Another summer is upon us, which means another round of player reviews. AnaheimDucks.com will feature a different Ducks player throughout the summer (in numerical order), highlighting key stats while also keeping an eye on next season. Next up is center Ryan Kesler.
2016-17 Player Review: Ryan Kesler
Consistency and durability were hallmarks of Kesler's 2016-17 season, his 13th overall and third with Anaheim. Once again centering one of the league's best checking lines alongside Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg, the 32-year-old Livonia, Michigan native finished the season with 22 goals and 58 points with a +8 rating and 83 penalty minutes in 82 games - his highest point total since he won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2010-11 with the Vancouver Canucks. It marked his fourth consecutive 20-goal season and his highest goal output since 2013-14 when he posted 25 with the Canucks. He was one of four Ducks to appear in every game last season, joining Cogliano, right wing Corey Perry and defenseman Josh Manson. It represented the fifth time in his career and first since 2010-11 in which he did not miss a game.
Known as one of the best checking centers in the game, his exemplary work at both ends of the ice made him a finalist for the Selke, which is awarded "to the top forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game." It was the fifth time Kesler was named a finalist for the trophy, joining Patrice Bergeron (6) and Pavel Datsyuk (7) as the only players to be named a finalist for the award on five separate occasions since 2006. He became the second Duck to be named a Selke finalist, joining center Samuel Pahlsson in 2006-07.
Kesler ranked third in the NHL in faceoff wins (1,029, career high) and sixth in faceoff win percentage (57.4%). Furthermore, he led all NHL forwards in shifts per game (27.5), ranked third in average time on ice per game (21:18), fourth in total shorthanded TOI (221:39) and sixth in blocked shots (75). In the defensive zone, Kesler led the league in faceoff wins (429) and took the most 5-on-5 draws in the d-zone (547). He won more faceoffs (170 more, to be exact) and posted a higher overall number in average TOI per game (21:18 to 20:29) compared to his 2010-11 Selke-winning season. (Bergeron won the award this past June at the 2017 NHL Awards)
Kesler made his second career trip to the All-Star Game this past January at Staples Center following his All-Star debut in 2011. At the time of the announcement (January 10), Kesler led the Ducks in points (35), co-led in goals (16), ranked third in assists (19) and second in plus/minus (+10).
Kesler reached several milestones last season, including his 500th career point on November 2 vs. Pittsburgh, 300th assist on March 12 vs. Washington and his 200th game as a Duck on January 4 vs. Detroit. He recorded his fourth career hat trick and first three-goal game as a Duck in a 4-3 shootout victory over Philadelphia on January 1 at Honda Center, and tied a career high with three assists in a 3-1 triumph at Calgary on April 2.
Kesler went on to appear in all 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Ducks and finished with eight points (1g/7a) and 32 penalty minutes. His lone goal of the postseason came in Game 3 of the Second Round against Edmonton - an insurance marker that gave the Ducks a 6-3 lead. The victory got them back in the series (cut the deficit to 2-1) and deflated a raucous crowd that had not witnessed an Oilers playoff game in nearly 11 years. The Ducks went on to win Game 4 and take the series in a do-or-die Game 7 back at Honda Center.
Though he didn't reveal any specific injuries in his end-of-season interview, Kesler underwent hip surgery to remove bone fragments in early June - a procedure that, at the time, was expected to sideline him for three months before resuming full activity. However, in a story written by Lisa Dillman of NHL.com on June 20, Kesler said it could take up to five months to recover, which would put the opening month of the season in doubt.
