It’s a quandary, with the captain of the Kraken Jordan Eberle in a somewhat difficult position.
His top priority is to win the Stanley Cup, as it should be. He turns 36 in May and hasn’t yet hoisted hockey’s ultimate prize. His present hockey team isn’t going to win it.
Will they win it in the next four or five years, a fair estimate of his remaining longevity in the NHL? Nothing is impossible of course, but as they say in England; “not bloody likely”. He knows it, and we know it, and the club knows it: his best chance of winning the Cup is with an established contender looking for savvy, veteran help.
So, with no contract talks ongoing for the pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) — he’s referred to it as “things are status quo” — it’s Eberle who will be placed in the most difficult of positions. Sure, it’s Kraken management who will have to ultimately make the deal, but with a full no-trade clause, it will be the captain and his agent Craig Oster getting together to figure out what’s next.
If the club’s on the playoff bubble after the Winter Olympic break, the Kraken might think they’d be forced to keep him around just in case they’ve got a shot at the postseason. They shouldn’t for two big reasons: They can’t let him walk as a UFA this summer without getting anything in return, and a non-playoff finish or an early postseason departure doesn’t do anyone any good.
Does he stick around and sign a one-year deal after the season to see how things develop or would that just be postponing the inevitable? The NHL consensus in this situation; the player has to put himself first.
Fortunately Eberle’s in a market with very little pressure and he wouldn’t be treated as a villain if and when he departed. The flip side of that, management might be treated as villains by a fan base that doesn’t understand the finer points of roster building. Trading the captain from a playoff team looks like horrible PR, but the deal would garner a decent return, a return that could help make Seattle an actual contender.
The key here is communication: honest, practical communication between Kraken management and their captain.
Could he wander off as a ‘rental’ for a Stanley Cup contender this March and at some point make his way back to the Kraken? Again, not likely, and often a faithful NHL fan’s pipe dream. It all depends how that rental thing goes and where the hockey gods take him next season and beyond. His wife and young family love Seattle, so he might end up in the Emerald City at some point whether he’s playing or not.
Things are less complicated for the other Kraken UFA’s. Jaden Schwartz is 33-years-old, but he already has a Stanley Cup win with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. We can presume he wouldn’t mind another and at the same time there’s no pressure to keep him.
Eeli Tolvanen is only 26 and might want to cash in this summer, barring a fat offer from his current club. If they can’t get together on an agreement, Seattle will have to send him packing.
Big D-man Jamie Oleksiak will be moved regardless. The 33-year old’s value has diminished for the long term, but he’d be a desirable addition for a 2026 Cup contender looking for some physical D-depth this spring.
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Dreams Are Still Alive; Capitals Crushed 5-1
