Analysis: What Ryker Evans Extension Means For Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken announced they agreed to terms with restricted free agent Ryker Evans on Monday. The 23-year old defenseman signed a two-year, $4.1 million contract ($2.05 million AAV) to remain with the club that selected him in the second round (35th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.
“Ryker took a positive step forward in his first full season in the NHL,” Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said via the team’s press release. “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."
As a restricted free agent who received a qualifying offer on July 1, Evans was unlikely to depart the Kraken this summer, and now he’s officially locked in as the last piece of Seattle’s defensive corps to start the season.
Evans is coming off his first full NHL season, during which he scored 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 73 games. His 106 blocks and 123 hits each ranked third on the team, and he led all Kraken defensemen in the latter category.
Evans spent the most time on a pair with Brandon Montour last season. The two skated together in 72 games across 479:50 of 5-on-5 ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick. As was the case with nearly all the most-common pairings for the Kraken last season, Evans and Montour had a Corsi For Percentage below 50 (45.19 percent). Seattle allowed 229 scoring chances at 5-on-5 with that pair on the ice together compared to generating 180.
Seattle signed left-shot defenseman Ryan Lindgren this offseason, and he’ll compete with Jamie Oleksiak for the left spot on the second pair, likely next to Montour. In turn, Evans – a left-shot – seems entrenched on the right side of the third pair.
As the only defenseman in the top six under the age of 27, Evans remains a key developmental piece in an organization with a thin defensive prospect pool beneath him. After averaging 19:23 of time on ice through 109 career NHL games, that number is bound to go down this season, barring injuries that force him back up the depth chart.
With their moves this summer to deepen the defensive corps, it appears the Kraken intend to take some pressure off Evans and give him more room to grow, even if it means playing fewer minutes each night. In addition to his role on special teams, Evans figures to benefit from new coach Lane Lambert’s defensive structure.
For the next two seasons on this bridge deal, Evans will aim to increase his value for a larger extension ahead of the 2027-28 season. He will remain a restricted free agent, and his deal lines up with the rest of Vince Dunn’s four-year, $29.4 million contract ($7.35 million AAV).
While anything can happen in training camp – especially with a new head coach that has not worked directly with the team before – Evans’ extension all but finalizes the Krakens’ defense to open 2025-26.
