Vancouver Canucks center Ryan Kesler will likely miss the start of next season after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, the team announced on Tuesday.
Kesler is expected to "make a full recovery in six months," according to a release from the Canucks, meaning Kesler could be out of action throughout the month of October.
"After consultation with our team physicians following the playoffs, it was deemed that Ryan would require a procedure on his shoulder," general manager and president Mike Gillis, who signed a contract extension Monday, said in the release. "We expect a full recovery and determined this procedure would best serve the team's and Ryan's long-term goals."
Kesler has said the injury plagued him since January, and he struggled down the stretch, failing to score a goal in his final 17 games, and managing just three assists as the Canucks were knocked out of the playoffs in five games by Los Angeles.
"I'm not going to make excuses," Kesler said two days after the season ended. "I wasn't good enough down the stretch."
It's the second straight season that has ended in surgery for Kesler.
He scored a career-high 41 goals and finished with 73 points and the Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward in 2010-2011, but injured his hip in the Western Conference Finals, was largely ineffective in the Cup Final and ended up having surgery to repair a torn hip labrum in July. He missed the first five games of the regular season, and finished with 22 goals and 49 points, his lowest totals in four seasons.
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.