File Michael Kesselring alongside Colin Miller, Connor Clifton and Marco Scandella in the collection of forgotten Sabres defensemen. Like the others, Kesselring arrived with the hopes he would solidify Buffalo’s top four as a complimentary piece to the team’s existing defensive foundation. In the end, injuries kept him from establishing himself and he was used sparingly in a disastrous individual season. Now, he’s off to San Jose with the 27th pick in exchange for San Jose’s pick at 20 in the 2026 Draft. 

There isn’t too much to say about Kesselring’s one season in Buffalo. He got banged up in training camp and seemingly never recovered. His lack of playing time compounded with his lingering injuries affected his ability to influence the game, causing him to slide down the depth chart. The best case scenario, had he stayed, would have been playing sheltered minutes on the third pair in a rotation with fellow righties Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa. You can understand why he would welcome a change of scenery.