Seattle recalled top defensive prospect Ryker Evans for the second time this season Monday morning per the NHL media site, just nine days after reassigning him to the affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds.
The move has been anticipated since Jaycob Megna, who served as the team’s seventh defenseman since being acquired at the trade deadline last season, was claimed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks. Megna’s exit left Seattle with an uncharacteristic six-man defensive corps for two games: the Winter Classic and a home game against the Ottawa Senators.
But the Kraken’s schedule would not necessitate recalling depth personnel until now, with the team embarking on a six-game East Coast road trip making moves between Seattle and Coachella Valley geographically harder to accomplish swiftly.
Evans did not participate in the Kraken’s last home practice on Saturday but played in each of the Firebirds’ four games since his reassignment, the most recent occurring Jan 7 at home versus the Abbotsford Canucks. At earliest, Evans could have been on a flight last night; the move was officially announced by Kraken PR at 11:39 Monday morning.
Suspected to have been initially recalled in early December to wake up a sloppy defensive corps, Evans stuck around for nine games, was scratched for two, and averaged nearly 18 minutes an outing. Justin Schultz, whom he more often replaced in the lineup due to injury at first at then– unofficially– due to inferior play compared to Evans, has averaged only about 16 minutes per game this season.
There’s no say on how much ice time Evans will see given Schultz and third pair partner Brian Dumoulin have been solid since their reunion Dec 29 at home versus the Philadelphia Flyers as well as the seventh defenseman position’s newfound availability. But odds favor his entry at some point.
Evans was an asset in his time with the team during December, sliding into second place among Kraken defenseman in both expected points and shots on goal per game, recording four points in his first nine games. With Evans and Dumoulin on-ice, Seattle controlled 63% of the total shot quality.
Leave a tip to support our writers and staff!