Buffalo Sabers 2024 Draft Target: Cole Eiserman – The Hockey Writers – NHL Draft

Scoring goals in the NHL is a difficult thing to do. For this reason, a bonus is given to players who can do this with regularity. For the Buffalo Sabres, scoring goals was an uphill battle in virtually every game during the 2023-24 season.

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

Assessing Eiserman’s Strengths

There was a time when Eiserman was considered number two behind Macklin Celebrini. Last year, however, his draft stock took a hit and some believe he could fall out of the top 10 altogether.

Related: Sabres’ 2024 NHL Draft Goals: Carter Yakemchuk

The one thing that stands out about Eiserman is his shooting. He is one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the United States National Development Program and has consistently proven that he possesses arguably the most dangerous shot of any prospect in this year’s draft class .

Although he’s relatively average size – 6 feet and 190 pounds – he’s not afraid to mix things up along the boards. His level of competition and willingness to get dirty is something the Sabers could use a lot more of.

What can Eiserman work on?

However, the knocks on Eiserman’s game are definitely there. For starters, he’s not a fantastic skater in any sense of the word. He’s okay in almost every way, but doesn’t have the kind of speed that can push the play and make it dangerous in transition.

His game could also be much better. He is excellent at putting pressure on the goalkeeper by shooting from all angles, but he needs to use his teammates better. Even great scorers know that their teammates must pose a threat if they want to get the space they need.

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

Where is Eiserman located?

Eiserman needs time to develop and that can be a good thing for both the team and the player. He potentially has elite scoring ability, but the rest of his game needs work. Finding consistency as a playmaker and becoming more explosive as a skater is a must.

If he succeeds, Eiserman could become a top player with 40-goal potential. He has enough dirt to make the Sabers tougher to play against, which is on the list of things to fix this summer.

Natural scorers do not grow on trees. Eiserman knows he can score anywhere and at any time. His skillset is of a high enough level that he can be a top-six forward and provide excellent production as a sniper.

Projecting Eiserman’s career in Buffalo

The Sabers are in a unique position where they can actually draft the best player available. It remains to be seen whether it will be Eiserman, Berkly Catton, Carter Yakemchuk or someone else. Getting a prospect at this level would certainly be a nice feather in the cap for an already stacked prospect pool.

With a glut of prospects in the system, one would think a trade needs to happen. Isak Rosen, Jiri Kulich and Matt Savoie are already knocking on the door to be ready to play on a daily basis.

If things go well with his development, it wouldn’t be impossible to see Eiserman on the top line with Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson. By playing with guys like him who can get him the puck, Eiserman could definitely reach the 40-goal potential that everyone knows he has.

Long term, he could be something of a one-dimensional player with a high ceiling as a scorer. He needs to work on seeing the ice and better utilizing his teammates in his short-term development.