Sabres’ Michael Kesselring to return after missing month due to injury
The Buffalo Sabres will get a boost to their blue line Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers as Michael Kesselring returns to the lineup after missing a month due to injury.
☑️Michael Kesselring (lower-body) will return vs. PHI on Thursday. #SabreHood
Let’s not forget that Michael Kesselring — and not Josh Doan or Alex Lyon — was really #Sabres big offseason addition. Season has been derailed twice by injuries. Back again tonight. Big body, super skater, big shot. Right-handed. Can have big impact on D.
The right-handed defenseman has been out since Nov. 15 after suffering a lower-body injury against the Detroit Red Wings. He was seen leaving the rink that night with a walking boot.
Through nine games with the Sabres, Kesselring has a minus-three rating while averaging 15:37 of ice time. He was acquired by Buffalo in the summer, along with forward Josh Doan, in a trade that sent forward JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth.
Through four NHL seasons, Kesselring, a sixth-round pick for the Edmonton Oilers in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, has 12 goals and 41 assists for 53 points in 165 regular-season games. In 2024-25, he recorded career highs in all categories, as he finished with seven goals and 22 assists for 29 points and 89 penalty minutes, averaging 17:41 of ice time with the Mammoth.
Before becoming a full-time NHL defender, Kesselring spent parts of four seasons in the AHL, primarily with the Oilers’ minor-league affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. In 141 career regular-season games, he scored 18 goals and recorded 27 assists for 45 points and 113 penalty minutes.
In 2023, he was traded by the Oilers, along with a third-round pick, to the Arizona Coyotes for Nick Bjugstad and Cam Dineen. During his first full NHL season in Arizona, he recorded five goals and 16 assists for 21 points and 66 penalty minutes in 65 games.
The Sabres are 14-14-4 with 32 points, eighth in the Atlantic Division and last in the Eastern Conference. They are seven points back of a wild card spot in the East.