Player Review: Ryan Kesler

By AJ Manderichio AnaheimDucks.com

As part of the AnaheimDucks.com annual Player Reviews, we will be featuring a different Ducks player throughout the coming weeks, in numerical uniform number order. Each review will include key stats, a highlight and an outlook for 2016-17.

Heart. Hustle. Determination.

In his second year with the Ducks, Ryan Kesler continued to embody the emotional, competitive nature he promised when he first came to Southern California. The American center never seemed to waver, approaching each game with the same scowl and unflappable demeanor.

Those qualities didn’t translate to a smooth season. It took Kesler six games to record his first point – an assist – and 15 to tally his first goal of the season. Through his first 36 games of the season, Kesler had just 12 points (4g/8a), with half coming on the power play.

It all changed when the calendar flipped to 2016.

Kesler averaged a point-per-game in January, posting 11 points (7g/4a) in 11 contests. He went on to record 30 points over the final 32 games of the regular season, finishing with 53 points. It was his highest total since his 2010-11 season with Vancouver. He cracked the 20-goal mark for the third straight season while compiling the third 30-assist season of his career.

His improved play led to direct success for his linemates. Both Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano experienced similar offensive explosions in the second half of the season. Silfverberg, in particular, excelled skating exclusively with Kesler. The Swedish winger scored 17 goals from January to April, helping him reach the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career.

At season’s end, the team’s de-facto ‘checking line’ became one of its most dangerous offensive …

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