The conversation surrounding the Seattle Kraken captaincy is one I’ve largely avoided over the past couple of seasons. Some fans seem to care about it a lot, but I generally haven’t involved myself for a couple of reasons.
The first reason I haven’t engaged too often in this debate is that I don’t think the success of the team hinges on having a captain or not (though some in the Twittersphere seem to think it’s the reason the Kraken struggled last season). Since Seattle named Mark Giordano captain and then dealt him at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline after less than a season wearing the “C,” things have been going just fine with the so-called “leadership group” approach. Yes, the team took a step back last season, but remember, there was no captain in place when the Kraken were one goal shy of the Western Conference Finals in 2022-23.
The second reason I haven’t gotten too involved in these conversations is that I haven’t felt the ideal candidate exists in the organization. I still feel this way.
But…
The winds do seem to be shifting toward Seattle naming one of its players captain for the upcoming season and beyond.
Will that player be the perfect fit, one who can lead now and for many years to come? No. Still, the undertones from general manager Ron Francis’s end-of-season press availability seemed to indicate that the franchise is leaning toward electing a new leader.
If that’s the case, then the time is nigh for me to also get on board and join the Kraken captain conversation.
Defining the ideal captain
When I think of an ideal NHL captain, I imagine a player who earns the title relatively early in his career by already being a top player on the team and demonstrating natural leadership qualities both on and off the ice. That player can still have plenty to learn about being a captain and being an NHLer, but it should be somebody who is a clear cornerstone and who figures to be the face of the franchise for many years to come.
Is Matty that guy?
Matty Beniers ticks some of those boxes, including the piece about “many years to come” after he signed a seven-year deal with the team on Tuesday. But I don’t think he’s ready just yet. The Kraken do not feel like they are “Matty’s team” at this point.
I have a theory that part of why Seattle has been dragging its feet on naming a captain is because somebody in the organization believes Beniers will eventually be the guy and wants to hold off on giving it to anybody until he’s ready. But with the tone shifting toward the team wanting a captain, the patience may be waning just enough that a shorter-term solution could be becoming palatable.
Another thing to think about is how Shane Wright could factor into the leadership conversation down the road. I spoke with him earlier this summer, and he told me he didn’t view himself as a leader of the Coachella Valley Firebirds last season, and instead heaped the praise for the team’s success onto its veterans. But if you watched that team play, it did feel like “Shane’s team.” Could the Kraken become “Shane’s team” in a couple of years?
The shorter-term solution
If Beniers isn’t ready to take the captaincy, then Wright certainly isn’t, but I do think either of those players could be considered in a couple of years. The obvious solution is to name one of the veterans on the team as captain, with the expectation that one of those younger guys takes the torch when said veteran exits.
To me, the clear-cut choice is Jordan Eberle. At 34 years old and with two more years under contract, his timeline for how much longer he’ll be in the organization feels just long enough. Give Beniers (or perhaps Wright) a little more time to develop his game and quietly move into more of a leadership role without the pressure of being “the guy.” Then once Eberle makes his probable departure after the 2025-26 season, Matty takes the infinite wisdom he’s gathered from living under Eberle’s wing for four seasons and runs with it.
Eberle is a true pro
When the Kraken took Eberle from the New York Islanders in the Expansion Draft, I knew Seattle was getting a well-known, skilled veteran. I did not know how polished he was off the ice in terms of speaking with the media and handling difficult situations. Every time he speaks, he gives some little nugget of information that reminds you he has seen and been through every situation the sport can throw at a player.
There’s no question that younger players on the team look up to Eberle, and I can think of no better fit to wear the “C” short-term.
Other candidates
If I had written this article a year ago, I may have given the nod to Yanni Gourde. The smiling pest is another obvious leader on the team, and some folks in the Kraken sphere see him as the heart and soul of the club. But, I fear Yanni’s time with the team is nearing its end, and depending on how things go for him this season, this may be his last lap in deep-sea blue. Handing him the “C” now does not make sense to me.
Another option that was mentioned by John Barr on last week’s Sound Of Hockey Podcast is Adam Larsson. I agree there’s some level of fit there, and the guys on the team clearly love Larsson. He quietly goes about his business and leads by example, but he’s also secretly one of the funniest guys in the locker room and has endeared himself to his teammates.
There are two challenges with naming Larsson the short-term captain, though. First, the Big Cat—like Gourde—is also entering the last year of his contract with Seattle. While I could see Larsson sticking around beyond this season, I’m feeling like the Kraken may want to have this captaincy decision made before the season starts. I highly doubt they will give it to a guy on an expiring contract again, because look how that played out with Giordano.
