For four years, the New York Islanders didn’t own their first-round pick, with their first selection coming in the second round in 2020-2023.
2024 was the first time they owned their own first-round pick, and it was used on left wing Cole Eiserman, who was selected No. 20 overall. It was a good opportunity to restock the organizational pipeline with a high-upside player.
Two years later, Eiserman has remained one of the top prospects in the organization. However, his rank amongst his peers in the Class of 2024 has changed drastically. Islanders fans won’t be thrilled to see where he has landed in the re-draft of that year, done by Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required).
Selected No. 20 originally, Eiserman now comes in at No. 43. He has fallen into the “NHL prospect” tier, dropping from the “Middle of the lineup player” tier. It is certainly surprising to see him fall so far in the rankings, especially because, by all accounts, he has been progressing positively.
He had a productive season with Boston University, recording 28 points in 32 games, with 18 goals and 10 assists. Eiserman was even more productive the year before with 25 goals in 39 games, including scores in all of the Frozen Four Games.
The No. 20 pick got his feet wet as a pro, appearing in 12 games with the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. In his first taste of the professional ranks, he more than held his own, scoring two goals to go along with seven assists.
An elite shot creator and goal scorer, Eiserman has a chance to make the roster in training camp. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get some NHL action at some point during the 2026-27 campaign.
The drop in rankings is something that could certainly give him a chip on his shoulder. While certainly disappointing to drop, at least he is still on the list; the same cannot be said for some of the other New York draft picks.
After Eiserman, the Islanders had two selections to use in the second round. They selected Jesse Pulkkinen with the No. 54 pick and Kamil Bednarik at No. 61. Neither player is on the de-draft rankings, which go 86 players deep.
Alas, both still could have bright futures with the organization with some more time to develop. Pulkkinen has an uphill battle given how deep the team’s pipeline of defensemen is. Bednarik is only 20 and is growing into a role with Boston University himself.
