Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Garners assist in high-scoring win
Rotowire
Kesselring notched an assist and seven PIM in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Lightning.
Kesselring ended an 11-game point drought in the process. The 26-year-old defenseman is currently in a third-pairing role, though he could lose some playing time if the Sabres opt to give the recently acquired Luke Schenn a run in that spot. Through 31 outings, Kesselring has just two assists, 41 shots on net, 38 blocked shots, 22 hits and 50 PIM in his first year with the Sabres, which has been disrupted by multiple injury absences.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Nabs helper Saturday
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Kesselring logged an assist, three blocked shots and two PIM in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Islanders.
Kesselring has been working back to full strength after an ankle injury cost him most of January. That's his third lengthy absence of the season. Kesselring has mostly worked in a third-pairing role on Buffalo's deep blue line, picking up one assist, 26 shots on net, 27 blocked shots, 16 hits and 23 PIM over 19 outings.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Game-time call Thursday
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Kesselring (ankle) will be a game-time decision in Montreal on Thursday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
Kesselring has missed the last two games after tweaking his ankle against the Wild on Jan. 17. The 26-year-old defenseman has yet to acquire a point in 17 games this season, though he was an offensive threat in 2024-25 with seven goals and 22 assists in 82 regular-season games. Should Kesselring not be available, Zach Metsa will remain in the lineup.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Won't play Wednesday
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Kesselring (ankle) has been activated from injured reserve, but he won't play against Philadelphia on Wednesday, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.
Kesselring is available to play if there's an emergency, and it's possible that he could draw back into the lineup for Thursday's matchup against Montreal. He has missed the last five games after aggravating his high-ankle sprain from November on Dec. 31 against Dallas.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Set to miss more time
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Kesselring (lower body) could resume skating by the end of the week, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News on Monday.
Kesselring missed Saturday's 5-1 loss to Columbus, and it doesn't appear as though his return to the lineup is imminent. He hasn't earned a point in 16 appearances this season while posting 23 shots on goal, 22 blocked shots and 14 hits. Jacob Bryson will probably remain in the lineup during Kesselring's absence.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Questionable for Saturday
Rotowire
Kesselring (lower body) is questionable for Saturday's clash in Columbus, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.
Kesselring was not at practice Friday. Head coach Lindy Ruff said after practice that Kesselring will be re-evaluated Saturday after seeing how he is feeling. Kesselring has 22 blocked shots, 14 hits and nary a point in 16 appearances with the Sabres this season. Jacob Bryson could enter the lineup if Kesselring is unable to play.
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Sabres' Michael Kesselring: Slated to return Thursday
Rotowire
Kesselring (lower body) is expected to be activated off injured reserve and play Thursday versus Philadelphia, per Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550.
Kesselring hasn't been in the lineup since Nov. 15 due to the injury. He has no points, two PIM, seven hits and nine blocks in nine appearances this season. Kesselring is projected to serve on the third pairing in his return. Jacob Bryson might be a healthy scratch as a result.
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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
Rotowire
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: 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
Rotowire
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.
