Cole Eiserman is the 2024 NHL Draft’s biggest wild card

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

USNTDP forward Cole Eiserman is slated to be picked in the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas next month.

Today on Daily Faceoff Live, prospect analyst Steven Ellis explained why Eiserman is this year’s biggest wild card and talked about his new top-80 draft rankings. Eiserman was ranked No. 10 on Ellis’s draft rankings board.

Frank Seravalli: Who on your list has fallen the farthest?

Steven Ellis: For me, it’s Ryerson Leenders.

Frank Seravalli: Wow, not Cole Eiserman?

Steven Ellis: Nope, not Cole Eiserman. I’m still going high on him, I really believe in Eiserman. I think that a lot fo the defensive issues are not as bad as people make it seem. Getting to watch him up close and in person this year really made me think that I still believe in Eiserman. You’re not going to pay him in the NHL to be a defensive player, you’re paying him to score goals and he’s the best prospect at the draft to do that.

Frank Seravalli: So who is the biggest wildcard in this draft?

Steven Ellis: I think it’s got to be Cole Eiserman. If I’m Montreal, and this might be a hot take, but I’m taking a chance on Eiserman at No. 5. I know I’m probably alone on that but again you have that shot and you’re not going to see guys replicate that. From talking to scouts at the U-18’s, they see Eiserman’s deficiencies like a lot of the public, saying “he doesn’t do a whole lot defensively” but you saw Connor Bedard this year not play a whole lot of defense but was still really effective. I’m not comparing the two, but you can massage a role like Eiserman to just go out there and be like “Hey, on the powerplay we’re just going to have you stand out there and fire shots” It’s going to work.

Steven Ellis: I think that was kind of the thing with Patrik Laine, then they tried to make him do too much over the past couple of years and it hasn’t done anything. If you just give that concentrated role to Eiserman I think he can score 40 goals no problem but again it’s about if a team wants a more rounded pick. I like betting on the upside and a guy like Eiserman who can score 50-60 goals a year, that’s who I am betting on.