Buffalo Sabers 2025-26 Player Report Card: Michael Kesselring – Hockey Writers – Buffalo Sabers

It was a tough and disappointing season for Michael Kesselring, as expectations were high at the start of the season. He was supposed to be a key piece coming back from the trade that sent JJ ​​Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, but unfortunately he turned into an afterthought as his season was plagued by injuries and a lack of playing time. In retrospect, he would definitely like to do more, and Buffalo Sabers fans would like to get more from him.

Kesselring Wasn’t Good Enough

The simple truth was that Kesselring didn’t fit the bill when he was healthy. He was brought in to be a dynamic defender with a big shot, but ended up playing defense, and never put the puck in the back of the net. The truth was that he was injured multiple times during the season, and that takes its toll on a player’s body, but at the end of the day, he was still considered good enough to play and wasn’t good enough when he was on the roster.

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

His timing in every game he played seemed off, and he didn’t look like the same player they sold him for last summer. On top of that, he has been outplayed by other defenders like Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa which makes sense for them to sit on him. Kesselring couldn’t find his footing all season, and it showed in every aspect of his game.

Estimating Kesselring

Although his sample size was limited due to injuries, he still had enough playing time to give him an evaluation. From his limited defensive play to his inability to score or even shoot the puck as expected, Kesselring has failed to give Lindy Ruff a reason to keep him on the roster when healthy. That being said, these would be his grades:

• Points – D
• Defense – C
• Leadership – B-
• Playing – D
• Working together – B

Although his overall stats weren’t anything to write home about, he never started causing trouble. He may have felt frustrated that he couldn’t play at the level he wanted, but he didn’t take it out on the ice, take it out on his teammates, or lose the game by trying to do too much. He kept his game simple. The problem was: simplicity was not what he needed to be.

Kesselring’s future in Buffalo

Some may argue that he could be replaced by the likes of Zach Metsa, especially after the young outfielder (actually older than Kesselring) has proven that he can be a stable third guy. Or he could be replaced by Logan Stanley if the Sabers decide to keep him longer than his rental period this season. Since Kesselring is a restricted free agent this summer as his contract expires, they will have the option to choose whether they wish to keep him or move him.

The odds right now seem like the Sabers will move on from him. It was unfortunate that he didn’t perform as originally expected after the trade with Mammoth, but with Josh Doan coming out so well, it will be easy to lick the wound of letting Kesselring go in a trade. The Sabers have the defensive depth to let him go and get the other possessions he needs. There is a good chance that his one short season in Buffalo will be his last.