Analytics With Alison

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Analytics with Alison: Ryker Evans 'By the Numbers'

Fresh off signing his first pro contract, we take a look at the underlying play of the Kraken's 2021 second-round draft pick this season

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By Alison Lukan /
@AlisonL nhl.com/kraken

On Friday, Ryker Evans
officially became the newest member of the Kraken organization
when he signed a three-year entry level contract with Seattle. The start of Evans' pro career comes after he finished his fourth season with the Regina Pats (WHL). It was a career year for the blueliner in which he finished third in total scoring for his team (14-47-61) and seventh in points by a defender.

But as Evans gets ready to join the Charlotte Checkers and hopefully contribute to their playoff run, we wanted to look at his game beyond the stat line,
bundled by GEICO
.
Let's dig in.
Thanks to Sportlogiq, we have data that can measure Evans' underlying play, something that is arguably more important when evaluating defensemen whose primary job may not necessarily be putting points on the board.
Here's how the 2021 second-round NHL draft pick performed in some key underlying offensive behaviors this season, looking both at overall totals and how that ranks among all defenders who played in the WHL this season.

Ryker Evans WHL stats

We can see that Evans came by his point production honestly with the fourth best shot quality among blueliners in the league. And, it's also compelling to see how much Evans' play sets up offense, specifically in terms of outlet passing and passes in the offensive zone where he ranked top two in the WHL this season. That speaks to an ability to help a team produce offense whether or not it's coming directly off Evans' stick.
Another important element of the Calgary native's game thus far has been the ability to play in all situations. So, let's look at some of the same measures for how Evans performed in power-play time.

Ryker Evans WHL power-play stats

Once again, the ability to feed offense shows through here. When it came to play occurring in the offensive zone, the 20-year-old ranked top five among all WHL defenders in possession time and in completed passes.
Evans definitely ended his WHL career on a high note, not just in terms of how he contributed to the scoresheet, but also in terms of how his play in all facets of the game helped his team. Now, as he joins the Checkers in their pursuit of the Calder Cup, the next step in the development of his game awaits.