As the NHL regular season gets underway, the Seattle Kraken announced that Jordan Eberle is the team’s new captain. He is just the second captain in team history. The first captain was long-time NHLer Mark Giordano.
Eberle signed a two-year contract extension this offseason, keeping him with the up-and-coming Kraken team. The team lost its season opener on October 8th against the St. Louis Blues, but Eberle assisted on the team’s first goal of 2024-25.
The Eberle Experience
Eberle is a veteran player who has had a successful NHL career. He’s scored 25 goals multiple times and has been a consistent playoff performer. The former first-round pick spent his early days with the Edmonton Oilers. In those early days, Eberle was among the few bright spots for a depressing Oilers team in the early 2010s. He and Taylor Hall were the faces of the franchise until Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid arrived.
Eventually, Eberle was dealt to the New York Islanders. He was part of two deep playoff runs in New York, but the Islanders lost in the conference finals. Both of those losses happened against the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
A New Era for Eberle
Eberle came to the Kraken when they selected him in the 2021 expansion draft. The team was under a fair amount of pressure because no one knew what to expect. Ultimately, the team failed to make the playoffs in its first season.
However, the 2022-23 season changed things. With breakout performances from Jared McCann and Vince Dunn, the Kraken made their first-ever playoff appearance. Eberle played a key role in getting them there, putting up 63 points in 82 games. As the first round began, he scored the overtime winner in Game 4, which gave Seattle its first-ever home victory in the playoffs.
After a disappointing 2023-24 season, Eberle and the Kraken look to bounce back and make the playoffs.
Do you agree that Eberle was the best choice for the Kraken’s captain?
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