Kesler notched his first two points of the season in a 5-2 win against Arizona on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Kesler played 17:32 in a blowout win, his highest total this season. His ice time will continue to creep up as he gets into game shape, but all that missed time hasn't really hurt his effectiveness. He also threw out a hit and blocked three shots, and dominated the faceoff circle with a 71 percent success rate. His return to the lineup will give the entire team a boost, and free up Ryan Getzlaf so he doesn't have to draw the toughest assignments. Kesler is a multi-tool fantasy beast, and deserves a spot in virtually all lineups.

Kelser has gone scoreless with a minus-3 rating and five PIM over 15:38 of average ice time in his first two games back from hip surgery.

EDGE Analysis

Give him time. Kesler's an excellent two-way producer who's just getting started on his 2017-18 campaign. He sparred with Matthew Tkachuk on Friday -- hence where the five PIM came from -- and he also blocked a pair of shots in that 2-1 home win against the Flames. Kesler's netted at least 20 goals in four straight seasons and even though his late start will almost assuredly prevent a fifth, the Michigan native's terrific on-ice vision coupled with his role on the No. 2 power play should lead to an abundance of goals and helpers in 2018.

Kelser (hip) will return to the lineup against the Golden Knights on Wednesday, Brian Compton of NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kesler will be making his 2017-18 debut after missing the start of the season with his hip malady. The center is slated to suit up on the third-line with Andrew Cogliano and Chris Wagner, although the fluidity of lines could see him take on a top-six role before the end of Wednesday's tilt. Once officially activated off injured reserve, the Ducks will need to reassign a player to AHL San Diego -- likely Andy Welinski or Dennis Rasmussen.

Kesler (hip) took to the ice for the Saturday morning skate, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Ducks are in the nation's capital preparing to take on the likes of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, but we shouldn't expect Kesler to return until after Christmas. Generally, a player recovering from surgery needs to prove that he can partake in multiple full-contact practice sessions before getting green lit for a return. Still, this isn't a bad time to stash Kesler if you have room on your fantasy roster. He amassed 111 points (43 goals, 68 assists) over the past two seasons and is regarded as one of the best two-way players in the game.

Kesler (hip) accompanied the Ducks on a six-game road trip that begins in St. Louis on Thursday, but he's not expected to return until after Christmas, NHL.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The two-way tantalizer has been skating, but his return timetable keeps getting pushed back as we move closer to the new year. Anaheim has been a tough-luck team based on it's suffering from a myriad of injuries up front as well as being handed four overtime losses in the past 10 games alone. One would think that Kesler's ultimate return will tilt the scales in a more favorable direction given that he's amassed 551 points (245 goals, 306 assists) to complement a plus-33 rating over 897 career contests.

Kesler (hip) is planning to go on the Ducks' upcoming six-game road trip, Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports.

EDGE Analysis

The team likely won't want to rush Kesler back into action too quickly and risk aggravating his surgically repaired hip, but it's quite possible with this piece of news that the veteran forward will be able to make his season debut by Dec. 23 when the road trip ends in Pittsburgh. Especially considering the fact that Anaheim is currently dealing with a multitude of injuries, it wouldn't be surprising if Kesler is immediately tasked with retaking his top-six role that includes time with the power-play unit, so be sure to grab him now while you still can.

Kesler (hip) is "starting to appear on the radar" in his recovery, Eric Stephens of The Orange County Register reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 2011 Selke Trophy recipient has yet to debut this season and he remains without a clear timetable for his return, but the clock is ticking on your chances of possibly getting him for free off the waiver wire in select formats. Kesler's averaged roughly 53 points in his first three seasons with the Ducks, and he's usually good for around 20 minutes of ice time per contest with a consistent role on the man advantage.

Kesler has been skating every day as he rounds out his recovery from a hip injury.

EDGE Analysis

Ducks GM Bob Murray said he believes Kesler and captain Ryan Getzlaf (face) will be ready to play on the next road trip, and we're assuming he doesn't mean the three-game trip that starts in Columbus on Friday. Still, Kesler appears to be ahead of schedule and likely to return in mid-December. The Ducks have been decimated by injuries up front; so much so that they traded New Jersey power-play defenseman Sami Vatanen for Adam Henrique and Joe Blandisi on Thursday morning. However, Kesler, one of the game's best two-way players, almost assuredly will slide into the top six once he's ready to return.

Kesler (hip) still has a return date around Christmas, although GM Bob Murray is hoping it can be sooner.

EDGE Analysis

Murray may want Kesler back before Christmas, but the fact he's saying things like "He's skating much harder now. He's had to learn his stride all over again, to be quite honest," is not encouraging. It was just announced that Ryan Getzlaf is going to be out up to two months after having surgery on his cheekbone. That means the Ducks are going to be without their top two centers for over a month, which is destined to hurt their offense.

Kesler (hip) could be sidelined until Christmas as his recovery seems to be taking longer than planned, Helene Elliott of the LA Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Without Kesler, the Ducks' depth down the middle of the lineup will be strained as Antoine Vermette figures to slot into a second-line role. The 33-year-old Kesler is coming off back-to-back 50-plus point campaigns with a third consecutive such season a seeming impossibility given the length of his expected absence.