The Olympic break is a perfect time to reset for players and teams around the league. For the Buffalo Sabres, there may not be a player who needs this time off more than defenseman Michael Kesselring.
The Sabres traded for Kesselring, alongside Josh Doan, in the offseason as part of the JJ Peterka trade with the Utah Mammoth. At the time, Kesselring was expected to be the main piece of the trade and a player who could step into the Top 4 of their blueline.
It certainly hasn't worked out that way, as Doan has had a breakout season that has been so good that the Sabres were ready to offer a seven-year contract extension recently. Meanwhile, Kesselring has struggled through his first season in Western New York.
There is no question that injuries have played a major factor in his struggles and have not really allowed him to get comfortable on the ice. He suffered an injury before the regular season that kept him out of the first nine games and then suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss a number of games in January.
However, since his return, Kesselring has been limited and averaging under 12 minutes of ice time per game. Unfortunately, the limited time he has gotten, he hasn't been productive, and opposing teams have scored five goals during that stretch, which is the most allowed while on the ice of any Buffalo Sabres player, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Buffalo Sabres should hope the extended time off can help Michael Kesselring get back to full strength
Recently, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic wrote that Kesselring is dealing with a high ankle sprain. He noted that these types of injuries can linger, and that certainly makes sense based on how Kesselring has played as of late. He has not looked like the same player that he did even last season while with the Utah Mammoth.
Now with about 20 days off between Sabres games, with their next game being on February 25th against the New Jersey Devils, this could give Kesselring the rest he needs to really put any lingering injuries behind him.
It will be important for the defenseman to have a strong stretch of games coming out of the Olympic break because the NHL Trade Deadline is right around the corner. If Kesselring continues to struggle, it might force general manager Jarmo Kekalainen to re-prioritize roster needs, and adding another defenseman might be the top priority.