Draft 2024: Cole Eiserman out of Grant McCagg’s top-10

The 2024 draft is very promising. Many fine young players will hear their names called next June.

Apart from Macklin Celebrini at number one, there’s no real consensus among the experts. Even the identity of the top-3 is not set in stone.

And in that vain, a guy who’s in the top-3 of several mock drafts isn’t even in former Habs scout Grant McCagg’s top-10. The guy’s name is Cole Eiserman.

Yesterday on the Sick Podcast, McCagg revealed his top-20, and the young goal scorer is ranked 12th.

Here are the top 20 prospects in the upcoming draft, according to him :

No surprise at #1 with Celebrini, who, as I’ve already mentioned, is everyone’s number one.

According to McCagg, Ivan Demidov is probably the best offensive player of the auction and deserves to be second.

But as for Eiserman, the reason he fell is his play away from the puck. According to the former Habs employee, there are many questions about him. After all, he’s a goal scorer and likes to score, obviously. His passing and defensive play aren’t necessarily assets that make him a top-10 player. But at the same time, is it really the end of the world?

The aim of the game is to score goals… His case reminds me a little of Cole Caufield’s in that he’s a natural scorer who could go down in the draft. As in 2019, could this descent benefit the Habs?

If the draft were to start today (and lottery logic were respected), Montreal would select seventh. According to Tankathon, Konsta Helenius would be available there, but McCagg’s list would make a right-handed defenseman from Calgary the ideal choice.

By the way, ranks 4 to 9 are all defensemen, a position Kent Hughes wouldn’t necessarily prioritize adding to his already crowded backline.

Note that in the Processus podcast hosted by Mathias Brunet and Simon Boisvert, the two hadn’t closed the door on selecting a defenseman and trading him later.

The simplest option (so as not to give the youngster false hope): trade the pick and draft later. After all, if Hughes and his group are certain of being able to draft a forward in their sights a few rows down the line, why not take on additional value via trade?

One thing’s for sure, if Eiserman is available where the Habs are going to draft (other than top-3), he’s the player to select. In several years, he could prove to be a steal, especially if he improves his defensive game… like Caufield.

After all, in an “ordinary” draft, the American, who is commited to Boston University, could easily be selected in the top-5, said McCagg.

In bursts

– To be continued.

– Legend.

Ceric hat trick Paquette ! Second hatty in a month! pic.twitter.com/hz71pmUbJu

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– A beautiful moment.

WATCH Auston Matthews unveils his “secret weapon” https://t.co/mk1Bx4xaOn

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– Great story.

– The match will still go ahead.

– I can imagine.

Mbappé’s future, an endless saga https://t.co/QBIANK9nJA

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