Ducks center Ryan Kesler may miss entire 2018-19 season

Ryan Kesler operated in a diminished state this season, and now he may sit out all of next season.

At his peak Ryan Kesler was one of the top two-way centers in the NHL, with at least 20 goals in a season nine times his career and a regular place in the voting for the Selke Trophy. But hip surgery last offseason delayed the start to his 2017-18 campaign, and Kesler tallied just 14 points (eight goals, six assists)  in 44 regular season games. He followed that with two points in Anaheim’s four game first-round playoff exit.

Kesler clearly was not himself all season, and hip issues don’t just magically go away. Now, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, there’s a chance Kesler will miss the entire 2018-19 season.

Kesler will reportedly not undergo another surgery, choosing instead to partake in “aggressive rehab and treatment.” If he can’t get his hip right, he could sit out next season with an eye on returning in 2019-20 at 35 years old.

Kesler has four years left on the six-year contract extension he signed with the Ducks in 2015, with a $6.88 million cap hit and a $6.7 million base salary each year. So retirement in lieu of sitting out next season seems unlikely, and there’s no chance the Ducks can trade Kesler even if they wanted to.

The Ducks have plenty of depth at center, with Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, Rickard Rackell, Antoine Vermette and Derek Grant able to play the position. Henrique, Vermette (if healthy himself) and Grant would be in line to cover the career-low 18 minutes per game Kesler averaged this year.

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There’s a long way to go before Kesler’s status for the start of next season, let alone the entire season, is determined. He’ll definitely be doing his best to get on the ice as soon as possible, but at some point a chronic hip issue could make it a fruitless effort.