Player Discussion Ryan Kesler

[alcolol]

The man is deserving of his own thread. I'll start by saying he seems highly motivated to win every single small battle. The grit and tenacity he adds to this team should make us much harder to play against in a seven game series. Here's to hoping we make it that far...

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[TopShelfWaterBottle]

I'm more worried about him making it that far

 

[alcolol]

I'm more worried about him making it that far

He takes a beating which is obviously a cause for concern. Then again, he claims to be feeling the best he ever has. Hopefully Bruce doesn't overwork him.

 

[ekm01]

He goes out there every shift and plays 100%. Puts his body on the line each and every night. Yes, thats a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. I think thats why he gets injured so often. Coming to a new team isn't easy, and it's going to take time to develop chemistry, but so far, he looks good.

I do feel like at times, he tries to do too much, where he'll skate the puck in circles, when Silfverberg is wide open in the slot, but like i said, chemistry will come, and he won't even have to pick his head up and he will know where his linemates will be.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

He takes a beating which is obviously a cause for concern. Then again, he claims to be feeling the best he ever has. Hopefully Bruce doesn't overwork him.

this is why we need to manage his minutes, IMO with our roster we don't need to be playing our big 3 forwards over 20 MPG. the canucks ran him into the ground last year and his production took a hit


for me personally i'd like to see the getzlaf and kesler lines stay in the 18 MPG range

 

[Sojourn]

I seriously, seriously doubt Getzlaf and Kesler would be happy playing under 20 minutes a game. Those guys want to be on the ice helping their team win games. Not only does this make Anaheim a worse team over the regular season, but it could be frustrating for the players.

 

[Ducks Nation*]

this is why we need to manage his minutes, IMO with our roster we don't need to be playing our big 3 forwards over 20 MPG. the canucks ran him into the ground last year and his production took a hit


for me personally i'd like to see the getzlaf and kesler lines stay in the 18 MPG range

Yeah.... no.

 

[Paul4587]

Yeah.... no.

Not that I disagree but do you ever put forward a valid argument to back up your opinions?

 

[Ducks Nation*]

Not that I disagree but do you ever put forward a valid argument to back up your opinions?

Probably because logically 2 of our best 3 players (who play in every situation) are not going to play 18 minutes a game ?

Unless we win every game in blowouts or get blown out every game

 

[KaseMeOutside]

I seriously, seriously doubt Getzlaf and Kesler would be happy playing under 20 minutes a game. Those guys want to be on the ice helping their team win games. Not only does this make Anaheim a worse team over the regular season, but it could be frustrating for the players.

if you present a big picture to them it should not be an issue
keeping them ready for the playoffs is paramount

getzlaf wore down last year, his play dropped off, we all saw it. kesler played way too many minutes and his production went off a cliff

this team is not judged on regular season success anymore, and i think the players all know that

 

[Sojourn]

if you present a big picture to them it should not be an issue
keeping them ready for the playoffs is paramount

getzlaf wore down last year, his play dropped off, we all saw it. kesler played way too many minutes and his production went off a cliff

this team is not judged on regular season success anymore, and i think the players all know that

The difference is that Getzlaf was relied on in basically every situation, and the same was true of Kesler in Vancouver. Just having the both of them together will ease the burden.

These guys are competitors, and they want to be out there competing. You aren't going to do them, or the team, any favors by cutting their minutes. What Getzlaf(and Kesler) needed was help. They've got that.

Also, I don't think Anaheim is so good a team that they can afford to just cut the minutes of two of their best players without seeing negative results. In fact, I'm not sure any team is capable of that. The league is far too competitive. The difference between winning and losing games could be those minutes you're taking away from them, and by the time you try to turn things around, you've run out of time.

 

[Ducks Nation*]

The difference is that Getzlaf was relied on in basically every situation, and the same was true of Kesler in Vancouver. Just having the both of them together will ease the burden.

These guys are competitors, and they want to be out there competing. You aren't going to do them, or the team, any favors by cutting their minutes. What Getzlaf(and Kesler) needed was help. They've got that.

Also, I don't think Anaheim is so good a team that they can afford to just cut the minutes of two of their best players without seeing negative results. In fact, I'm not sure any team is capable of that. The league is far too competitive. The difference between winning and losing games could be those minutes you're taking away from them, and by the time you try to turn things around, you've run out of time.

