Buffalo Sabres’ 2024 NHL Draft Target: Cole Eiserman – Hockey Writers – NHL Entry Draft

Scoring goals in the NHL is a tough thing to do. For that reason, a premium is placed on players who can’t do it regularly. For the Buffalo Sabres, scoring has felt like an uphill battle in nearly every game in the 2023-24 season.

For that reason, they should at least take a long look at Cole Eiserman and 11^th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He is one of the most divisive prospects in this draft.

Eiserman’s Power Test

There was a time when Eiserman was considered the clear number two behind Macklin Celebrini. However, this past year, his draft stock has taken a huge hit and some feel he may fall out of the top 10 altogether.

Related: Sabres’ 2024 NHL Draft Target: Carter Yakemchuk

One thing that jumps out about Eiserman is his shooting. He is one of the top scorers in the history of the US National Development Program and has proven beyond doubt that he has the most dangerous shot of any prospect in this year’s draft.

Despite being relatively small in size — 6 feet, 190 pounds — he’s not afraid to mix it up around the boards. His level of competition and willingness to get dirty is something the Sabers could use a lot.

What Can Eiserman Do?

The knock on Eiserman’s game is definitely there, though. First of all, he is not an amazing publisher in any sense of the word. He’s good in almost every way but he doesn’t have the kind of speed that can push a game and make him dangerous in transition.

His acting could also be a lot better. He is very good at putting pressure on the goalkeeper by shooting from any angle, but he needs to use his teammates better. Even great scorers know that their teammates have to be dangerous if they are going to get the room they need.

In the end, his hockey IQ leaves a lot to be desired. That can improve with age and experience, but the best young players seem to think a step or two ahead of the competition. The good thing is that almost all of these things can be fixed with time and development.

Where is Eiserman Fit?

Eiserman needs time to develop and that would be a good thing for the team and the player. He has the ability to score a lot of goals, but his whole game needs work. Finding consistency as a linebacker and more explosiveness as a skater is a must.

If he does lose steam, Eiserman could develop into a top player with 40-goal potential. He has enough mud to make the Sabers strong against him, which is on the wish list to be fixed this summer.

Natural scorers don’t grow on trees. Eiserman knows he can score anywhere at any time. His skill level is high enough that he can slot in as a top six player and provide good production as a shooter.

Projecting Eiserman’s Career in Buffalo

The Sabers are in a unique position where they can take the best player available. Whether it’s Eiserman, Berkly Catton, Carter Yakemchuk, or someone else remains to be seen. Landing a prospect at that level would certainly be a nice feather in an already stacked prospect pool.

With an abundance of forward prospects in the system, one would think a trade should be coming. Isak Rosen, Jiri Kulich, and Matt Savoie are already knocking on the door to be ready for everyday play.

If things move well with his development, it wouldn’t be out of place to see Eiserman at the top with Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. Playing with guys like that who can get him a pack, Eiserman can definitely score the 40 goals everyone knows he has.

In time, he could become a one-dimensional player with a high ceiling as a scorer. He needs to work on seeing the ice and making better use of his teammates in his short-term development.