On June 27, 2014, the morning of the NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks acquired forward Ryan Kesler and a 2015 third-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Nick Bonino, defenseman Luca Sbisa, a 2014 first-round pick, and a 2014 third-round pick.
The trade manifested after Kesler requested to be moved from the Canucks, citing the desire to win a Stanley Cup as the driving factor.
In a 2021 interview with SportsNet 650 in Vancouver, Kesler indicated that he had requested a trade during the 2013-14 season.
“I gave Vancouver six or seven teams,” Kesler said. “When they came to me and asked me for teams, I talked to my agent; it was like Tampa, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Detroit was in there, Chicago, Anaheim, and maybe the Rangers.”
When a deal wasn’t made at the 2014 trade deadline, he narrowed his list to just two teams: the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks.
“So then summer comes,” Kelser continued. “Jim Benning gets hired, and Jim calls me, and he’s like, ‘Okay, we have your seven teams. We’re gonna get to work here.’ I said, ‘Jim, it’s not your fault, but it’s two teams now,’ and he got all mad with me.”
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Kesler had two years remaining on his six-year contract, with an AAV (average annual value) of $5 million and a full no-trade clause.
After a run to the conference final in 2015, when the Ducks were eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, Kesler signed a six-year contract extension with an AAV of $6.875 million and a full no-move clause for the first three seasons.
The deal was set to expire when Kesler reached 37 years old.
Kesler played three healthy seasons in Anaheim, including his best in 2016-17, where he scored 58 points in 82 games and earned an All-Star appearance before the Ducks lost another game seven in the Western Conference Final.
He had dealt with hip issues, including arthritis, and first had surgery in the summer of 2017. He then had hip resurfacing surgery in 2019, effectively ending his 15-year playing career.
On Wednesday, Nov 13, Kesler joined “Donnie and Dhali” on CHEK TV, a Vancouver-based television and radio show, to discuss his time as a Canuck as he was in town for the annual CAN Pro-Am charity hockey tournament to raise money toward the Canucks Autism Network.
“I would love that. My heart’s still here in the city,” Kesler said when asked if he’d be interested in signing a one-day contract to retire a Canuck. “Now that I’m retired and looking back on it, I left to win a cup, and I can say I honestly regret that now.”
Ryan Kesler played five seasons in Anaheim with the Ducks. He scored 76 goals and 180 points in 346 games. He added 27 points in 44 playoff games and reached game seven of the Western Conference Final twice.
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His most consistent linemates were Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg. The trio formed one of the most dominant shutdown lines in NHL history, severely limiting (or eliminating completely) the effectiveness of opposing top lines. They were so efficient that the Ducks’ other three lines were able to absorb lighter minutes and focus entirely on amplifying offensive output.
“Body’s good,” Kesler said when asked how he’s physically holding up post-playing career. “My quality of life is a lot better, and that’s what I was hoping for with the surgeries I got. It was no way to live.”
Ryan Kesler gave his heart, soul, and body to the sport of hockey and the two NHL organizations he played for. He’s a player many will likely look back on and say deserved to hoist the Stanley Cup.
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