Weeks after being selected by the Seattle Kraken in the NHL expansion draft, Jordan Eberle publicly spoke about his departure from the New York Islanders. Eberle talked about how “devastating” the move was and how the Islanders’ group was tight-knit. All of the remarks from Eberle show the strength of the Islanders’ culture.

On the DFO Rundown Podcast, Eberle spoke on the matter.

“There’s definitely mixed emotions. You know, I definitely be lying if I said, once I found out, I wasn’t devastated. I mean, you get in my opinion, a game away from getting to the cup and having an opportunity to win. And last year was the same thing, couple games away, losing game, six.

“You talked to anyone, who’s traded it, it’s tough you have friends, your family. You gotta move your wife and kid. It’s never the easy part of the game, for sure. You lose friendships and especially in New York. We had such a tight-knit group. I think that’s what we had so much success.”

This speaks to the fact that a majority of the players currently on the team have been on the team for years. These players have experienced this franchise when it has been at its worst. They dealt with bad coaching and inept management. When Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello arrived in New York, they bought into their styles. These players put their trust in Trotz and Lamoriello and bonded together, and became stronger.

Trotz’s message from day one to the Islanders when he arrived fresh off a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals was that if you want to go somewhere fast, go alone. If you want to go somewhere far, go together.

The Islanders players have certainly embraced this message. Eberle’s comments show this.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.