Eiserman, ‘the best goal scorer in this draft,’ an option for Flyers? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Despite overachieving for the majority of the 2023-24 season, the Flyers still have a rebuilding mindset. The club’s decision-makers know there’s a need for more talent and that the entry draft remains the best avenue to acquire it.
“The bulk of it still needs to be done through our young guys, mostly through the draft,” general manager Danny Briere said in April.
The Flyers will have a good opportunity to augment their future when the 2024 NHL draft arrives June 28-29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Like last summer, the Flyers have 10 picks, including two first-rounders. Barring a trade, they’ll make their top overall selection at No. 12. Briere believes the Flyers “can get a very talented player” at that spot.
In the first round of the 2023 draft, the Flyers took a swing on Matvei Michkov at No. 7 and grabbed Oliver Bonk at No. 22. They should also have two first-round picks in 2025.
Leading up to the 2024 draft, we’re breaking down targets for the Flyers at No. 12.
Next up:
Cole Eiserman
Position: Winger
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 197
Shoots: Left
Team: USNTDP
Scouting report
A bona-fide sniper, Eiserman scored 58 goals in 57 games this season for the U.S. national U-18 team. He finished with 89 points and a plus-23 rating, while 25 of his goals came on the power play.
The 17-year-old set a U.S. national team development program record with 127 career goals, more than names like Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel and Cole Caufield. And he doesn’t turn 18 until the end of August.
Eiserman’s shot is considered second to none in the draft. With an NHL release, he puts the puck where he wants it to go and at top speed.
“I think he’s the best goal scorer in this draft class, period,” Dan Marr, the vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said two and a half weeks ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Goal scoring is a premium at the NHL level, he went through the year and ended up with 58 goals. Teams know what he can bring.”
There’s reasonable concern about why Eiserman’s stock dipped on scouting services over the course of the season. He has work to do on his overall game and will need to prove he’s not just a one-trick pony, that he can impact a team in multiple ways.
He went from a No. 8 midterm mark among North American skaters to No. 12…