Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Won't travel on road trip
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Kesselring (lower body) will not travel with the Sabres for their impending six-game road trip, per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic on Tuesday.
While the team is on the road, Kesselring will continue to rehab back in Buffalo. The right-shot blueliner has missed eight games in a row and hasn't suited up since Nov. 15 in Detroit. Buffalo's next home matchup isn't until Dec. 18 versus Philadelphia, so unless Kesselring joins the team at some point out west, he'll continue to miss a considerable amount of game action.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Surfaces on IR
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Kesselring (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday.
The Sabres recalled Zach Metsa from AHL Rochester in a corresponding move. Kesselring doesn't have a timeline for his return to the lineup after being injured in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over Detroit. He hasn't earned a point in nine appearances this season while posting 10 shots on goal, nine blocked shots and seven hits.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Set for extended absence
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Kesselring (lower body) is undergoing further evaluation but is facing a long-term absence, Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 reports Monday.
Kesselring was out of action for the Sabres' first nine games of the season due to a lower-body injury. It's not clear if this latest lower-body issue is related. Regardless, with Kesselring likely on the shelf for a while, Jacob Bryson is the most likely candidate to see increased minutes.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Dealing with lower-body injury
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Kesselring left Saturday's game versus the Red Wings due to a lower-body injury, and he may miss time, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.
Kesselring's status didn't look good according to the initial assessment provided by head coach Lindy Ruff, but more tests will be done. If Kesselring misses time, Jacob Bryson will likely slot back into the lineup, while Zac Jones could be brought up from AHL Rochester again to provide additional depth.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: In lineup versus Jackets
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Kesselring (lower body) will be in action against Columbus on Tuesday, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.
Kesselring's return to the lineup will likely see Jacob Bryson (concussion) given at least one more game to fully recover. In 82 regular-season games for the Mammoth last year, the 25-year-old Kesselring notched seven goals and 22 assists, both career highs, while chipping in just three power-play points.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Could resume practicing soon
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Kesselring (lower body) could be back practicing with his teammates by the weekend, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News on Wednesday.
The timeline for Kesselring's return is currently unclear, but an update on his status could come after he resumes practicing. Once he receives the green light to return, he figures to slot into the second-pairing role and will likely replace Zach Metsa in the lineup.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Lands on IR
Rotowire
Kesselring (undisclosed) will start the 2025-26 season on injured reserve.
Kesselring had already been ruled out for Opening Night against the Rangers on Thursday, and he'll now start the season on IR. The right-shot blueliner was deemed week-to-week by head coach Lindy Ruff on Friday. Jacob Bryson could see consistent ice time on the third pairing until Kesselring is ready to return.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Ruled out for Opening Night
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Kesselring (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Thursday's Opening Night matchup against the Rangers, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Kesselring sustained an undisclosed injury during Wednesday's preseason game against the Penguins, and head coach Lindy Ruff said Friday that Kesselring was considered week-to-week. Kesselring will officially be sidelined for at least one game to begin the regular season, and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Considered week-to-week
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Head coach Lindy Ruff said Friday that Kesselring (undisclosed) is considered week-to-week, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Kesselring sustained an undisclosed injury during Wednesday's exhibition matchup against the Penguins and had already been ruled out for Friday's preseason finale against Pittsburgh. His return timetable suggests that he may not be ready for Opening Night, and he's slated to be re-evaluated in about a week.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Ruled out against Pens
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Kesselring (undisclosed) will miss Friday's preseason finale versus the Penguins, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Kesselring should make the Opening Night roster for the Sabres, though his undisclosed injury does muddy the waters a bit. With the team also dealing with injuries to Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) and Owen Power (strain), neither of whom is playing Friday, the situation on the blue line is a little murky right now.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Early exit Wednesday
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Kesselring (undisclosed) left Wednesday's preseason game versus the Penguins, but his injury is not believed to be serious, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Kesselring departed late in the second period, but it appears to be precautionary for now. The Sabres are already dealing with a number of injuries on the blue line, so it's unclear if they'll take any chances with Kesselring's health in the team's preseason finale Friday in Pittsburgh.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Dealt to Buffalo
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Kesselring and Josh Doan were traded to the Sabres from the Mammoth on Wednesday in exchange for JJ Peterka, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Kesselring provides a boost to the right side of the Sabres' defense, though it came at a cost of a talented scoring winger. This is not a great trade for Kesselring's fantasy upside, as he's joining a team that already has Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power established as power-play options. Bowen Byram is also on the roster, but he has been included in trade rumors as well. Kesselring had 29 points, 150 shots on net, 87 hits, 67 blocked shots and 89 PIM over 82 games with Utah last season, and he projects as a top-four defenseman with moderate scoring potential.
