Three Reasons Jordan Eberle Signed Contract Extension With Kraken

In 14 NHL season, Seattle Kraken winger Jordan Eberle has only played postseason hockey five times. For a league which allows half its members into the playoffs, that's not a lot.

Not that it was Jordan's fault. After being drafted in the first round by Edmonton in 2008, he was called up to the Oilers in 2010. But the Oil wouldn't make the playoffs until 2017.

Eberle's most recent playoff run came last year with the Kraken, including an overtime game-winner in Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche which almost blew the roof off Climate Pledge Arena.

Seattle GM Ron Francis and Eberle came to an agreement Friday on a two year, $9.5 million contract extension.

As a soon-to-be 34 year old (May 15) closer to the end of his career than the beginning, why didn't Eberle push harder to be dealt to a contender at the trade deadline?

Three reasons.

1 - Family Likes Seattle

"We've inserted ourselves in the Seattle community, and we enjoy the lifestyle here," Eberle told a post-signing press conference.

In a KJR-FM radio interview, he added, "My wife loves it here, I love it here. We love the vibe that Seattle brings.

"I think the significant others usually take the brunt of trying to figure out details. My wife (Lauren Rodych-Eberle) has been a champ through all this. We have two kids, and they never know what to expect. So those are the people that take the most toll."

"As far as figuring out what's happening (during negotiations), all you can do is put your head down and play."

2 - Faith In Management's Plan

"I strongly believe in the staff that they have here," Eberle says. "What they're doing, what they're building. That was a big factor in how I wanted to be a part of it."

The respect goes both ways, says Kraken GM Francis. "He's been with us from day one, a character a good player on the ice with a tendency to play well in the big games.

"He's kind of the go-to guy in the locker room. How he handles himself as a pro, how he takes care of himself in the weight room, how he eats off the ice, is valuable for the young players. He's easy to talk to for our young players. He's a quality person, a good hockey player, and a big part of our leadership.

"He and his family get in the community, so we felt it was important to keep him on board as we try and build this thing the right way."

3 - Close Enough To Friends & Family In Calgary

"Spending the off-season in Calgary," Eberle explains, "it's nice to be on the West Coast, family is close."

Many were in attendance last Monday at Scotiabank Saddledome when Seattle cancelled Calgary's five game win streak with a 4-2 victory. "My friends are big Flames fans, so it's always nice to have that over them."

Speaking Of The Calgary Contingent...

A contingent of those family and friends will be at Climate Pledge Arena Tuesday, when Eberle is schedule to play his 1,000th NHL game.

Prior to the trade deadline, there was much anxiety over to which city they should book airline tickets for that milestone event. "Really, the uncertainty of whether it was going to happen here or where it was. I was worried we were going to have to cancel flights."

The guest list at CPA against the Vegas Golden Knights: "I'm going to have 20-25 people. My parents will be there. I have two older sisters, a younger brother, their spouses, their kids. My wife's parents are coming, I have a couple of buddies who are coming."