While the New Jersey Devils’ season went significantly worse than expected, there appears to be a silver lining – they have the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. This year’s draft is a deep one. Thankfully, general manager Tom Fitzgerald and co. have built quite a positive reputation, managing to maximize their draft capital to the fullest.
Of course, there’s always a possibility of trading that pick to upgrade the roster. The Devils need a goaltender and help in other areas as well. In exit interviews, Fitzgerald said, “I’m not looking to give it away. But I’m also willing to use it (in a trade) if it helps us take the next level.”
If they keep the pick, there’s a decent chance that American-born winger Cole Eiserman will be available, and there’s no reason to overthink it…Eiserman is a slam-dunk pick who will add a crucial element to the future of the Devils’ core.
Eiserman: Prospect Profile
For starters, Eiserman recently passed Cole Caufield for most goals *all-time* by a member of the US National Team Development Program (USNTDP), potting 127 in 119 games. Players like Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes and Patrick Kane didn’t score nearly as many goals with the program as Eiserman.
Only Jack Hughes (228) has more all-time points in the USNTDP than Eiserman’s 193. It is a very similar situation to Caufield in the 2019 Draft, when he slipped to 15th overall. Caufield has now scored 20+ goals three times in the NHL, including a 65-point season with the Montreal Canadiens in 2023-24. Eiserman won’t turn 18 until almost two months after the draft, and compared to Caufield (5-foot-7, 174 pounds), Eiserman is five inches taller (6 feet) and 22 pounds heavier (196 pounds) and likely still growing.
Elite Prospects projects him to go 11th. Dobber Prospects projects him at 16th. Draft Prospects Hockey and TSN’s Bob McKenzie have him going top-five. Daily Faceoff has him seventh. Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino has him 12th. So, why is a player of his caliber a potential option at 10th – and why is there such a disparity in his draft position between analysts and scouts? The disagreement is due to his defensive efforts.
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The Hockey Writers’ draft analyst Peter Baracchini said, “You can’t deny the fact that he’s got a dangerous release and accuracy. However, there are some concerns with his off the puck play and (his) ability to be engaging can be very inconsistent.”
Jason Bukala of Sportsnet echoed the same sentiment: “He continues to lack consistency with his three-zone detail and effort. Late offensive zone exits, and some cheat defending his own zone, need to be cleaned up…”
While that is all true, the reality is that defense is typically an area that needs improvement for offensive-minded first-round draft picks. If his play were that egregious, it would leak into his offensive numbers. But he has scored over a goal a game for two years, something virtually nobody else has done. In those years with the program, he was a plus-59.
J. Hughes still is far from a defensive stalwart in the Devils’ lineup. Did anybody care when he scored 43 goals and 99 points in 2022-23? Not particularly. Here’s how I view it: the attention to detail on defense can be taught, and it will be drilled into him at Boston University, where he’s committed for next season. But being the highest-scoring USNTDP player of all time can’t be taught, and that’s what Eiserman is.
If we were talking about the second or third overall pick, then sure, the Devils should maybe think a little harder. But they can’t pass up on that project if Iserman falls to tenth. There may be a little stress based on the last pure goal scorer the Devils drafted, Alexander Holtz, who hasn’t gone exactly to plan. However, Holtz seems to have struggled due to a lack of pace and strength.
Cap Friendly currently has Eiserman’s skating rated at 90/100, hockey IQ at 88 and compete/consistency at 83. His “pace and skill are in place and project to first-line NHL upside”. That doesn’t seem wildly out of place for a top-ten pick.
Cap Friendly also has his “power play ability” rated at 100 and “shot ability” at 99. Furthermore, many scouts have touted his game for having a little sandpaper and not shying away from being physical when needed. If Eiserman becomes a main piece of the Devils’ core, it will be refreshing to get some of that grit from a player who isn’t in the bottom-six (aside from Timo Meier).
Timeline/Fit on Team
Some may argue that Eiserman doesn’t fit the Devils’ win-now window. I would argue that, instead, he will help to lengthen that window. The Devils will need to be really smart over the coming seasons, especially in such a tight salary cap situation. Eventually, they’ll need to give extensions to Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes, which likely won’t come cheap.
Eiserman’s entry-level contract (if he pans out as hoped) would be a true blessing for a team that will always be tight on cash with so many players locked up long-term. At number 10, it will be nearly impossible to grab a player who is NHL-ready, and frankly, with a full season of Meier, a healthy J. Hughes, a healthy Dougie Hamilton and (likely) a new number one goaltender, the Devils won’t have to rely on the player they draft being rushed to be successful.
Like Caufield, Eiserman will likely spend two seasons in college before turning pro. At that point, the Devils core will still be in their 20s — in fact, Simon Nemec, Luke Hughes, Seamus Casey, J. Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt will all be under 28. Now imagine adding one of the best pure goal scorers the United States of America has ever seen to that mix. There’s no reason to overthink it. Patience is a virtue, and if Eiserman is there, he needs to be snagged.
