Kraken’s Ryker Evans out day-to-day with upper-body injury

Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not dress Thursday versus the Pacific Division rival San Jose Sharks, confirmed Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma.

Through 50 appearances this season, the sophomore blue-liner has collected five goals and 16 assists for 21 points to sit third in team scoring among defensemen.

Debuting with the Kraken in 2023-24, Evans posted nine points counting one goal and eight assists through 36 outings, coupled with 20 penalty minutes and a minus-five rating. Evans also saw time last season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, where through 25 contests he collected two goals and 13 assists for 15 points with 28 penalty minutes. Evans then added 10 points in 18 postseason appearances to help the Firebirds advance to the Calder Cup Final.

Spending the entire 2022-23 campaign with the Firebirds, Evans tallied 44 points through 71 regular season showings before scoring at a point-per-game pace in the playoffs as he notched five goals and 21 assists through 26 playoff outings before the Firebirds fell to the Hershey Bears in the seventh game of the Calder Cup Final. At year’s end, Evans was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team.

A graduate of the WHL’s Regina Pats, the 23-year-old Calgary native spent four seasons in the junior circuit where through 195 total appearances he collected 25 goals and 106 assists for 131 points. In 2021-22, Evans was named to the WHL’s Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team after registering 14 goals and 47 assists for 61 points through 63 games.

Evans was originally chosen 35th overall by the Kraken in the 2021 NHL Draft.

For the Kraken, the club enters Thursday’s contest against the Sharks sitting 22-27-3 on the season and nine points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the second wildcard seed in the Western Conference.