Until the draft, TVA Sports and The Journal will publish and broadcast several reports about the players the Canadian was able to win with his treasure first election on Friday, June 28th.

Just a few months ago, Cole Eiserman was considered a logical candidate for the top overall selection in the 2024 draft. He is now excluded from the top 10 by several experts.

But he doesn’t seem to care.

This statement from the young man, made in a recent interview with TVASports.ca, perfectly reflects the type of boy Eiserman is.

A confident athlete whose spirit seems to be as strong as tempered steel.

However, the decline in Eiserman’s popularity remains puzzling and therefore interesting to discuss.

Because pure goal scorers like him are extremely rare. And he has scored a lot of goals this season.

So how on earth can we explain his decline in the eyes of analysts when he has so much talent as a goalscorer?

The author of these lines targeted exactly two aspects of Eiserman’s game that raise questions and … presented them to the main interested party, who really liked the idea.

Amazing statistics

With a total of 124 goals, Eiserman is currently the second-highest scorer in the history of the American development program behind… a certain Cole Caufield.

This season, his record was 55 goals and 86 points in 54 games with the structure’s U18 team.

“Scoring goals is something I’ve enjoyed since… the beginning of my life! I know that fooling guards is a natural skill for me, but I’ve never stopped working on it. Finding new ways to fool goalies is something exciting for me.”

Last year, the left-hander, who is just 16 years old and stands 1.80 metres tall and weighs 70 kilograms, scored 26 goals in 20 matches in the U18 team, and even scored 43 goals in 42 matches in the U17 team.

In addition, this 2022 season, in which he scored a total of 69 goals, proved to be the second most successful in the history of the program.

“I can spend hours analyzing the shooting techniques of Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin. I think that by combining their methods of disabling you end up with a pretty complete arsenal (Laugh)!

“My father and my four brothers all played hockey. I also have several cousins ​​who play. Some family members have played junior or even professional games. We are a big family where hockey is really at the center of discussions. So I never really stop thinking about it. And that makes me happy.”

At this point, Eiserman needs three more goals to surpass Cole Caufield’s mark. Is that important to him?

“Honestly, I think it’s more for the people on the team than for me,” he replies, laughing. It would be fun for sure. I think it’s the kind of achievement that gives you a lot of respect for the rest of your career. It’s definitely something I want to achieve.”

Eiserman then adds an interesting and grateful sentence.

“My teammates are my most important supporters in all of this. They try to pass the puck to me more often so that I can score. I’m becoming aware of that as the weeks go by. I’m really grateful for that.”

“I hear that a lot”

Now to the aspects of Eiserman’s game that raise questions.

At the top of the list is his defensive play and its quality.

Many have expressed concerns in recent months about the young man’s ability to play anywhere other than the offensive zone.

“I hear that a lot,” admits the striker. I think people just don’t see the games the way I do. I see hockey differently and that’s why I’ve always produced so much. I think the look [travail] in my case, it’s something that really gets brought up too often. But my coaches and my teammates know that I’m working, so it doesn’t affect me.

Photo credit: Kevin Dube

“I’ve put a lot of effort into my 200-foot game over the last two years,” he adds. Of course, I’ll always be Cole Eiserman, the scorer. But I also know it’s important for me to be defensively committed to helping my team win.

After watching him play several games this year, it’s true that he still has a lot to refine defensively, but he’s not lazy. Often his attention is absorbed by the puck (because he’s constantly thinking about the offense) and that’s exactly why he’s guilty of mistakes in zone coverage. He’ll never be a Jonathan Toews, but he doesn’t reject a defensive retreat and isn’t sluggish in his battles for the puck.

A “puck eater”?

Another comment that is often made about Eiserman is the fact that he keeps the puck on his stick for too long.

Eiserman’s answer?

“I like having the puck, that’s true. But I think my teammates trust me. I’m not going to stop asking for the puck or controlling it. I like being the one who sets the pace of a game. I’m not going to misrepresent myself either.”

In my opinion, Eiserman would be able to play an entire game without making a single pass and finish the game with his team’s eight goals. Not out of selfishness, but simply because scoring goals is probably his favorite thing in the world. However, I think that aspect of the young man’s game has developed over the course of the season. As the weeks went by, he realized that if he gave the puck away more often, everyone would win. And the fact is that he is certainly capable of skillfully orchestrating games. However, there is still a lot of work to be done there. He still has a tendency to have tunnel vision towards the net when he is in the final third of the attack. Of course, there are positives, but there are also negatives at certain times.

“I will not change for anyone”

Cole Eiserman is no fool. He is fully aware that he is not unanimous on the verge of the upcoming draft, his draft.

But he assures us that everything he reads and hears does not bother him.

The young man from Newburyport, Massachusetts doesn’t hesitate for a second when asked what type of player he will be in the NHL.

“I think I will score several goals and use my size to my advantage.”

“Multiple goals.” It’s hard to question that.

Now Kent Hughes and his followers (assuming Eiserman is available when the CH speaks) must decide whether the skater’s qualities will have a greater impact on the team than the aspects he needs to work on.

But scoring goals is not something you can learn. And Cole Eiserman has mastered this aspect of the game down to the smallest detail.