A week ago, Jordan Eberle took a hard slam into the boards during a Nov. 14 game where the Seattle Kraken hosted the Chicago Blackhawks. Since then, fans have been left in the dark as to the extent of his injury and when they can expect him to return to the Kraken lineup. Finally, the Kraken took to social media to share that Eberle underwent pelvis surgery and will be out for at least the next three months.
Update on #SeaKraken Captain Jordan Eberle: pic.twitter.com/2M8fI0WCf3
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) November 22, 2024
Newly named the captain for the Kraken, this is a huge loss for the team. It calls to question who will fill in while Eberle is recovering, as well as who will be called up from the Coachella Valley Firebirds in order to fill in the space that he leaves.
Eberle’s Performance in the 2024-25 Season
Before the injury, Eberle played in 17 games. He recorded six goals and five assists for a total of 11 points.
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These numbers are low, yet Eberle has the second-highest number of goals scored at this moment. He is three goals below Jared McCann, who has recorded nine. He is also the fifth-highest on the team in total points scored.
Who Will Step up for Eberle?
Down the captain of the team for an extended period of time, one of the alternate captains will need to step up and take on the role. When the announcement came out that Eberle was named the second captain of the Kraken, four members of the team were also named the alternates.
Three of the players were also alternates when the first captain, Mark Giordano, was a part of the team. Jaden Schwartz, Yanni Gourde, and Adam Larsson once again wear the honorary “A” on their chest. The fourth player to earn the honor has not had the opportunity for the team in the past, and that is Matty Beniers. The youngest player of the four, he has been with the Kraken since the beginning of the team, spending all four years of his NHL career with them so far. However, it seems more likely that one of the more seasoned of the four players will step up in Eberle’s absence.
Both Schwartz and Larsson have been in the league since the 2011-12 season. Gourde has been in the league since 2015-16. Although he has been in the league less than Schwartz and Larsson, it is Gourde who has been more consistent for the Kraken in making plays. He has earned 136 points throughout the four seasons he has been on the team with seven of them being earned this season.
Gourde has been off to a slow start this season, but if the Kraken decide to set a captain in place of Eberle for the time being, he has the best chance of the four for the leadership position from a scoring perspective.
Who Will the Kraken Bring up?
As of now, Ben Meyers of the Firebirds is up from California to help out Seattle in Eberle’s absence. He has appeared in two NHL games so far this season but has earned no points to show for it. For the Firebirds, he has played in 11 games. He has earned eight points with two goals and six assists.
There has been a more impressive forward in Coachella Valley, however. Ryan Winterton was called up to Seattle but only played one game during the regular season with the Kraken. Since then, he has earned 11 points in a span of 13 games with the Firebirds. He scored five goals and earned six assists. He also has the luxury of being familiar with the coaching staff. Since Dan Blysma and Jessica Campbell were the coaches for the Firebirds last season, he has experience working under them. It might be time to make another call.
