Michael Kesselring

Michael Kesselring

25-Year-Old DefensemanD
Buffalo Sabres
IR
Injury Lower Body
Est. Return 10/20/2025
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Late round picks are gambles that often don’t pan out, but Kesselring is an example of one who is now making his mark at the NHL level. Selected with the No. 164 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the blueliner had seven goals, 29 points, 89 PIM, 87 hits and 67 blocks in 82 appearances with Utah last season. That blend of grit and skill has value, though the 25-year-old was traded to the Sabres in the offseason, and that will make power-play time harder to come by on a roster that also has Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. That said, Kesselring likely has plenty of additional seasons around 25-35 points and tons of time in the sin bin ahead of him. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with Utah HC in June of 2024.
Lands on IR
DBuffalo Sabres
Undisclosed
October 6, 2025
Kesselring (undisclosed) will start the 2025-26 season on injured reserve.
ANALYSIS
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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2024 NHL Game Log
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2025–26 Time On Ice Stats
 
Ice Time
Power Play
Short-Handed
2023–24
15:48
0:04
0:16
2024–25
17:41
0:51
0:25
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Michael Kesselring See More
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Michael Kesselring See More
2024 Fantasy Outlook
After a solid rookie campaign, in which Kesselring put up five goals, 16 assists and 106 hits in 65 games, Utah HC rewarded the 24-year-old blueliner with a two-year, $2.8 million contract back in late June. It's certainly not the NHL's wealthiest deal by any stretch, but it is a sign that the club is expecting the towering defenseman to be a full-time NHL contributor moving forward. Offensively, the South Carolina native shouldn't be expected to offer significantly more than he did as a rookie but he could see an uptick in hits and blocked shots as his minutes and responsibilities increase heading into 2024-25.
More Fantasy News
Ruled out for Opening Night
DBuffalo Sabres
Undisclosed
October 6, 2025
Kesselring (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Thursday's Opening Night matchup against the Rangers, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Considered week-to-week
DBuffalo Sabres
Undisclosed
October 3, 2025
Head coach Lindy Ruff said Friday that Kesselring (undisclosed) is considered week-to-week, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
ANALYSIS
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Ruled out against Pens
DBuffalo Sabres
Undisclosed
October 3, 2025
Kesselring (undisclosed) will miss Friday's preseason finale versus the Penguins, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Early exit Wednesday
DBuffalo Sabres
Undisclosed
October 1, 2025
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.
ANALYSIS
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Dealt to Buffalo
DBuffalo Sabres
June 25, 2025
Kesselring and Josh Doan were traded to the Sabres from the Mammoth on Wednesday in exchange for JJ Peterka, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Set to play for Team USA
DUtah Mammoth
April 17, 2025
Kesselring said Thursday that he'll play for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.
ANALYSIS
Kesselring played in all 82 regular-season games for Utah this year, recording seven goals, 22 assists, 87 hits, 67 blocked shots and 89 PIM while averaging 17:41 of ice time. He played for Team USA during Worlds last year, recording two goals, an assist and a plus-1 rating over seven appearances.
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