‘No timeline whatsoever’ for return of Ducks forward Ryan Kesler

Ryan-Kesler

Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Kesler, left. (Jeff McIntosh/CP)

Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Kesler is out indefinitely as he continues to recover from off-season hip surgery.

The Ducks hope the 33-year-old will be able to return before Christmas, but nothing is set in stone.

“As of right now, there is no timeline whatsoever,” general manager Bob Murray said Friday. “He couldn’t skate [during the second half of the season]. No push-off on his right leg. He has to rebuild his glutes and quads. That’s what we’re in the process of doing right now. I’m hopeful to have him back before Christmas, but that’s all I’m going to say right now.”

Kesler scored 22 goals to go along with 36 assists last year for Anaheim, adding one goal and seven assists during the Ducks’ playoff run.

The surgery was performed on June 8 to remove bone fragments from his hip. Later that month, Kesler told NHL.com that it could take four or five months to recover from his injury. The Ducks plan to take a cautious approach with their star’s return to action.

“You know how Kesler is, he’s pushing it pretty good, but we’re also pushing back and just taking our time,” Murray said.

[relatedlinks]

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.