Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans once again had his status updated, skating in a regular practice jersey in this morning's skate.

The 23-year-old won't be in the lineup tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, but it's a positive sign as he takes steps in his return to action. 

Over the weekend, Evans skated in a red non-contact jersey and then took part in an optional skate. He suffered an upper-body injury in pre-season and hasn't taken part in a regular-season game yet. His initial timeline was six to eight weeks, and the injury news was announced on Oct. 1, which is just over four weeks ago.

Evans is seemingly ahead of schedule, but with the Kraken defense core all healthy at the moment, coach Lane Lambert and the Kraken organization will likely be patient and allow Evans to completely recover. 

Lambert hasn't mentioned when we could see Evans re-enter the lineup, but the signs are positive, and he is trending in the right direction.

Freddy Gaudreau was also seen skating today, although he was on the ice prior to the Kraken's practice and was wearing a non-contact jersey. He was first given a four to six-week timeline and has been out since Oct. 18. 

Jared McCann was unfortunately nowhere to be seen, but Lambert has indicated that the 29-year-old is day-to-day. 

The Kraken return to game action tonight against the Blackhawks, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. PST at Climate Pledge Arena. 

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