The Buffalo Sabres have some decisions to make when it comes to their roster this off-season. With the Sabres having limited cap space and multiple players with expired contracts, there is a good chance that they will be moving on from some players.
One Sabres pending restricted free agent (RFA) who very well could not be back next season is defenseman Michael Kesselring. The 26-year-old defenseman was notably scratched for all but one game for the Sabres during the playoffs. He was also limited to only 34 regular-season games this season due to injury trouble, where he had zero points, two assists, and 50 penalty minutes.
Advertisement
With the Sabres having more important players to re-sign, it would not be surprising if they listened to trade offers for Kesselring this off-season. He has already been the subject of trade rumors this summer because of it.
While Kesselring had a tough season for the Sabres in 2025-26, he has the potential to generate a lot of interest this off-season. NHL clubs are always on the hunt for big right-shot defenseman, and the 6-foot-5 Kesselring certainly fits that description.
Kesselring’s past success also adds to his appeal. During the 2024-25 season with Utah, he posted career highs with seven goals, 22 assists, and 29 points in 82 games. This was after he had five goals and 21 points in 65 games for the Arizona Coyotes during the 2023-24 campaign.
When noting that Kesselring has shown in the past that he can work as a second-pairing defenseman and is only 26 years old, the Sabres should not have a hard time finding a trading partner for him. It will be interesting to see if Kesselring gets moved this off-season from here.
Read the full article here
