerging, Ritchie rising, and Eiserman eager to join the group, the Islanders suddenly have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league — and Eiserman can’t wait to be part of it.