On Aug. 11, the Seattle Kraken announced they have signed defenseman Ryker Evans to a two-year contract extension. His contract has an average annual value (AAV) of $2.05 million. Following the 2024-25 season, Evans was a restricted free agent (RFA) and received a qualifying offer from Seattle on July 1.
When Evans first came to the Kraken, he played with their American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He played 71 AHL games and recorded 44 points via six goals and 38 assists. He also played 26 playoff games and recorded 26 points via five goals and 21 assists.
Evans first saw NHL ice in the 2023-24 season, playing 36 games with Seattle and recording nine points via one goal and eight assists. The rest of the season, he played with the Firebirds. He played 25 games with Coachella Valley and recorded 15 points via two goals and 13 assists.
In the 2024-25 season, Evans played his first full season in the NHL. He played 73 games for the Kraken and recorded 25 points via five goals and 20 assists. The 23-year-old has made progress as a player, but he could still use some conditioning. Playing alongside Josh Mahura, Evans began to grow as a player.
With Evans re-signed, Seattle has now signed all of their free agents, both restricted and unrestricted. With the signing of Evans, the Kraken now have seven NHL-ready defensemen signed as well. As the season is just shy of two months away, it will be interesting to see who suits up for the Kraken. The Kraken just signed Ryan Lindgren as well, and he could be a great veteran player for Evans to learn from. Training camp will likely be the deciding factor on who makes the final roster on Oct. 9.
