Kraken reach two-year contract extension with Jordan Eberle
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 24: Jordan Eberle #7 of the Seattle Kraken celebrates his overtime-winning goal against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on April 24, 2023 in S (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images / Getty Images)
SEATTLE - The Seattle Kraken reached an agreement with winger Jordan Eberle on a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the team through Friday's NHL trade deadline.
The deal is for $4.75 million a year and, per CapFriendly.com, carries a full no-trade clause.
"He's been with us from day one, big part of our locker room," general manager Ron Francis said. "Character guy, not only a good player on the ice with a tendency to play well in the big games, but a good leader in our locker room, he and his family get in the community so we felt it was important to keep him on board as we tried to build this thing the right way."
Eberle, 33, is set to turn 34 years old next week and is in the final year of a five-year contract signed with the New York Islanders in 2019. Seattle acquired Eberle in the NHL expansion draft in 2021.
Eberle had been consistent in expressing his desire to remain with the Kraken.
"Yeah, it's a relief," Eberle said on Friday. "Obviously I mentioned quite a bit that I wanted to be here. My family loves it here. More than anything just kind of happy that it's over with. Can get back to what we're doing and get back to trying to win some games and put ourselves in position to get in."
A report from Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff stated bluntly that the Kraken would trade Eberle if they were unable to reach an agreement on an extension. Length of the deal was supposedly a point of contention in negotiations. However, the two sides were able to find an agreement that worked for both parties.
"I think I had an inkling (it would get done)," Eberle said. "You have thoughts but you just never know. I've been around a long time that I've seen things happen. I know how it works. At the end of the day I’m glad it did."
Eberle's scoring as a whole is down this season after a slow start to the year, but his 10 goals since January 1 are second-most on the team behind 13 from Jared McCann. For the year, Eberle has 37 points on 14 goals and 23 assists in 58 games played.
Eberle also has the most memorable singular moment in Kraken playoff history. He scored the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 4 last season in Seattle's opening round series against the defending champion Colorado Avalanche.
"He's been here from day one. He's part of the foundation here and very important in terms of his leadership as well as his on-ice play," head coach Dave Hakstol said.
"He's got a really easy demeanor about him along with, you know, kind of burning underneath the surface, that competitiveness that allows him to be at his best in those situations. I believe he's a really good role model for young guys coming in."
Eberle was one of several veteran players on expiring contracts that could have been headed out of town ahead of Friday's noon trade deadline.
Center Alex Wennberg was traded to the New York Rangers on Wednesday for a pair of draft picks. Winger Tomáš Tatar and defenseman Justin Schultz also will be free agents this summer and potentially available. The Kraken even recalled defenseman Cale Fleury from AHL Coachella Valley to be on-call for Friday night's game against the Winnipeg Jets in case a defenseman was traded.
Beyond Wennberg, Eberle would have had the most value on the trade market as an accomplished veteran that can score.
But Eberle didn't want to leave Seattle and was able to find a way to remain with the Kraken. He said it wasn't until the last few days when it started to look possible that a deal could come together.
"My wife and my kids, we've inserted ourselves in the Seattle community and we enjoy the lifestyle here," Eberle said. "And not only that, but for me at the rink, enjoy the group here and the organization and what they're doing. So wanted to be a part of that and glad it got done."