This season certainly hasn’t gone Ryan Kesler’s way. He wasn’t able to play in the Vancouver Canucks’ first 12 contests after undergoing shoulder and wrist surgeries.
Now he’s skating and trying to return from a broken bone in his foot that’s sidelined him since Feb. 26.
“Obviously being out there you want to play tonight but that’s not realistic,” Kesler told the Vancouver Province. “I am itching, I am itching big time. It’s been a tough year for me but everything happens for a reason.
“My goal is to get some games in before playoffs and feel good about my game heading into playoffs.”
The Canucks haven’t speculated on when he might return, although Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy reported on Monday that Kesler “could be back in a week.”
Kesler has played in just seven games this season and his absence created a hole for Vancouver up the middle. Canucks GM Mike Gillis recently addressed that issue by acquiring Derek Roy from the Dallas Stars.