Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans has agreed to a two-year, $4.1 million contract that locks in the team’s lone remaining unsigned player from last season.
The now former restricted free agent has been a top Kraken draft success story since being chosen in the second round, 35th overall back in 2021; at the time defying most pundits and projections expecting him to go in the third round or later. But Evans, 23, has rocketed through the organization ever since, last season enjoying his first full NHL campaign by scoring five goals and adding 25 assists in 73 games.
“Ryker took a positive step forward in his first full season in the NHL,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. “Since turning pro, he's shown improvement year over year, and we're confident he'll take his game to another level next season. We're happy to have him under contract."
Evans broke into the NHL two seasons ago for 36 games with the Kraken in which he showed signs of the promising, two-way ability demonstrated in a standout AHL rookie campaign in 2022-23 and as a prior all-star Western Hockey League defender over four seasons. He’d gained a reputation as an undersized defenseman throughout his minor hockey days but kept growing and filling out physically the latter stages of his WHL career and now plays at a solid 6-foot, 195 pounds.
He led all Kraken defenders and was third overall on the team with 123 hits last season while also sitting third in blocked shots with 106.
“Last year was a little different,” Evans said back in March as last season neared its completion. “I was up and down. This year, being able to just kind of prove myself up to this point so far, trying to be as consistent as possible. That's what I've wanted to do, and I've done a good job. I just need to keep it up.”
Evans agreeing to terms now completes a Kraken defensive corps that also includes Vince Dunn, Adam Larsson, Brandon Montour, Ryan Lindgren, Jamie Oleksiak and Josh Mahura.
Last season was another reminder of how far Evans has come since the days when concerns about his size and a lack of playing time due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to his being passed over in his first year of NHL draft eligibility in 2020. His playing time was further limited by the pandemic and a reduced 24-game WHL schedule in 2021, but the Kraken believed in him enough to use their second-round pick that summer.
Though Evans was only listed 192nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the draft, the Kraken worried he would be taken ahead of their third round selection by other teams willing to look beyond the longstanding size concerns. Much of his late size development was due to a battle with Celiac disease since toddler age, a condition that deprived Evans from absorbing key nutrients needed for growth.
Having gained control over the condition and added extra muscle through extensive off-season training, Evans now has more size to go along with his natural ability. Since his Kraken arrival, he’s seen regular action at times on the second defensive pairing as well as on the power play.
Evans said Kraken coaches advised him to: “Keep playing my way. Play hard, move my feet [he and Montour really fly together], shoot the puck, just be detailed in those areas. That’s the key part of my game, and it goes along with the consistency part.”
