SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans will be out for six to eight weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Evans is expected to miss the first few weeks of games, including Seattle’s season opener on Oct. 9 against the Anaheim Ducks. In August, the left-shot defenseman agreed to a two-year contract extension which gives him an annual salary of $2.05 million and runs through the 2026-27 season.

Evans recorded 25 points on five goals and 20 assists in 73 games during his first full season with the Kraken. Seattle’s second-round pick in the 2021 draft, Evans made his NHL debut Dec. 7, 2023.

“Ryker took a positive step forward in his first full season in the NHL,” general manager Jason Botterill said in a statement in August. “Since turn

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