Buffalo Sabres 2025-26 Player Report Card: Michael Kesselring

It was a tough and overall disappointing season for Michael Kesselring, as expectations were high coming into the start of the season. He was supposed to be the key piece coming back in the trade that moved JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, but he unfortunately turned into mostly an afterthought as his season was mired with injuries and a lack of playing time. Looking back, he definitely would like a do-over, and Buffalo Sabres fans would love to have gotten more out of him.

Kesselring Just Was Not Good Enough

The simple reality was that Kesselring did not fit right in the lineup when he was healthy. He was brought in to be a dynamic two-way defender with a big shot, but he ended up playing average defense, and never putting the puck in the back of the net. The reality was that he was injured multiple times throughout the season, and that definitely takes a toll on a player’s body, but at the end of the day, he was still deemed well enough to play and was not good enough when he was in the lineup.

Kesselring finished with a total of 34 games played, zero goals, two assists, 46 shots, and a career-low 13:24 average ice time.

His timing on every single play he made looked off, and he just did not look like the same player that they traded for last summer. On top of that, he was drastically outplayed by other defenders like Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa that it made more sense to keep them in the lineup over him. Kesselring just could not find his footing all season long, and it showed in every facet of his game.

Grading Kesselring

Even though his sample size was limited due to injury, he still had enough actual playing time to give him an assessment. From his average defensive play to his inability to score or even shoot the puck as expected, Kesselring failed to give Lindy Ruff a reason to keep him in the lineup when he was healthy. With that being said, these would be his grades:

• Scoring – D
• Defense – C
• Leadership – B-
• Playmaking – D
• Teamwork – B

While his overall stats were nothing to write home about, he was never one to start causing trouble. He may have felt frustrated that he could not play up to the standard that he wanted, but he never brought it out on the ice, took it out on his teammates, or cost them a game by trying to do too much. He kept his game simple. The problem was: simple was not what he needed to be.

Kesselring’s Future in Buffalo

Some might argue that he could be replaced by the likes of Zach Metsa, especially after the young defender (who is actually older than Kesselring) proved that he could be a stable third-pairing guy. Or he could be replaced by Logan Stanley if the Sabres decide to keep him longer than just his rental period this season. With Kesselring being a restricted free agent this summer as his contract expires, they will have a choice to make whether they wish to keep him or move him.

The likelihood at this point appears to be that the Sabres will move on from him. It was unfortunate that he did not work out as originally anticipated after the trade with the Mammoth, but with Josh Doan turning out so well, it will be easier to lick the wound of letting Kesselring go in a trade. The Sabres have the defensive depth to let him go and get another asset they need. It is more than likely that his one short season in Buffalo will be his last.