Anaheim Ducks: Are Ryan Kesler’s Best Days Behind Him?

Ryan Kesler was a huge addition for the Anaheim Ducks when they acquired him back in the summer of 2015. And while he has graced us with some memorable moments will there be any more to come?

This time of year your Facebook and social media are rampant with showing you memories of things you posted or shared. And regardless if they’re deep and meaningful or crazy and funny you can’t help but look. And while on my own page the other day my memory for the day was this unforgettable clip.

What a goal and what a moment for Ryan Kesler midway through his first season in Anaheim. And it is truly one of many memorable goals/moments for Kesler in a Ducks uniform. But it got me thinking will we ever see this Ryan Kesler again? And if the first half of this season has shown me anything the answer is a resounding, no.

A Force in Vancouver and Anaheim

Make no mistake Ryan Kesler was one of the best in Vancouver for a long time. Overshadowed for reasons I don’t know by the Sedin twins but he was a huge reason for any of the Canucks success. Playing for the Canucks for 9 seasons he was a 40+ point getter five times including seasons of 75 and 73 point totals, a 6 time 20+ goal scorer including a 40+ goal campaign, and was one of the most prolific two-way players in the game.

He wanted out of Vancouver when it was clear they would be re-building and he wanted a shot at that long-elusive Stanley Cup. That’s when the Ducks came calling and man was he worth every penny.

Kesler didn’t miss a beat when he landed in Anaheim posting 47, 53, and 58 points total campaigns in those first three seasons. All well playing just as much an offensive as a shut-down role and in that 3 season span, he missed only 4 games. Following the rough ending in the West Finals to Nashville, it was revealed that Kesler would undergo hip surgery. That surgery cost him half of last season and a few games this. And even with him out there every night he isn’t right.

Not His Fault

I want to preface this by saying in some respects it isn’t Kesler’s fault. Kesler has a hip issue that is through no fault of his own. He doesn’t have the strength he once did to push off and drive with his legs and it is no doubt painful for him from time to time if not all the time. When he came back last year I figured there would be some type of re-entry period. He had missed half the season and would need time to acclimate. The more and more I watched it was clear he was uncomfortable and couldn’t play the game the way he wanted to. The Ducks should have shut him down last season but he pushed through because it’s who Kesler is. He managed just an 8-6-14 line in 44 games and was invisible in the playoffs (But then again so wasn’t everyone else). And even with the pain and discomfort, he was in you could argue he was in better shape last year than this at least from a point total perspective.

To this point, Kesler has played in 35 games. His line is just 4-2-6 in that span. He is on pace for a roughly mid-teens point total in almost a full season. In any season Kesler has played over 50 games his lowest point total has been 23 and that was his second season in the NHL. Could you make the argument this it’s his linemates? Sure Randy Carlyle has fallen in love with the “shut-down” line that sees Kesler center Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano. Which at one time was one of the best all-around lines in the game but those days are gone. Silfverberg has been and always will be a streaky player and Cogliano has arguably been one of the worst Ducks so far this season. Could a line with the likes of Daniel Sprong and Ondrej Kase help Kelser? Maybe but it won’t suddenly turn him into a 50 point player again.

What Now?

Ryan Kesler is one of my favorite players. I love how he plays the game, the edge he constantly has and he goes 100% from puck drop to the final horn. Which is why it kills me to propose this plan but hear me out. Kesler to this point has supplied the Ducks with 6 points. 6 points on a team starved for goal scoring and missing the likes of Patrick Eaves possibly forever and Corey Perry until March and no clue what kind of Perry we will be getting back. He isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard and its tough to tell if he is still hurting or this is the new normal. So with that, the Ducks should consider putting Kesler on LTIR. This would open up almost 7 million in cap space that GM Bob Murray could use to get a proven goal scorer here. And could bring up the likes of Sam Steel from San Diego to fill in the void at center.

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Steel proved he can play a two-way game during his stint here earlier this season and since going to San Diego he has rediscovered his scoring touch a bit. In 19 games he is 5-8-13 and 8th on the team in scoring. Pretty good for a rookie and if you need more incentive he played in just 13 games for the Ducks posting three points. That’s half the amount Kesler has all season and in only 13 games. Steel is part of the new wave of Ducks hockey and getting him here to play behind the likes of Ryan Getzlaf and Adam Henrique would do wonders for his development.

This helps the Ducks in the short term and gives Kesler time to rehab and see if perhaps another procedure would allow him to come back to original form. Or if the Ducks need to look at a potential buy-out. I hate even mentioning it but the Ducks still are paying Kesler at almost 7 million per for this year and the next three. And if the Kesler were seeing now is the new normal. It is going to be hard to watch for the next three years.