Yes, getting Kesler was such a great move, both of them can play any time any zone any situation, and even together in late game situations, we have so much more versatility than last year.

 

[alcolol]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Getzlaf was being used on the PK a lot towards the end of last year. Kesler will soak up those minutes and will generally be relied upon less this year than he was last year in Vancouver. Both of their minutes should be reduced over the long run.

 

[Sojourn]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Getzlaf was being used on the PK a lot towards the end of last year. Kesler will soak up those minutes and will generally be relied upon less this year than he was last year in Vancouver. Both of their minutes should be reduced over the long run.

I don't think they will. I suspect we'll still see Getzlaf average a little over 20 minutes a game, because that's what an elite center is typically asked to play. The reason is pretty simple: They are that good, and you want them on the ice.

What will change, I think, is where they spend some of those minutes. If Boudreau can keep Getzlaf off the ice in some defensive situations, because he can lean on Kesler to take that responsibility, it allows him to put Getzlaf on the ice in another situation... say in the neutral zone, or the offensive zone. The minutes will probably not be cut. They'll just be shuffled around.

 

[alcolol]

I don't think they will. I suspect we'll still see Getzlaf average a little over 20 minutes a game, because that's what an elite center is typically asked to play. The reason is pretty simple: They are that good, and you want them on the ice.

What will change, I think, is where they spend some of those minutes. If Boudreau can keep Getzlaf off the ice in some defensive situations, because he can lean on Kesler to take that responsibility, it allows him to put Getzlaf on the ice in another situation... say in the neutral zone, or the offensive zone. The minutes will probably not be cut. They'll just be shuffled around.

I completely agree. Getzlaf's "hard" minutes should be reduced thanks to the addition of Kesler (and Thompson, to a lesser extent).

 

[Getzmonster]

I don't think they will. I suspect we'll still see Getzlaf average a little over 20 minutes a game, because that's what an elite center is typically asked to play. The reason is pretty simple: They are that good, and you want them on the ice.

What will change, I think, is where they spend some of those minutes. If Boudreau can keep Getzlaf off the ice in some defensive situations, because he can lean on Kesler to take that responsibility, it allows him to put Getzlaf on the ice in another situation... say in the neutral zone, or the offensive zone. The minutes will probably not be cut. They'll just be shuffled around.

I agree with this.

Last season among all NHL forwards (not counting Big Buff), the total TOI per game broke down like: 1) Crosby 21:58m... 2) Kesler 21:48m... 3) Getzlaf 21:17m... and so on. These two guys are horses and play in every situation.

The only reduction in ice time I see would be for Kesler on the PP (depending on whether he is a fixture on the 1st unit or not), and for Getz on the PK given that Kesler and Thompson should be getting the prime PK duties (which is fine by me considering Getzlaf's love of blocking pucks with his face... *see my avatar). Overall though, I still see Kes and Getz both playing 20+ minutes p/g, the drop off from those two to the likes of Thompson and Rakell (Karlsson, etc.) is still fairly notable.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

The difference is that Getzlaf was relied on in basically every situation, and the same was true of Kesler in Vancouver. Just having the both of them together will ease the burden.

These guys are competitors, and they want to be out there competing. You aren't going to do them, or the team, any favors by cutting their minutes. What Getzlaf(and Kesler) needed was help. They've got that.

Also, I don't think Anaheim is so good a team that they can afford to just cut the minutes of two of their best players without seeing negative results. In fact, I'm not sure any team is capable of that. The league is far too competitive. The difference between winning and losing games could be those minutes you're taking away from them, and by the time you try to turn things around, you've run out of time.

If they are easing the burden on each other, then it would make sense that they will play fewer minutes

 

[Reign Nateo]

He goes out there every shift and plays 100%. Puts his body on the line each and every night. Yes, thats a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. I think thats why he gets injured so often. Coming to a new team isn't easy, and it's going to take time to develop chemistry, but so far, he looks good.

I do feel like at times, he tries to do too much, where he'll skate the puck in circles, when Silfverberg is wide open in the slot, but like i said, chemistry will come, and he won't even have to pick his head up and he will know where his linemates will be.

