The Kraken reassigned defenseman Ryker Evans to AHL Coachella Valley on Wednesday, a team announcement states.
Evans, 22, was a healthy scratch in four straight games. Seattle begins its bye week after Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Sharks, so the 2021 second-round pick will get some more routine playing time in the minors.
The high-end puck-moving prospect had been on recall since Jan. 8, logging over 20 minutes in three of his four games this month. This season is Evans’ first in the NHL, recording four assists in 13 games dating back to his debut on Dec. 7.
Evans led all rookie defensemen with 38 assists in the AHL last season and advanced to the Calder Cup Final with Coachella Valley before eventually losing to the Hershey Bears. It was an electric postseason performance for Evans, though, who put up 26 points in 26 games with a +13 rating.
This season hasn’t been as smooth for the Calgary-born blue liner, who has 12 points and a -1 rating in 22 showings for Coachella Valley. Still, he’s the best defense prospect in the organization and has put up dominant possession numbers in his limited NHL time. That should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as Evans has seen over 70% of his even-strength zone starts come in the offensive end.
Evans has one season remaining on his entry-level contract, which carries an $897.5K cap hit and makes him an RFA in 2025.