EDMONTON — Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson has spent five long months barely containing “that fire and that hunger” awaiting Tuesday night’s start of meaningful games again after last spring’s playoff run.
Larsson also can’t wait for pairing partner Vince Dunn to get back out on the ice with him, something Dunn wasn’t quite ready for Friday night in the Kraken’s 3-1 preseason finale loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Dunn earlier had partaken in the morning skate in what was his first team workout in nine days, but it was again youngster Ryker Evans alongside veteran Larsson against the Oilers — their second time doing so this week.
Dunn’s absence has opened a door for Evans, the team’s second-round pick from 2021, to possibly make his NHL debut in Tuesday’s road opener against Vegas after a standout training camp and AHL showing last season.
“He is such a good skater and just the way he thinks through the game is just very mature,” Larsson said of Evans after Friday’s morning skate at Rogers Place. “So, I think he’s adapted really well to this level and it’s kind of impressive to see the steps that he’s taken in such a short time.”
Jared McCann opened the scoring for the Kraken in the first period, but Oilers star Connor McDavid tied it before intermission. Zach Hyman then put Edmonton ahead to stay on the power play with 3:50 to go in the second, beating Philipp Grubauer from the high slot with a wrist shot off a 3-on-2 rush.
Evander Kane later beat Grubauer from the top of the right circle early in the third period just as a Kraken power play expired.
The result notwithstanding, the Kraken used this game to get one more look at Evans and fellow prospect Tye Kartye before making any final camp decisions.
Indeed, two years ago, few pundits could believe Evans was drafted any higher than the fourth round and openly questioned and criticized the Kraken’s decision. But Evans, considered “undersized” for his position throughout his amateur career, has sprouted a couple of inches since the draft and now stands 6-foot-1.
And he’s poised to make the NHL sooner than many anticipated. Much will depend on how Dunn — who the team hasn’t officially said was injured — responds to Friday’s workout and another Saturday before final rosters are turned in Sunday.
In the grand scheme, Dunn, last season’s Kraken MVP, missing a night or two to begin an 82-game schedule shouldn’t really amount to anything important.
But one nagging variable to that is the Kraken’s early schedule in which they play the Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights in the opener and seven of their first 10 games against playoff teams from last season. The Pacific Division could be one of hockey’s most competitive so, theoretically, every early game could matter more than usual.
Then, there’s the ascension of Evans and what it represents for a Kraken franchise that brought him, Kartye and Shane Wright to camp with the expectation that at least one might stick.
Kartye spent Friday’s preseason contest at left wing on the fourth line alongside Brandon Tanev and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in a preview of what that could look like Tuesday. Evans on the pairing with Larsson was also a potential regular-season spoiler alert, with Friday another chance for the second-year pro to show he belongs and perhaps even make a case to stick on one of the other pairings once Dunn is healthy.
Nobody is taking Dunn’s spot, or comparing Evans — who again manned the Kraken’s second power-play unit in Friday’s contest — to him just yet. Especially not Kraken coach Dave Hakstol, who made clear it’s too early for comparisons even if both are offensively gifted blue line talents. But just like Kartye, who also saw power-play duty Friday and has looked good enough to make the team, there’s little point sending Evans back to the AHL if he shows he belongs higher up.
“He looks a little more ready body-wise,” said Larsson, who saw Evans enjoy a strong Kraken camp a year ago before being sent down late. “I think he looks a lot more confident this year. And obviously, that’s a big part of the sport. When you play confident.”
Evans agreed he’s felt more confident within the Kraken’s defensive system, to where he’s “not thinking as much” and just rolling with the play as it happens. Playing alongside veteran Larsson hasn’t hurt any either.
“He’s been pretty awesome,” Evans said. “He’s a high-end defenseman so he makes my job a lot easier. He’s always going to be in the right spots.”
Hakstol said the offensive style Evans plays is complemented by Larsson’s defense-first mentality in much the same way Dunn’s is.
“Ryker’s a guy that, offensively, his abilities getting up ice and walking the line and having the confidence to keep plays alive offensively have been positive throughout training camp,” Hakstol said. “And his competitiveness at the other end of the rink has been very good. We saw that all the way through the year last year. It continued to grow as he progressed through the American Hockey League. And we’re seeing the continuation of that progression here.”
Hakstol said Friday’s game was “a great opportunity” for Evans to test himself against players likely to be opening the regular season next week. Whether his stint lasts beyond that remains to be seen, as Hakstol feels Dunn is making “a good progression” toward being ready “early next week” if all goes well.
Nonetheless, Hakstol said every player still in the room Friday will be “part of our opportunity for success throughout the year” regardless of what next week’s roster looks like. And for Evans, no longer the longshot many had him pegged as, that opportunity, if it doesn’t start next week, undoubtedly won’t take much longer to arrive.
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