This won't change with linemates. It's the biggest knock on Kesler the last couple years. He scored 40 and thought he was Ovechkin. He has always been pretty selfish, but the last couple years it's become an issue. Could be an adjustment he makes, but he doesn't have a pure, elite hockey sense.

Pros:
He can skate, he can hit, he can wire the puck and the other team hates him. He can shut down the other team's top centre while creating offence of his own. He has a quick release and a very hard shot that makes him a great trigger man on the PP. He rarely loses puck battles. He takes pride in killing penalties. He is not afraid of the corners and takes the puck to the net. He also looks to make big hits and forechecks very hard, he also backchecks very hard when he's in the mood. He amps up his game for the playoffs/Olympics. He has a knack for getting under his opponents' skin. Supreme confidence. He's an intelligent player, but not amazing hockey sense. He's also very good on the draw in all zones and can play RW. He won a Selke for a reason, he hounds the puck in the defensive end and has a long and busy stick. Absolutely cannot deal with losing.

Cons:
He can be selfish. Doesn't pass the puck all of the time and would rather lug it through the nuetral zone himself. Which can lead to frustration. He can pout at times which can lead to some pretty uninspired play at times. He's a bit fickle, if he's happy and healthy, look out he will dominate. If he's not getting his way, he can bring the mood down and try to do it all on his own. His hockey sense is average, rarely makes incredible passing plays, more of a power game. Most of his defecincies come from his attitude, which isn't necissarily a bad attitude, just fickle. I don't see it being a problem in Anahim this year though. Injuries. He is reckless and gives 100%, which leads to some injuries. He also quit on the Canucks and didn't give a full effort for some time. That may or may not be a con in your mind.

Overall I think it was an incredible trade for the Ducks. They got a guy that can dominate in the right situation and it looks like just the right situation. He should play with a winger that can pass the puck and another winger that can dig it out of the corners and help him out when the other team inevitabley comes after him in scrums. He's going to open up some matchup problems for the other team. At home the Ducks can send him over the boards against the other team's top line and allow Getzlaf and Perry to feast. He took some heat in Vancouver for alledgedly being a less than ideal teammate and quitting on the team that drafted, developed and loved him. But I think that will wake him up more than anything. I honestly don't think he saw anything wrong with his actions, he just thought about things with his own best interest in mind. Again, he is very egocentric and confident (a good thing in pro sports). I think he learned some lessons and will be a mature and positive part of the Ducks. He also despises losing so he should be much happier in Anaheim than Vancouver this year. Followed this guy since he was 17 years old, he's come a long way. I think you guys will be very happy with this trade very soon. Bonino is a likeable guy, but Ryan Kesler will make you forget he ever existed.

 

[Sojourn]

If they are easing the burden on each other, then it would make sense that they will play fewer minutes

Ugh. I had a long post and my laptop ran out of juice... at any rate, I addressed this in that very same post you responded to, as well as the following post.

I'll take this a step further:

29 forwards played 20 minutes or more(excluding Byfuglien). 17 of them are listed as centers. Another 11 centers played 19 minutes or more. Let's look at some of the 20-minute centers. Datsyuk, Crosby, Malkin, Getzlaf, Kopitar, Toews, Giroux, Sedin, Tavares, Stamkos. Do you see a pattern here? If you were to make a list of the best centers in the game, the majority of these guys make it. 20 minutes per game is the norm for an elite center. On that very same list, there are 9 Stanley Cups, and there are 14 Stanley Cup appearances. I've actually made this point previously to you, but you either ignored it, or didn't see it.

Over the course of an 82 game season, we'll probably still see Kesler and Getzlaf averaging more than 20 minutes per game, because Boudreau is going to want to get them out there as much as he can. Yes, when the score allows it, you can bet he's going to rest them when he can, because that's what every coach does, but he isn't going to sit Getzlaf on the bench for 3 extra minutes per game(which is what you're suggesting) just because he has Kesler there. Or vice versa.

