From October to March, the greater Boston area is littered with college hockey games. Last weekend, the University of Michigan Wolverines headed east to play the fifth-ranked Boston University Terriers. On Friday night in the game I witnessed live, Michigan clawed back from a 1–0 deficit and scored five third-period goals to win 5–1. On Saturday, the Wolverines completed a weekend sweep with a 5–4 overtime win.
It was a big test for both clubs and it was fun to get a look at Chicago Blackhawks prospect and 57th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Ryan Greene, on Friday. Equally as enticing to watch were BU’s highly touted freshman, Cole Eiserman, the New York Islanders’ 20th overall pick in 2024, and Michigan’s Michael Hage, 21st overall to the Montreal Canadiens — both of which some Chicago Blackhawks fans feel General Manager Kyle Davidson unwisely passed over when he picked Sacha Boisvert with the 18th overall pick in June.
Ryan Greene
Let’s start with Greene. What’s to like about Greene’s game that he showcased on Friday is his positioning. He is a center, not one who will be a huge point-producing player at the NHL level, but also not one where there will be questions about if he is a better fit at center or wing. He is a natural pivot, responsible in both ends of the ice, can kill penalties and is on the first-team power-play unit for the Terriers. The BU captain tallied 36 points in 40 games in the 2023–24 season that saw the Terriers reach the Frozen Four. For Greene’s NHL prospectus, his ceiling is likely a third- or fourth-line center whose primary objective is puck control and not to get scored against. Sure, he may be able to chip in offensively at the NHL level, and most bottom-six forwards in the NHL do a lot of scoring in their college years, if they come from the NCAA ranks. Where he struggled a bit on Friday night and through the weekend was in the faceoff circle, particularly in his own zone. That said, this is something that all centers need to focus on, but for Greene, considering how he projects, this could be an integral ingredient to his ultimate success in the NHL. Still, he is a good prospect. He may or may not pan out, but there is a like about him.
Cole Eiserman
This time last year, Eiserman began to drop on draft boards. In June of 2023, he was projected to be a top-two pick in the 2024 draft, potentially even first overall, and then as his season with the U.S. National Development Team progressed, he began sliding as questions around his overall game began to surface. After being picked by the Islanders, some thought Davidson missed his shot to snag this elusive offensive talent and potentially a long-term sidekick for Connor Bedard. Maybe, maybe not, but if you were paying close attention on Friday night to the previous weekend’s Hockey East Player of the Week, you can see why many GMs balked in the first round. Eiserman scored a power-play goal and is an extremely gifted offensive player. When he has the puck, he is absolutely electric. Yet, when he is away from the puck, it is somewhat of an issue. Often on Friday, BU was pinned in their own zone when he was on the ice and three times he was caught out there for a two-plus-minute shift when his team had to ice the puck and he was unable to make a change. For the most part, Michigan had their way with the Terriers at even strength when Eiserman was on the ice. His body language when things were not going how he wanted was also questionable, and with the Wolverines up 2–1 in the third period, he took an unnecessary slashing penalty behind the play, leading to Michigan’s third goal of the night. Now, the story on Eiserman is far from complete and he could go on to be a tremendous NHL talent. He will score a ton at BU and perhaps some day in the NHL. At the same time, when you are bringing a young team along and you notice some red flags, if you can find players where that is not an issue, that is not a bad thing. So, I would not question the passing up on Eiserman by Davidson in the least.
There are noticeable reasons why Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson elected not to choose the offensively gifted Cole Eiserman with Chicago’s 18th overall pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft. (Photo courtesy of Boston University Athletics)
Michael Hage
The local Chicago Steel product was someone who was very intriguing for the Hawks with the 18th pick and could be a “steal” (pun intended) for the Montreal Canadiens. The teenager is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward and has a strong lower frame. His stride is powerful, hands great in tight, wins draws and can play in all situations. Did the Hawks miss on this one, maybe, but all of that depends on how he and others, including Boisvert, pan out, and we will not know this or be able to judge it for a long time.
Sacha Boisvert, Adam Gajan, Aidan Thompson
On to Boisvert. While I have yet to watch him closely and have only seen a highlight or two, he does have seven points in seven games for North Dakota thus far, which is…well, good, if not great. A real test lies ahead for him in his next four games when North Dakota heads to Minnesota Duluth this weekend for a two-game set and then host the No. 1 Denver Pioneers the following weekend. We will know a lot more about Boivert after seeing that competition. And if you want to check out other Hawks prospects in those tilts, Adam Gajan, the Slovakian netminder taken 35th overall in the 2023 draft, is 3–3 thus far for the UMD Bulldogs with a .900 save percentage. For the Pioneers, Aidan Thompson, 2024 NCAA champion and Chicago’s third-round pick (90th overall) in 2022, is currently leading the country in scoring with six goals and nine assists for the top-ranked Pioneers. The 22-year-old in his third season with DU is a major factor on their club this season.
Chicago Blackhawks prospect and 2024 first-round pick (18th overall) Sacha Boisvert has produced at a point-per-game rate in his first seven games at the University of North Dakota. (Photo courtesy of Grand Forks Herald)
The Blackhawks have a number of players worth checking out in the NCAA ranks and these are but a few, but for those wondering if Davidson has been meticulous for who he has and has not chosen to draft, evidence suggests he has been doing his homework. As always with some prospects taken late in the first round and later, some will work out and some will not, but the Hawks’ pool of prospects is solid and deep, particularly in the NCAA ranks.