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Hockey Club's Michael Kesselring: Grabs two points Monday
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Kesselring scored a goal, registered an assist and fired four shots on net in Monday's 7-3 victory over Nashville.
Kesselring tallied the opening goal for Utah just over 12 minutes into the game before assisting Clayton Keller's first marker in the third period. Overall, the 25-year-old Kesselring is up to seven goals, 29 points and 148 shots on net across 81 appearances this season. The blueliner has steadily improved in all categories since his first full season. He should maintain top-four minutes with Utah next season and have solid fantasy value in deeper leagues if his offensive capabilities continue to develop.
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Hockey Club's Michael Kesselring: Garners helper
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Kesselring logged an assist and two PIM in Tuesday's 7-1 win over the Kraken.
Kesselring snapped a seven-game point drought with the helper. The 25-year-old defenseman has struggled to find steady offense since Utah's blue line got healthy, though Kesselring was able to pick up a little more ice time since John Marino (face) was out of the lineup. Kesselring has 27 points, 138 shots on net, 86 hits, 63 blocked shots, 85 PIM and a plus-4 rating across 78 appearances this season.
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Hockey Club's Michael Kesselring: Nabs assist Saturday
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Kesselring produced an assist and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Lightning.
Kesselring snapped a seven-game point drought with the primary helper on Logan Cooley's first-period tally. It's no surprise Kesselring's offense has dipped late in the season -- he's averaging just 14:50 of ice time per game since the start of February, compared to 19:05 per game prior to that point when Utah had more injuries on the blue line. Kesselring has still put together a career year with 26 points, a plus-9 rating, 78 hits, 59 blocked shots, 74 PIM and 130 shots on net through 70 appearances.
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Hockey Club's Michael Kesselring: Produces assist Thursday
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Kesselring logged an assist, three shots on goal and two blocked shots in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Avalanche.
Kesselring has four points over his last six contests. The 24-year-old set up the first of Dylan Guenther's two tallies in Thursday's win. Kesselring is up to 15 points, 52 shots on net, 37 hits, 25 blocked shots, 24 PIM and a plus-10 rating through 29 outings. With injuries piled high on Utah's blue line, Kesselring should continue to log steady top-four minutes and see power-play time.
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Hockey Club's Michael Kesselring: Draws assist Saturday
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Kesselring provided an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 6-0 win over the Golden Knights.
Kesselring has earned three helpers over his last five contests. The 24-year-old blueliner must pick up the slack, as fellow defenseman Maveric Lamoureux (upper body) will be out for 4-6 weeks. Kesselring's ability to stay healthy so far has been tremendously beneficial for Utah, as has his production -- he has 12 points, 42 shots on net, 33 hits, 21 blocked shots, 19 PIM and a plus-9 rating through 24 appearances.
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Hockey Club's Michael Kesselring: Delivers two assists Wednesday
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Kesselring delivered two assists while adding one shot on goal, three hits and two blocked shots in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Hurricanes.
Kesselring delivered his second multi-point effort of the season and is slowly finding some consistency, as he's now cracked the scoresheet in three of his last six outings. Even though his role as a third-pairing defenseman limits his upside considerably, he's putting up decent numbers. With nine points across 16 outings, he looks on pace to set career-best figures if he stays healthy. His best production came in 2023-24, when he recorded 21 points in 65 games with the Coyotes.
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Hockey Club's Michael Kesselring: Garners assist in win
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Kesselring notched an assist and two PIM in Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Flames.
Kesselring saw just 13:33 of ice time in this contest, but there's plenty of explanations for that. He's coming off an illness that kept him out of practice Tuesday, Utah traded for defenseman Olli Maatta and had him in the lineup and the team dressed seven blueliners. The addition of Maatta leads to some potential that Kesselring will see fewer minutes, though that loss of ice time would likely be in mostly defensive situations. Through 11 appearances, Kesselring has six points, 15 shots on net, 16 hits, nine blocked shots, 15 PIM and a plus-6 rating.
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Michael Kesselring: Signs two-year deal
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Kesselring signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with Utah HC on Friday, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.
Kesselring was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights Monday after completing his entry-level contract. The 24-year-old defenseman had five goals, 21 points, 66 PIM, 106 hits and 59 blocks in 65 regular-season outings with the Coyotes in 2023-24. Although he averaged a modest 15:48 of ice time last season, that climbed to 18:09 over his final 26 contests, and that increased role is likely to be reflective of how he's utilized in 2024-25.
