Michael Kesselring signs $13.5 million deal with Sharks after Sabres trade

The San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Michael Kesselring to a three-year, $13.5 million contract carrying a $4.5 million average annual value through the 2028-29 season, according to PuckPedia. Tthe agreement covers one remaining restricted free agent season and two unrestricted free agent years, and it does not include trade protection.

The extension comes less than two weeks after San Jose acquired the 26-year-old from the Buffalo Sabres in a draft-day trade. The Sharks received Kesselring and the 27th overall pick in exchange for the 20th overall selection. Buffalo later used No. 20 to draft forward Ilia Morozov, while San Jose packaged the 27th pick to move up and select defenseman Ryan Lin at No. 21.

Kesselring joins the Sharks looking to rebound after a difficult 2025-26 campaign with the Sabres. Injuries, including a chronic knee issue and multiple ankle sprains, limited him to 34 regular-season games, where he recorded two assists, a zero rating, and averaged 13:24 of ice time. He also appeared in one playoff game but spent most of Buffalo’s postseason as a healthy scratch after failing to secure a regular role under head coach Lindy Ruff.

Last season, his production looked nothing like it did over the previous two years. During his first full NHL campaign with the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24, Kesselring amassed six goals and 21 points in 65 games, along with a plus-11 rating and averaged 15:48 per game. He followed that with career highs for the Utah Hockey Club, skating in all 82 games during the 2024-25 season and finished with seven goals, 22 assists, and 29 points while averaging 17:41 per contest. Across his time with Arizona and Utah, he accumulated 53 points (12 goals, 41 assists) in 156 games.

Originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round, 164th overall, of the 2018 NHL Draft, Kesselring never played for Edmonton before being dealt to Arizona at the 2023 trade deadline. Utah later traded him and Josh Doan to Buffalo in exchange for JJ Peterka during the summer of 2025.

San Jose is betting that Kesselring can regain the form he displayed before his injury-plagued season. He joins a Sharks blue line that currently includes Dmitry Orlov, Sam Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni, and Nolan Allan, while the organization also bolstered its defensive pipeline in the 2026 NHL Draft by selecting Keaton Verhoeff ninth overall and Ryan Lin 21st overall.

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