The Buffalo Sabres produced their best season in two decades on the strength of standout years from a wide range of key contributors, but at least one player would probably rather forget the 2025-26 campaign, at least on a personal level.
Michael Kesselring, a 26-year-old defenseman acquired by the Sabres from the Utah Mammoth in last summer's JJ Peterka trade, struggled to overcome a variety of injuries, including a high-ankle sprain that sapped his previously impressive skating ability.
As a result, Kesselring finished his first season in Buffalo with just two points (zero goals and a pair of assists) across 34 appearances. He spent a vast majority of the second half of the regular season and the playoffs as a scratch with head coach Lindy Ruff leaning on other defensive options.
Now the 6-foot-5 right-shot blueliner is set to become a restricted free agent, and he could land on the trade block as Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen makes some tough decisions due to limited salary-cap space and other areas of the roster needing upgrades.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet doesn't believe Buffalo would have much trouble finding a trade partner if it does decide to move on from the South Carolina native.
"I think the interesting one there that they have is Kesselring," Friedman said Friday on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "Kesselring didn't play in the playoffs (he made one appearance) and, really, he was far down the depth chart. He's a restricted free agent. One year away from unrestricted free agency. I think he's better — it just didn't work this year. Sometimes that happens. I think he's better than that.
"And, as a right shot, I think they'll have no problem finding somewhere for him to play if they decide to do it."
Friedman added he's "not sure" whether Kesselring and his representatives would be open to staying in Buffalo given how this season played out. They'll likely want to seek a shot at guaranteed playing time ahead of his UFA status, and it's unclear whether that'd be available with the Sabres.
"It's that point in your career where you have to go somewhere where you're going to play," the Sportsnet reporter said.
Kesselring recorded 50 points (12 goals and 38 assists) in 147 games across the previous two seasons with the Mammoth. He also captured a gold medal with Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship last spring.
Underlying numbers suggest trading Michael Kesselring would be a risky sell-low move by the Buffalo Sabres
Kesselring never looked at full strength this season. It was an injury-riddled campaign and, even when he received a shot to play in the postseason in the first round against the Boston Bruins, he looked a stride or two slow, leading Ruff to bench him after less than five minutes of ice time.
Simply giving him away in a trade — the defender's value is essentially at an all-time low entering the offseason — feels like it could back to haunt the Sabres, though.
Despite the injuries, Kesselring ranked third among Buffalo defensemen in 5-on-5 expected goal share during the regular season at 50.8%, according to Natural Stat Trick. He finished behind only Logan Stanley (54.8%), who joined the club at the deadline, and Rasmus Dahlin (53.2%).
The 2018 sixth-round pick also owns a 48th percentile weighted three-year average wins above replacement (WAR) among NHL defensemen, per HockeyStats.com.
Those are strong numbers of a player projected to skate on a team's third pair, and his salary should remain highly manageable given this year's results while earning a modest $1.4 million.
It feels like the Sabres should re-sign him to a one-year extension to show whether he can produce a bounce-back season. Even a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign would make him a more valuable trade option ahead of next year's deadline.
Yet, the opposite side of the scenario must also be considered, as Friedman alluded.
Kesselring would strongly prefer to avoid a situation where he'll be a fringe No. 6 defenseman who might spend ample time in the press box. He's going to want an organization where he'll be in the lineup every night so he can prove himself before potentially hitting the open market in the summer of 2027.
Additionally, the last thing any franchise wants, especially one like Buffalo that's finally rebuilding its reputation after 14 years of on-ice misery, is to make it seem like a player is being held hostage on the roster.
Those two factors could lead Kekalainen to find Kesselring a fresh start with a new organization, similar to what's probably going to happen with goalie prospect Devon Levi, who's buried on the team's goaltending depth chart.
In turn, Kesselring will be a terrific buy-low target for defense-needy clubs around the NHL.
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