Islanders’ Eiserman & Bednarik’s Bromance Barzal & Beauvillier’s Memoir – The Hockey Writers –
When the New York Islanders selected teammates and Boston University-bound Cole Eiserman and Kamil Bednarik in the 2024 NHL Draft, fans’ memories quickly returned to the 2015 NHL Draft. In 2015, the team selected best friends Matt Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier with their first two picks before developing into solid NHL athletes. This does not mean that Eiserman and Bednarik are guaranteed to develop into what Barzal and Beauvillier became, it is fun to compare the two “bromances” as they share many similarities.
Barzal’s friendship with Beauvillier
In 2018, Barzal and Beauvillier sat down with NHL.com’s Cory Wright for an interview. The two talked about how they didn’t get along at Team Canada’s under-18 development camp and Beauvillier helped pack Barzal’s suitcase after he was injured. From there, they became friends and moved up to the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Months later, both were drafted by the Islanders in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft and “jumped into each other’s arms when they met on the orange and blue court” following Beauvillier’s 28th pick.
Barzal and Beauvillier both attended NHL camps together in the summer of 2015 and made Team Canada’s under-18s at the 2016 World Juniors the following season. The year after that, Beauvillier made the NHL roster while Barzal returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds. However, their time apart did not last long.
Related: Islanders Drafting Cole Eiserman Was Best Case Scenario
Barzal made the NHL roster the following season, going on to score 22 goals and 85 points en route to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy. Alongside Beauvillier, the duo spent the next five seasons on Long Island, making two deep playoff runs in the 2020 and 2021 Playoffs. When Beauvillier was traded for Bo Horvat at the 2023 Trade Deadline, his friendship with Barzal played a major role in advancing each of their NHL careers.
History of Eiserman and Bednarik Together
Since Eiserman and Bednarik only played for the United States Developmental Program (NTDP) instead of a major CHL team, they received little media attention. However, from what we know, they share a strong bond. Bednarik has focused on Eiserman for the better part of their two seasons with NTDP, and both have committed to Boston University for the 2024-25 season.
While Eiserman was the No. 1 pick, when Bednarik heard his name called at the end of the 2nd round the next day, Eiserman was one of the first to congratulate him. It was captured on video by the Islanders media staff, the two got emotional when they revealed how proud they were of each other. The two expressed their gratitude and excitement to join the Islanders, and now they will begin their development journey together. All of this was in public, so one can only imagine how they felt when they met each other in person for the first time.
Eiserman and Bednarik’s Careers Project
While Eiserman and Bednarik may share the bromance of Barzal and Beauvillier, they still have a lot of work to do to reach their NHL level. Bednarik turned 18 a few weeks ago, while Eiserman is only 17 years old. The two are likely to start multiple seasons at Boston University and need some work in the American Hockey League before reaching the NHL. However, if development goes well, both could surpass Barzal and Beauvillier as NHL stars.
Eiserman’s production speaks for itself. By setting the NTDP all-time scoring record with 127 and finishing second in points with 193, he puts himself in the same conversation as NHL stars Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Clayton Keller, and Matthew Boldy. These are high expectations for a 17-year-old, but there’s no reason to believe Eiserman can’t reach them. If development goes well at Boston University, Eiserman could see the NHL as early as 2026, and could peak as a 40+ goal, 80+ point winger for the Islanders.
Bednarik’s height is not that high, but he can still satisfy the team’s need. As a left center, Bednarik shines in the defensive aspect of the game. He’s a strong skater with a wide reach, and he’s not afraid to use his 6-foot frame when needed. He’s not a physical player, but he’s also not afraid to hit, so he could develop into a Casey Cizikas-like offensive-faced player if he puts on some weight.
The comparison between Bednarik and Cizikas is the role he plays, not what you see on the ice. Cizikas throws the body more and is a better skater, but Bednarik has the upper hand with his shooting and vision. I would imagine that Bednarik’s production is similar to Cizikas’ 2018-19 season where he scored 20 goals in 73 games. Bednarik will be a middle-six center who plays on the penalty kill and sometimes plays on the power play while producing north of 15 goals and 40 points per season.
Bednarik’s upside may be close to 20+ goals and 55+ points, but his floor is what counts. Of course, fans want to see a quality player at any point in the draft, but getting Bednarik’s maturity and technical style of hockey late in the second round was a good decision by the Islanders.
While it’s fun to set expectations for your favorite team’s selection, it’s important to stay realistic. Eiserman and Bednarik have a lot of work to do if they want to reach NHL glory, so Islanders fans shouldn’t get too excited, just yet. However, there is much to be excited about and it will be fun to follow their journey from college to professional hockey.
Source link
