Smudger;2305777; said:
TGfan06;2305783; said:
- See more at: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/...esler/8025051/story.html#sthash.Gv96OklF.dpufCanucks star Ryan Kesler out indefinitely with broken foot
'Any fracture is usually four to six weeks,' says coach Alain Vigneault
By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun February 27, 2013
Canucks star Ryan Kesler out indefinitely with broken foot
Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler in action against the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday night. Kesler is out indefinitey with a broken foot, the team announced Wednesday.
Photograph by: Steve Bosch , PNG
VANCOUVER ? Losers of two straight games and five of their last seven, the Vancouver Canucks lost off the ice Wednesday when it was revealed that centre Ryan Kesler has a fractured right foot and is sidelined until further notice.
Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault was uncertain how long Kesler will be out but told reporters following practice he assumed it would be ?for a while.? Kesler missed the first 12 games this season as he recovered from shoulder and wrist surgeries. He played the last seven and had five points, including a nice assist Tuesday on Jason Garrison's goal.
?We don't know how long it is yet and as soon as we find out, we'll share it with you,? Vigneault said. ?Any fracture is usually 4-6 weeks depending on the nature of the fracture. Some are less, hairline fractures or whatever. So I haven't gotten any length from our doctors how long this one is going to be.?
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Healthy Ryan Kesler feeling good about upcoming Vancouver Canucks season
August 28, 2013.
PHOTO: Susan Walsh, Associated Press
Vancouver Canuck Ryan Kesler (second from left) with fellow prospective Olympians Trevor Lewis (far left), Patrick Kane and Jack Johnson (far right) at the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team orientation camp in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday.
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For the first time in forever — or least a couple of years — Ryan Kesler will be coming to training camp completely healthy.
In an interview from this week’s U.S. Olympic orientation camp in Arlington, Va., Kesler said he’s feeling great.
“Yeah, two years, finally healthy,” Kesler told the NHL Network. “It feels good to have a full summer of training under my belt for the first time in who knows how long. It’s positive, everything is positive on my front.”
That is good news for the Canucks, who need to see the Kesler of old if they are to be serious Stanley Cup contenders this season.
Kesler had a 41-goal, 73-point season and won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in helping lead the Canucks to the Stanley Cup finals in 2011. But his production has dropped off dramatically since then and he has battled a series of injuries.
In 2011-12, Kesler had 22 goals and 49 points. Kesler was recovering from two off-season surgeries last season and played just 17 regular-season games. He had four goals and 13 points.
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Plenty of demand on healthy Canucks centre Ryan Kesler
By Cam Tucker
Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press Vancouver Canucks' centre Ryan Kesler celebrates his goal against the Phoenix Coyotes during the first period of an NHL game at Rogers Arena on April 8.
In some cases, the NHL pre-season is a false indicator of what to expect when the puck drops for real, and wins and losses finally matter.
But not when it comes to Ryan Kesler and the role – and responsibilities – he’ll have with the Vancouver Canucks under John Tortorella’s tenure.
The plan Tortorella has for Kesler, the speedy second-line centre, is simple: he’s going to play and play a lot, so long as he is healthy enough to do so.
In his first pre-season game, Kesler played a whopping 25 minutes and 29 seconds, and was on pace for much more than that after the opening period.
It’s a sign of things to come.
“I’m going to demand a lot out of him,” said Tortorella on Sunday.
Kesler arrived to training camp completely healthy, which is something that can’t be said for each of the past two seasons.
Hip surgery following the Stanley Cup Final in 2011 and surgeries on his wrist and shoulder in the 2012 off-season delayed his much-needed inclusion into the lineup for weeks at a time.
The success of the Canucks this season hinges greatly on whether the 29-year-old Livonia, Mich., native remains in the lineup.
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Canucks' Kesler excelling after shift to wing
Monday, 10.28.2013
By Kevin Woodley - NHL.com Correspondent
Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin blocking shots and killing penalties, John Tortorella's boldest move as new coach of the Vancouver Canucks involves moving Selke Trophy-winning center Ryan Kesler to the right wing.
It's a move Kesler, who won the Selke in 2011, bristled at in the past, but one that's hard to argue with given his current success.
After recording one goal and no assists in his first six games playing primarily as a center, Kesler scored six times and added three assists while moving to the wing during the Canucks' recently completed seven-game road trip. He finished the team's longest trip of the season with two goals against the St. Louis Blues, including the overtime winner, and has four goals and three assists during a four-game point streak.
John Tortorella’s boldest move as new coach of the Vancouver Canucks involves moving Selke Trophy-winning center Ryan Kesler to the right wing. (Photo: Bill Wippert/NHLI)
It probably doesn't hurt that Kesler is playing on the Canucks' top line with the Sedin twins, or that Kesler trails only Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby in ice time among NHL forwards.
"It's easy to play with a couple guys like that," Kesler, who last played wing for an estimated 30 or 40 games alongside Mats Sundin in 2008-09, said of the Sedins. "They are obviously future Hall of Famers, and the way they play took a little while to get used to, but I am enjoying it."
Kesler fired 35 shots on goal during the seven-game road trip after hitting the net 19 times in his first six games -- and nine of those came during a 6-2 romp over the Edmonton Oilers in Vancouver's home opener. He averaged two shots in his other five games as a center, but is averaging five per game since playing more on right wing.
"I don't think it's much different," Kesler said. "When you play with a couple of guys that get you pucks so much and in good areas to shoot, it makes the game a lot easier. Playing with the twins, they definitely get me the puck and I just shoot more, that's the thing."
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