Shortly after Ryan Kesler was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, he received a phone call from new teammate Ryan Getzlaf. It’s what you’d expect out of a captain. Call the new guy, make him comfortable, congratulate him on his taste in teams on the no-trade list, and we’ll see you in camp.

Getzlaf did a little more than that. He also passed along his wife’s phone number to make sure that Kesler’s wife had a local contact. Anything Kesler needed, the Getzlafs were prepared to offer up help with the transition to Anaheim.

“It’s part of our job to make sure he’s comfortable, make sure his family is comfortable, those kind of things that make things easier,” Getzlaf said when we chatted recently.

The extra effort is paying off.

“He seems much happier than I heard about him in the past,” Getzlaf said. “There were things we were looking to do when he came here to make sure he was comfortable and get back to being a happy hockey player and being satisfied where he is.”

A general manager can only do so much. He can address holes in the roster and make changes to fix weaknesses. But once the big moves are done, it’s on the players to make sure they work.

Ducks GM Bob Murray bet big on Kesler, and if it pays off, it could come with a championship ring. That’s how high the stakes are with this move.