The Seattle Kraken and New York Islanders will face off for the first time in history on Wednesday evening. The two were scheduled to play in Seattle on January 4th, but that entire road trip for the Islanders was postponed. Now, with the first meetup with the expansion team on Long Island, it makes for the return of one important man: Jordan Eberle.

The Islanders first acquired Eberle during the 2017 offseason in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Over four years, Eberle played 272 games for the Islanders and scored 169 points. He was always one of the top forwards, often playing on the first line with Mat Barzal. But Eberle’s best attribute was his playoff performance when he always seemed to be at his best. He played 49 playoff games with the Islanders, scoring 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points. He especially played a marquee role in the team’s series victories against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2021.

But, due to cap space issues, Eberle was left unprotected by the Islanders for the 2021 Seattle Expansion Draft. Seeing the 31-year-old star at a reasonable cost of $5.5 for three years, the Kraken snagged Eberle. 

Eberle quickly became one of the Kraken’s top forwards, alongside Jaden Schwartz, Yanni Gourde, and Brandon Tanev. In Seattle, Eberle got off to a hot start, but much like the team, cooled off.

As an expansion team, the Kraken have not had as much success as many fans anticipated. Their expectations were high due to the last expansion team, the 2017-18 Golden Knights, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. It seems they took a different approach, though, prioritizing drafting younger players for the most part with the hope of success in a few years. The Kraken do have potential, especially with recent second overall pick Matthew Beniers.

For now, though, the Kraken sit in last in the Pacific Division and 30th in the league. Due to early season struggles and only playing 38 games, the Islanders are only 25th. However, the Islanders have won six of their last ten games, and are starting to look like a more complete team since Ryan Pulock and Kyle Palmieri have returned from the IR. 

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others