Ryan Kesler's Return Date Pushed To January

Ryan Kesler told the media today:

"I’m pretty banged up. I can’t shoot or stickhandle yet. Strength-wise, healing the shoulder is going to be pretty tedious the next few months. I’m pretty far behind. I saw the doctor a week ago in Cleveland and my strength is so far behind with my wrist. If I had my shoulder surgery on the right side, it might have helped a bit. It’s going to take time, but time heals everything. And because I’m injured, I can’t have contact and I can’t shoot, so I would be pretty useless out there if I skated with them [teammates] now."

He has had three surgeries in the past calendar year on his hip, his labrum (shoulder) and his wrist. The December return was his own projection, so you can forgive him for being optimistic.

This news would sting if there was actually hockey being played. What concerns me is the wear and tear on his body already at the young age of 28. Kesler plays hard though. That's his style. So he is going to get banged up occasionally. But three surgeries in a year? That has me a bit concerned.