After undergoing another hip surgery, Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Kesler told reporters on Tuesday that he could potentially be out four to five months, according to NHL.com.
Initially, it was expected that Kesler would miss 12 weeks after the club said he underwent an operation for some “general cleaning” that included the removal of bone fragments.
“It’s going to take awhile,” Kesler said on the eve of the 2017 NHL Awards and NHL Expansion Draft presented by T-Mobile. “Gotta be patient with that. ... It [stinks], but it had to be done.”
Kesler said he will be re-evaluated in 12 weeks.
If he does take up to five months to fully recover, he could miss a sizable portion of the first half of the season.
Kesler is in Las Vegas right now for the NHL Awards, which go tonight. He’s a finalist for the Selke Trophy, along with Patrice Bergeron and Mikko Koivu.