Vancouver Canucks All-Star Ryan Kesler not expected to be fit before January -NHL Update
The lockout has so far proved to be beneficial for the Vancouver Canucks since they have not had to play without their leading centre player and American All-Star, Ryan Kesler, who is still recovering from a shoulder and wrist surgeries, which he underwent
during the offseason this year.
Luckily, the rules of the current lockout state that a player, who is in the condition of being injured, will continue to receive compensation according to his contract and allowed full use of team facilities until he is fully recovered, something the veteran
does not expect till at least January of next year to happen.
"I think the timeline was December before the wrist [surgery]," said Kesler, adding that his progress will be evaluated by his doctors in December, according to NHL.com. "When the wrist came into effect, it really hindered the shoulder. I couldn't do much
for eight weeks so that puts you back two months with the shoulder. Strength-wise, I'm pretty far behind."
Being injured in the National Hockey League (NHL) is never easy since until a player is not fully cleared to go, continuing to play would only result in further and more severe injuries due to the extreme physical level required to go out on the ice and
perform in front of thousands of fans.
Kesler is a 28-year-old centre player from Livonia, Missouri, United States, and was selected by the Vancouver Canucks as the 23rd overall back in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
He has played eight seasons up until now in his career with the Vancouver Canucks and is certainly one of the best forwards in the league at the moment. Last season was a little slow for his due to various injuries as he potted 49 points (22 goals, 27 assists),
much lower than his usual 70-plus performance every season.
In a total of 561 games played, Kesler hold 337 points (153 goals, 184 assists).
"Injuries are part of the game and they happen to everybody, but I've been on a bit of an unlucky streak the last year," Kesler added. "No one wants to have three surgeries in a calendar year. It was tough but, in saying that, I'm just trying to get back
to 100 percent.”
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