The San Jose Sharks picked up a defenseman who wanted out of Buffalo before the puck even dropped on his second season there. Michael Kesselring asked the Sabres for a trade, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, and the Sharks were the team that bit.
The trade happened right before the NHL Draft. San Jose moved back seven spots in the first round to get Kesselring. He spent just one year in Buffalo after coming over in a trade that sent JJ Peterka to Utah. The Sharks get a 26-year-old blueliner who might have a higher ceiling than his short stint in Buffalo suggested.
Why Kesselring Wanted Out
It wasn’t a fit thing or a personality clash. Kesselring battled knee and ankle injuries all season and never cracked the regular lineup. He played one playoff game. That’s it. LeBrun reported that Kesselring told the team he needed a change of scenery before the trade went down.
From Buffalo’s side, the timing made sense. Kesselring is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He could have pushed for a one-year deal that would have walked him straight to unrestricted free agency next summer. At that point the Sabres would have gotten nothing for him. So they moved him now while they could still get value.
“Per league sources, Kesselring asked for a change of scenery out of Buffalo after a tough year battling knee and ankle injuries and never moving up the lineup,” LeBrun wrote. “Which is why I get the move from Buffalo’s perspective, as well — especially when one considers that Kesselring is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He could have gotten a one-year deal in arbitration and bridged himself to UFA next year, in which case Buffalo would no longer have had a tradeable asset. So the Sabres felt they had to act now.”
Where Things Went Wrong
When Buffalo traded for Kesselring last year, they paired him with Josh Doan in the return package for Peterka. Doan became a key piece for the Sabres during their playoff push. Kesselring? He became a healthy scratch. New GM Jarmo Kekalainen went out and traded for Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley at the deadline, and Kesselring was the odd man out. He spent the rest of the season watching from the press box.
That fall from a potential roster spot to an afterthought is a lot to swallow in one year. But it’s also not a huge red flag for San Jose. The Sabres were deep on defense and had veterans they trusted more. Kesselring never got a real shot to show what he could do.
What San Jose Is Getting
The Sharks are building something interesting up front. They’ve got young forwards coming through the pipeline, and the future looks legit. But the blue line is thin. Really thin. This move gives them a 26-year-old defenseman with something to prove and a contract situation they can control.
They lost a few spots in the draft to make it happen. But if Kesselring stays healthy and gets the kind of opportunity he didn’t have in Buffalo, the Sharks could end up with a solid top-four guy who’s just entering his prime. It’s a bet on a player who wanted a fresh start and finally got one.
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