Kraken Rise From The Depths (Of NHL Standings)

Just One Season Ago, The Floundering Newborn Kraken Were Learning How To Swim. How Fast They've Grown!

From the vantage point of a hugely successful sophomore season, the Seattle Kraken's wobbly beginnings might seem a distant memory. But Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle hasn't forgotten.

Following seven seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and four more with the New York Islanders, Eberle came to Seattle in the 2021 expansion draft. The Kraken went on to win 27 games in 2021-22, losing 55 (six in overtime).

"As much as last year was awful and wasn't a lot of fun, we built a little bit of a foundation," recalled "Ebbs," who chipped in 21 goals. "A little bit of familiarity with how we wanted to play. Familiar with the rink, familiar with the coaches. I mean, just everything."

Although they didn't speak of it then, the expansion Kraken carried one burden faced by no previous first-year franchise. "We had the Vegas thing looming over us, as far as how well they did. That was hard to try and compete with, trying to get to the Stanley Cup final in your first year."

The brightest stretch of that inaugural campaign came right after a hectic 2022 trade deadline, when the Kraken dispatched five players. The return haul was Daniel Sprong and a bushel of draft picks. In their first 13 games with a depleted lineup, Seattle fashioned an impressive 7-6-0 record.

His team's resilience made an impression on Kraken coach Dave Hakstol. "Things changed at the deadline (losing so many players off the roster, including captain Mark Giordano).

"As difficult as it was, as tough as the wins and losses were, some of the results, there was every reason for some of those guys in the room to go the other direction. They didn't. They dug in.

"I knew at that point in time, as we were going through that final 19-20 game stretch, I knew that we had made some progress. I knew that there were some building blocks in place."

Reinforcements arrived in the offseason. "We added some huge pieces this summer," says Eberle, who turns 33 on May 15. "You could see the commitment that the organization took to winning by adding guys."

The alternate captain contributed another 20 goals in the regular season, adding 43 assists and playing all 82 games. "As much as things were tough last year, we turned it around quickly. When you start winning games early in the year like we did, you start to gain confidence that we're a good team."

The Regina, Saskatchewan native collected a clutch overtime goal in Game 4 against Colorado, one of 15 different Kraken to score in just the first round of the playoffs. Eberle lists that depth among the qualities which define the team's identity: "We play quick, and we win by committee."

The legacy of the 2022-23 Kraken (as of now) will be a 100-point regular season, and an improbable playoff series win against the defending Cup champion Avalanche.

Coach Hakstol says a portion of the credit belongs to the players who  laid a foundation the season before. "That group last year didn't go away. Maybe that's the best way I can describe it. Ebbs, you see the substance that you know he has. We've got a bunch of that in our dressing room."

Next season, Eberle is poised to surpass 1,000 games, 300 goals and 400 assists. "It's kind of fun to be part of a group from day one. How many guys get to experience that? I think it's fun to be a part of something from the floor up."