Eberle helped Seattle qualify in its second season (2022-23). It upset the Colorado Avalanche, the defending Stanley Cup champions, in seven games of the Western Conference First Round and pushed the Dallas Stars to the limit in the second round before losing in seven. The Kraken have since endured significant personnel changes with a younger, less experienced core. 

“The games have tightened up, and you get to this time of year, these games are massively important, details matter, and time and space and those things limit, so you have to learn to play in these situations,” Eberle said. “A lot of times early in your career, I remember for myself, it’s not easy, you’re not used to it. It’s about every little moment in the game, being in the right areas, trying to win a battle, those moments matter. 

“I think you just try to lead by example as an older guy because you’ve been through it, but I think they learn pretty quickly.”

Eberle leads Seattle with 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists) in 73 games. They lost 4-2 at home to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, which set it back in its playoff quest, but there is little time to lament the loss. 

The Kraken are leaning on their veterans to get them back on track. 

“We have to,” coach Lane Lambert said. “We have some youth on our team and it’s a bit of uncharted territory for some of them. It’s not different than any other team. You have to lean on your veteran guys and if you look around the League and you’re seeing teams that are in the same boat as us and we’re in competition with (the Predators), the (Filip) Forsberg’s are stepping up, the (Ryan) O’Reilly’s are stepping up and we need our guys to step up the same way and lately they have been.” 

Seattle acquired forward Bobby McMann from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 6 for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft just prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. The 29-year-old has 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in 11 games. 

“I knew when there was an opportunity to get Bobby, that was a guy that we really wanted to get and we targeted him,” Lambert said. “His speed adds an element to our hockey team and certainly coaching him (as an assistant) last year in Toronto I know exactly what he’s about. 

“He’s a power forward and his goals are scored driving the net, he’s got some speed there, so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s having success and he’s really helping our hockey team.”