Cole Eiserman's elite asset is almost unexplainable — his old coaches dish on what sets him apart
But ask different coaches what exactly makes Eiserman's shot so tough to stop, and the theories will vary. There is no consensus.
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Tim Kyrkostas, one of Eiserman's youth coaches in the Boston area, pointed to an 'understanding of the concept of time and space.'
Kyrkostas — who has also coached NHLers Shayne Gostisbehere, Jakob Chychrun and Brandon Duhaime at the youth level — compared Eiserman's hockey sense to Matthew Tkachuk.
'Matthew knows how to see and find the soft areas and get open down near the net,' Kyrkostas said. 'I think Cole's demonstrated that.'
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Others believe it's Eiserman's release that separates him from his peers.
Mike Busconi, who coached Eiserman in eighth grade, said he thinks it all comes down to core strength, which enables Eiserman to get more torque behind his shot.
'He's 6-foot-1, 190 pounds,' Busconi said. 'But I bet if you compare him with other 6-1, 190-pound kids, he's in the top percentile in physical strength.'
Cole Eiserman runs a drill during the Islanders' developmental camp on June 30, 2025.
Heather Khalifa for New York Post
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Eiserman, selected with the 20th pick in the 2024 draft, is coming off a 25-goal freshman season at Boston University, which lost to Western Michigan in the national championship game in April.
U.S. National Team Development Program head coach Nick Fohr and Peter Morris, Eiserman's old peewee coach, agreed on their assessment: it's all in the hands.
'For me, it's a release thing,' Fohr said. 'It just happens quicker than what people are used to. The puck's already off his stick in a lot of cases when it wouldn't be off somebody else's, and it's to the goalie before he realizes it's there.'
Cole Eiserman, who was with Boston University, scores a goal against Penn State during a game last season.
Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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Morris agreed, adding that Eiserman has learned how to optimize his stick's kick point, the flex or bend that generates power during a shot.
'It's not a slow buildup,' Morris said. 'His bottom hand really leans into it. It's short, it's quick, it's explosive.'
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Eiserman, himself, doesn't have an explanation. He sees his shot as a 'God-given gift' that he's spent years perfecting. And he plans to keep working at it.
'I care about it so much. I like to call it my superpower,' Eiserman said. 'I realized that at a pretty young age, and then decided just to work on it, because I've always been gifted with it.'
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