Kraken Break Glass in Case of Emergency, Prep for Burakovsky's Return
Seattle seeks to breathe new life into their roster with a plethora of roster moves, sending Max McCormick and Marián Studenič down while recalling Ryker Evans and Devin Shore.
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A shakeup was needed following a winless, defensively abysmal four-game road trip, and that’s exactly what the Seattle Kraken hope their latest move will accomplish. Tuesday afternoon, top defensive prospect Ryker Evans was recalled in bombshell fashion.
“It caught me by surprise,” Evans said Wednesday.
Since being cut from the final roster days before the team’s season opener, Evans has focused on polishing his game with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Logjam circumstances prevented an earlier promotion, however, Evans has been NHL-ready for a while.
No injuries have hit the backend to relieve that logjam. But with a defensive corps suddenly not performing to winning standard, the team is willing to do whatever necessary to whip them back into shape– including benching a veteran in favor of a rookie, and weaponizing expendability to spur a sluggish defense to action. It’s a gutsy but necessary move.
Imperfection in Seattle’s own zone is dragging down an already stunted offense, and it’s costing the team desperately needed points. The Kraken have not held a lead since Thanksgiving and have racked up a -20 goal differential on the season (30th). Over their last four games they’ve surrendered 40 giveaways, a majority of which the defense was responsible for.
Wednesday morning head coach Dave Hakstol expressed his general satisfaction with his team’s defensive performance over the season despite openly criticizing their performance Monday night after the Kraken’s 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. His assessment indicates recent defensive lapses aren’t unfixable and are therefore unconcerning long-term.
That being said, Seattle can no longer afford to waste any more time waiting for better results to come naturally. Urgency is needed, especially considering the Kraken’s attack hinges upon strong exits and entries, speed through the neutral zone, and controlled puck management— all rendered impossible with poor defense.
Evans’ crisp, authoritative defensive presence makes him an alluring call-up, as does his penchant for jumping into the attack. Regardless, his youth should energize the roster.
Evans skated on a pair with seventh defenseman Jaycob Megna at practice on Wednesday, which typically points to an imposing scratch. Hakstol refrained from confirming anything for Thursday night’s meeting with the New Jersey Devils, but did say Evans would get ice time at some point during his stay. No clues have been provided regarding who would be benched in his place.
“I’m not making any promises about tomorrow’s lineup,” Hakstol said, “but he’s here to play.”
Two forwards confidently out of the lineup are Max McCormick and Marián Studenič, both of whom were reassigned to Coachella Valley Wednesday afternoon. Additionally, Devin Shore was recalled for the first time since early November, when he was used to replenish a roster deprived of Brandon Tanev, André Burakovsky, Jordan Eberle, and Pierré-Edouard Bellemare. Twenty-two out of 23 roster spots are occupied after these moves.
Now that the Kraken are home for six games the need for an extra forward has dissipated— even more so with Burakovsky’s return imminent following his full participation in practice Wednesday morning. Recovery after a procedure to address an upper-body injury has kept him off the ice for nearly seven weeks, encouragingly right on time for a healing process initially projected to take 6-8.
Hakstol called the winger “very close” to returning but could not confirm when that would be. Leaving one roster spot open after reassigning McCormick and Studenič lends thinking Thursday could be his first game back since Oct 21 versus the New York Rangers.