The other thing to consider with Larsson is that he isn’t a guy that gets trotted out to talk to media after a bad loss. That’s not a primary responsibility of the captaincy, but it is something the captain does. Larsson is very quiet and reserved when speaking to the media, whereas Eberle has been the guy the team has leaned on for three seasons when it has dealt with painful losing streaks and lopsided defeats, and he always knows just what to say.
—
I’m afraid to ask because this is an oddly divisive conversation, but what do you think, folks? Are the Kraken ready for a captain? If so, who should it be?
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
Curious if McCann is an option? He’s been by far our most productive player and really seemed to be one of the guys that would talk to the media during the hard times. He’s also under contract for a handful of years.
One could absolutely make a case for McCann. I suddenly feel shame for not mentioning him.
Shame. Shame. Shame. Shame.
I would agree that Eberle is the only guy in the locker room that could wear the C right now. He’s still one of the more talented guys on the team, he’s been a Kraken since year 1 of the franchise, and he has the experience to command respect. It’d be a great story to see Matty be the Captain, but he’s still growing and finding his way as a player and isn’t a leader yet, and ultimately we don’t know if he ends up being that guy. If you were to poll the locker room independently on who they’d want as their Captain, I feel like Eberle would be one of/the top choice(s), and that’s ultimately what matters the most.
I think this is all spot on. As much as you’d love it to be Matty, I’ve seen nothing that really speaks to his leadership abilities. That’s not a knock, maybe he develops it. Shane has a little more snarl, but isn’t ready. Yanni would be THE guy if he were five years younger and committed long-term. Ebs is the right short-term answer, almost by default.
What do I think?
I think you got it exactly right Darren.
Go Kraken!!!
Yeah it’s Eberle. He’s also a Kraken legend forever for that playoff OT GWG.
Shane seems more like Captain material than Matty, but who knows in the long run. I don’t recall if he was C for Kingston, but he did C Team Canada to gold in World Juniors. His demeanor is very similar to Barkov.
It’s possible one of Stephenson or Montour would be among the better choices, with both also signing up for 7 years.
He did wear the C for Kingston, and for Canada at U17, U18 and U20 levels.
I think Dunner would be a good C. He’s young enough to relate to the younger players and has the respect of the older ones. Plus he’s willing to mix it up when needed.
I’m not a believer in that your best player should be captain unless they earn it in the locker room (what the fans cannot see).
I feel like it falls on Eberle and Schwartz. Those two have had to have some hard conversations with the media post games/losing streaks and it shows they know how to speak in those situations. I think the way Eberle has carried himself ever since his junior career shows how much he means to his teammates.
They should have just given Eberle the C the 2nd season. He had two years left on his contract then (just like he has two years going forward with his new contract). But better late than never! Give Ebs the C already!
No captain again. Naming a captain put too much pressure on just one individual. By have 3 or 4 A’s, allow younger players to have options on who to talk to and on the ice, allows them to have “discussions” with refs. I like the idea of sharing the capain load and this allows all players to concentrate on winning. If a captain is needed then I like Dunn and not Larsson. He gives me the impression that he lacks decision making skills and relies on emotion sometimes. This is not a good trait of a captain.
How does Larsson lack decision making skills? How do you even come to that conclusion?
Larsson is one of the most even-keeled players on the team in his outward actions.
It’s time to have a captain. I agree Jordan Eberle is the right guy for the time being.
I agree 100%. Give Ebbs the C.
I agree with Wright being in the conversation as well as Evans and Firkus…. all potential As….and likely more than one will don the C at one point.
Of the four current Alternate Captains (Larsson, Gourde, Schwartz, and Eberle), Eberle seems like the most straightforward choice. He has already shown he’s a leader in the locker room and is the perfect person to pass the torch to Matty when he’s ready for it given their connection.
If Matty doesn’t want the “C” and they don’t want to resign Eberle, I could also see a Bjorkstrand -> Wright captaincy transition, where Bjorkstrand is given a 3-year extension that takes him to age 34 (Eberle’s age as of his most recent 2 year extension). At the end of that, Wright is handed the captaincy at the age of 25 with 5 years experience in the league.
Bjorkstrand has worn the “A” for Denmark, the Portland Winterhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets, so I don’t think it’s the most outlandish idea.
Anyways, it’ll probably be Eberle if they do name a captain this season.