Despite a draft-day freefall, Eiserman's offensive explosion at BU and developing leadership hints at a bright future, even as his overall game evolves.
The New York Islanders completely rebuilt their prospect pool, beginning with the 2024 NHL Draft, when then-General Manager Lou Lamoriello swapped the 18th and 50th overall picks in exchange for the 20th, 54th, and 61st overall picks in that year's draft in the lead up to the draft.
The deal with the Chicago Blackhawks gave the Islanders an extra second-round pick, one that the team could immediately use to bolster the prospect pool. Then, the night of the real draft came.
Consensus top-12 prospect Cole Eiserman, a dynamic scorer, began to free-fall down the draft board. Lamoriello and the Islanders snapped up the dynamic winger with the 20th overall pick.
Lamoriello quipped afterward that if he knew Eiserman would be available at 18, he wouldn't have ever made the initial deal with Chicago.
Lamoriello then added the excitement he felt about Eiserman going to Boston University, where Jay Pandolfo is the head coach. Pandolfo, a former Islander, played 899 games in the NHL, with 819 coming under Lamoriello's reign with the New Jersey Devils.
The Islanders, meanwhile, underwent radical change since that night, with Lamoriello departing and Mathieu Darche arriving as the new general manager. Darche made it clear that the organization was thrilled with Eiserman as a prospect back in November.
The emphasis from Draft night became clear: Eiserman can score in bundles, but in order to become an impact NHLer, he'd need to improve his overall game, both away from the puck and making plays.
His freshman season was a smashing success. The Terriers went to the National Championship Game. Eiserman scored 25 goals and 36 points in 39 games, but scouts noted he needed a bit more focus away from the puck.
Eiserman himself said that it was a struggle at times during his adjustment to the NCAA, while noting it got better as the season went on. Then came the first Islanders' Development Camp since before the Lamoriello years, and all Eiserman did was lead.
"I’m just trying to play with pace," Eiserman told Stefen Rosner and The Elmonters. "[I'm] trying to bump up the intensity, stuff like that, trying to be a good leader. I want to prove I can be a leader, prove I can do [fill a leadership role]. I want to just start the foundation now.”
His leadership at camp became clear, and that character in him only became more pronounced when Boston University named him an alternate captain.
All this build-up leads to this season, when Eiserman was backed to continue to develop and light up the scoreboard, with Boston University expected to be one of the best teams in the country.
Eiserman set goals for himself to be a leader, and he earned a letter. He knew from the Islanders' Development Camp that he'd need to continue to work on his all-around game, something that's a huge focus for anyone in Pandolfo's program.
Eiserman started red-hot, scoring six goals and eight points in the Terriers' first six games. Then came Saturday, October 25. Eiserman smashed hard into the boards, with an extremely ugly-looking injury.
Eiserman miraculously missed less than a month, but was not himself. He played fewer minutes, and only scored two goals and four points in the seven games before World Juniors.
At World Juniors, the USA once again made Eiserman more of a depth forward, but he made his mark anyway. He scored two goals and three points in five games.
Eiserman's ice time has not been what it was, with BU head coach often playing Eiserman in more of a third-line role. Eiserman averaged around 21 minutes a game.
Since his return from World Juniors, he's averaged a bit above 16 minutes per game, a huge dip.
BU went 7-6-1 with Eiserman playing heavy minutes. With him out or playing in this new limited minutes role, BU's gone 7-9-1. Eiserman, with his 13 goals, leads the team. His 20 points are second on the team, only trailing Cole Hutson, a defenseman.
That alone should tell you Eiserman's got clear value. Between his injury and World Junior's, Eiserman had a midseason dip.
In his first 12 games for BU after injury, Eiserman posted just two goals and five points. Those games were split by his trip to World Juniors, but the trend's clear.
Eiserman has posted five goals and seven points in his last eight games, and he's looked much more like himself. He's even added a significant touch of playmaking, as evidenced by this jaw-dropping assist:
If you just read his stats, you'd think something's gone terribly wrong. One season after a smashing 25 goals and 36 points, production has dipped.
But a bad lower-body injury that Eiserman fought through, along with more limited minutes and a significantly heavier focus on defensive play, and it all falls into place.
A player's value can be calculated in any number of ways, and Eiserman's this year goes well beyond the scoreboard.
Eiserman and the Terriers take on James Hagens and Boston College next weekend, their next two games.
The Terriers only have three games left in the regular season, and short of a miracle conference tournament run, will not make it to postseason play.
That would give Eiserman time to talk with everyone involved in his development process and take the next steps.
Those steps include the possibility to sign with the Islanders and join the Bridgeport Islanders for their final month of the season. He could hit the NCAA Transfer Portal and find another program if he and/or the Islanders feel anything stalled out at Boston University.
Most likely, Eiserman could simply return to the Terriers for another season, continuing to build on a very strong foundation and look to build toward one big junior year before joining the Islanders' organization next spring.
There is no wrong option. Contrary to what's been floated based purely on his statistics, there's more reason to argue this year's been a success.
The ability to fight through a tough injury and still show out at World Juniors in a reduced minutes role, while Boston University's season spiralled out of control.
Eiserman showed amazing character all season long, perhaps best exemplified by the viral moment when Hutson suffered a terrifying injury at the World Juniors Tournament.
Eiserman knelt down and held Hutson's hand, offering support while Hutson received medical attention.
Eiserman's a special person, with immense talent. This season has not been one about smashing goals in left and right. No, this season's been about two things, the two things Eiserman said it would be about last July:
Leadership and hard work.