In a departure from recent years, the New York Islanders made a selection with their first-round pick in 2024, taking 6’0, ~195lbs. left-shooting left wing Cole Eiserman out of the United States National Team Development Program.
He’s set to play at NCAA Boston University in 2024-25, where he’ll be coached by one-time Islander Jay Pandolfo. (Eiserman originally committed to Minnesota, but switched to Boston U. to return closer to family after his father’s cancer diagnosis.)
The Islanders did pretty well here for having the 20th overall pick in a draft that was seen to have a dropoff after around picks 10-12.