Do you remember in 2005-2006 when we had Scott Niedermayer? That dude was Mr. Everything for us that season. He played 25+ minutes per game that season. That off-season, we added Chris Pronger. Did Niedermayer's numbers drop? No. In fact, they went up. He went from 25+ minutes per game to 27+ minutes per game. What Carlyle was able to do, with that 1-2 punch, was he was able to spread out some of the tougher minutes, actually giving Niedermayer more ice time by shuffling the responsibilities a bit, and likely making sure that some of the minutes were a little easier, even if the bulk of them were hard minutes.

Now, I'm not saying that Boudreau will increase Getzlaf and Kesler's minutes(I actually expect a very slight decrease, to just over 20 minutes per game), but the point is that having that 1-2 combination will allow Boudreau to siphon off some of the harder minutes onto Kesler, giving Getzlaf the opportunity to play a lot of minutes, but in different situations; likely more favorable ones for an offensive talent like Getzlaf. He's still going to want to get them out there as much as he can, because players like Kesler and Getzlaf are the ones that win you hockey games.

 

[ekm01]

I think only time you'll really see Getzlaf on the PK, is if Kesler is in the box, or towards the end of the kill. Boudreau seems to like to get Getzlaf and Perry out there at the tail end, looking for a counterattack when whoever took the penalty comes out of the box.

 

[Teemu Kariya]

Now, I'm not saying that Boudreau will increase Getzlaf and Kesler's minutes(I actually expect a very slight decrease, to just over 20 minutes per game), but the point is that having that 1-2 combination will allow Boudreau to siphon off some of the harder minutes onto Kesler, giving Getzlaf the opportunity to play a lot of minutes, but in different situations; likely more favorable ones for an offensive talent like Getzlaf. He's still going to want to get them out there as much as he can, because players like Kesler and Getzlaf are the ones that win you hockey games.

If Kesler averages that 20min something and Getzlaf gets the same time (21min) or even a bit more than last season we have about 41min split between our 2 top centers.
So there will be a split of 19min for Thompson (who plays in the PK) and Rakell or Karlsson (who could play as the 2C in PP)?
Somehow this calculation doesnt look right if i think about it, am i forgetting something?

 

[Sojourn]

If Kesler averages that 20min something and Getzlaf gets the same time (21min) or even a bit more than last season we have about 41min split between our 2 top centers.
So there will be a split of 19min for Thompson (who plays in the PK) and Rakell or Karlsson (who could play as the 2C in PP)?
Somehow this calculation doesnt look right if i think about it, am i forgetting something?

You're assuming none of their minutes overlap, which is unlikely to be true.

Edit: I made that unnecessarily long.

 

[Paul4587]

This won't change with linemates. It's the biggest knock on Kesler the last couple years. He scored 40 and thought he was Ovechkin. He has always been pretty selfish, but the last couple years it's become an issue. Could be an adjustment he makes, but he doesn't have a pure, elite hockey sense.

Out of curiosity, where did the 50 assist season come from? Was it mostly rebounds/assists from playing with the Sedins on the PP. Because 50 assists is pretty impressive for a guy who I have never thought has much playmaking ability and vision.

 

[Reign Nateo]

Out of curiosity, where did the 50 assist season come from? Was it mostly rebounds/assists from playing with the Sedins on the PP. Because 50 assists is pretty impressive for a guy who I have never thought has much playmaking ability and vision.

He was moved to centre again that year (Demitra and Sundin left) and that was probably his best season overall. Should have won the Selke that year and used his linemates well. Mikael Samuelsson scored 30 on his wing, Mason Raymond 25. He was also deadly on the PP that year. He can pass, just not his best asset. But this was the most effective Kesler. The next year he scored 41 goals, it went to his head and he tried to be Ovechkin for 3 years. Basically that year was the pinnacle of his playing career and was the kind of play that makes Kesler special. He got away from that after his 41 goal year. Hopefully for the Ducks his head shrinks a bit and he goes back to those days, basically that year was as good as Kesler can hope to play.

 

[duari91]

Little off-topic, but it still pertains to Kesler.

I went to the last pre season game against the Sharks. In my opinion, Kesler was one of the best players on the ice. I didn't see the other pre season games, so I can't judge him from that standpoint.

All I can say is, he is a special player, and is exactly what this team needed. Watching him on the first PP unit with Getzlaf was a treat in itself. I would even venture to say he might be better for us than McDonald. Time will tell though.