I would put Misty Step as my first level 2+ non-abj/evo spell. Particularly once you might end up getting stuck in a Force Cage or the like.

I agree with your overall point Petrocorus. Limiting the spells to Abjuration and Evocation is clearly (and I think fairly deliberately) a solid constraint on the class abilities. However, given that it is in competition* with Battlemaster's superiority dice, Champion's Improved Crit., or Samurai's Fighting Spirit, it kind of has to be.
*sort of, as you really have to judge an archetype holistically, as individual benefits are not always equal, especially spellcasting which advances as you level and clearly is weighted as a feature with that in mind

An EK is not a fighter, but also 1/3-level wizard, they are a fighter with some of the qualities of a 1/3-level wizard. They can take care of some of the problems a fighter otherwise might need their wizard allies to solve for them (getting out of that Force Cage, putting magic on your weapon when you are about to face non-magical-weapon-resistant enemies and don't have a +1 weapon, putting up Protection from Good and Evil when the mind-controlling outsiders come into view), and the ability to throw down the occasional blast spell that might occasionally be useful (8 kobolds are still 4 separate attacks for a level 7 fighter, but potentially a single shatter). I'm pretty sure that's what they were intended to be, and yes it is a lot more limiting than open selection.