When the New York Islanders selected teammates and Boston University-commits Cole Eiserman and Kamil Bednarik at the 2024 NHL Draft, fans’ memories immediately returned to the 2015 NHL Draft. In 2015, the team chose best friends Mat Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier with their first two selections before they developed into strong NHL forwards. Eiserman and Bednarik have a lot of work left to develop into NHLers like Barzal and Beauvillier, but it is fun to compare “bromances” since they share many parallels.
Barzal and Beauvillier’s Friendship
In 2018, Barzal and Beauvillier sat down with NHL.com’s Cory Wright for an interview. The two discuss how they were roommates at Team Canada’s Under-18 development camp and Beauvillier helped pack Barzal’s suitcase following an injury. From there, they became friends and rose the ranks in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Months later, both were drafted by the Islanders in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft and “jumped into each other’s arms when they met on the concourse in orange and blue” following Beauvillier’s selection at 28.
Barzal and Beauvillier both attended their first NHL camps together in the 2015 summer and made Team Canada as 18-year-olds for the 2016 World Juniors the next season. The year after that, Beauvillier made the NHL roster while Barzal returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds. However, their time apart did not last long.
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Barzal made the NHL roster the following season, proceeding to score 22 goals and 85 points en route to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy. Alongside Beauvillier, the two spent the next five seasons on Long Island, making two deep playoff runs in the 2020 and 2021 Playoffs. While Beauvillier was traded for Bo Horvat at the 2023 Trade Deadline, his friendship with Barzal played a key role in the development of each of their NHL careers.
Eiserman and Bednarik’s History Together
Since Eiserman and Bednarik have only played for the United States Developmental Program (NTDP) instead of a major CHL team, they have received less media attention. However, from what we do know, they share a tight bond. Bednarik has centered Eiserman for the better part of their two seasons with the NTDP, and they are both committed to Boston University for the 2024-25 season.
While Eiserman was a Round 1 pick, when Bednarik heard his name at the end of Round 2 the following day, Eiserman was one of the first to congratulate him. Caught on video by Islanders’ media personnel, the two got emotional while expressing how proud they were of one another. The two have expressed their gratitude and excitement to join the Islanders, and they are now set to embark on their developmental journeys together. This was all in public, so one can only imagine how emotional they were once they saw one another in person for the first time.
Projecting Eiserman and Bednarik’s Careers
While Eiserman and Bednarik may share the bromance of Barzal and Beauvillier, they still have a lot of work to reach their NHL caliber. Bednarik turned 18 years old a few weeks ago, and Eiserman is still just 17 years old. The two are likely to embark on multiple seasons at Boston University and need some work in the American Hockey League before reaching the NHL. However, if development goes right, the two could surpass Barzal and Beauvillier as NHL stars.
Eiserman’s production speaks for itself. By setting the NTDP’s all-time goals record of 127 and finishing second in points with 193, he puts himself in the same conversation as NHL stars Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Clayton Keller, and Matthew Boldy. These are lofty expectations for a 17-year-old, but there is no reason to believe Eiserman cannot reach them. If development goes well at Boston University, Eiserman could see the NHL as early as 2026, and he could peak as a 40+ goal, 80+ point winger on the Islanders.
Bednarik’s upside is not as high, but he could still satisfy a team need. As a left-handed center, Bednarik shines in the defensive aspect of the game. He is a strong skater with a wide reach, and he is not afraid to leverage his 6-foot frame when needed. He is not a physical player, but he is also not afraid to hit, either, so he can develop into a player like Casey Cizikas with more offensive upside if he puts on some weight.
Bednarik’s comparison to Cizikas is the role he plays, not necessarily what you see on the ice. Cizikas throws the body around a lot and is a better skater, but Bednarik possesses a higher upside with his shot and vision. I would think of Bednarik’s production is similar to Cizikas’ 2018-19 season where he scored 20 goals in 73 games. Bednarik will develop into a middle-six center who plays on the penalty kill and occasionally powerplay while producing north of 15 goals and 40 points per season.
Bednarik’s upside may be closer to 20+ goals and 55+ points, but his floor is what matters. Of course, fans want to see a player with a high upside at any point in the draft, but getting a player with Bednarik’s maturity and professional style of hockey at the end of the second round was a great decision by the Islanders.
While it is fun to put lofty expectations on your favorite team’s draft picks, it is important to stay realistic. Eiserman and Bednarik have a lot of work left if they want to reach NHL stardom, so Islanders fans should not get too excited, yet. However, there is a lot to be happy about and it will be exciting to follow their journey from college to professional hockey.
