Confirmed Trade: [SJS/BUF] Michael Kesselring and 2026 1st round pick (27th overall) for 2026 1st round pick (20th overall)

[SnS]

If he was asking for 4-5M, could Buffalo actually prioritize that or was it a move to get something out of the deal?

 

[sabremike]

Trade values kesselring equivalent to 47th overall.

Which would've been far better as that would be an extra lotto ticket in as random a draft as it gets or a sweetener to dump a bad contract (*cough* Greenway *cough*).

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

Damn nice buy low potentially. He was on my want list . Fairly cheap . I’d easily have paid a 2 nd

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

Makes a ton of sense for SJ. Not risking much for a chance to return to form. I was hoping the Ducks took a shot with Carlsson, Gudas, and Trouba likely moving on.

Carlo is your man

 

[SjMilhouse]

What if you're a Utah fan?

They have their heads so far in the sand they don't care. BA can do no wrong and "Peterka is going to bounce back, I just know it!. Plus Doan never would have gotten that opportunity here, he was a 4th liner" While conveniently ignoring maybe thats on the coach/BA for not seeing the potential.

But nope, everything is fine and going to plan. Larkin? Who needs him, Desnoyers is guaranteed to be as good as him.

-an angry mammoth season ticket holder who has the Sharks as their number 1 team and is stoked on this trade.

 

[Funk21]

Great trade for SJS, was hoping the TML would offersheet him if he was on the Sabres or maybe trade for him.

 

[The Shrike]

Hope they save some for the draft. It's been so boring in recent years

I think the NHL would want the really big trades to be made during the 1st round. One can hope anyway.

 

[biturbo19]

Kind of a curious one. Good value for the Sharks if Kesselring bounces back. Which would make it pretty poor value for Buffalo. Not entirely sure the Sabres even needed to unload him rather than just waiting to see if he can get things back in gear there with a better, healthier year. Especially just to move up a half dozen spots in the back end of a pretty weak and flat 1st round. But i guess he wasn't really offering them much and they probably have designs on other sort of improvements so i suppose it's not necessarily a big loss.

 

[Chainshot]

Kind of a curious one. Good value for the Sharks if Kesselring bounces back. Which would make it pretty poor value for Buffalo. Not entirely sure the Sabres even needed to unload him rather than just waiting to see if he can get things back in gear there with a better, healthier year. Especially just to move up a half dozen spots in the back end of a pretty weak and flat 1st round. But i guess he wasn't really offering them much and they probably have designs on other sort of improvements so i suppose it's not necessarily a big loss.

He could take his QO or go to arbitration for a one year deal and be UFA next summer. They were likely a bit pinched by that.

 

[PAZ]

Really good move for San Jose, perfect place for Kesselring to take the next step (if there is one).

Wouldn't be surprised if this is one of those trades you look back at and you're surprised another team didn't offer more.

 

[viper0220]

The issue in Buffalo is they want him playing third pair minutes and he wants to be a top 4 guy who also carries the puck. Total disconnect between two

I think this was a big deal for Kesserling, he wanted top 4 minutes.

I think he will get that in San Jose, it would not surprise me if, Kesserling gets 40+ points and is a part of the Sharks core that helps them.

I think Kesserling will be motivated to be a top 4 guys.

I think he puts in the work over the summer, works hard and comes into top top shape to the Sharks camp.

 

[LokiDog]

I think this is decent for both sides. Kesselring just got kind of lost in the shuffle and passed over in Buffalo but is still a guy who showed he could look good and he ought to be healthier and have a much larger and more defined role in SJ. Moving back 7 spots is a decent risk to take for a guy whose age fits and who can re-establish himself as a #4.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Good move for SJ, I wanted the pens to look into Kesselring. Underrated player.

 

[ToDavid]

Startling move for Buffalo. What would that make Kesselring's value straight-up? A second? Jeez, this is so much better for SJ than paying any of the free agent RHDs 8 figures or close to it. Fantastic trade for the Sharks

I like the trade but a guy playing 13 minutes a night and getting scratched in the playoffs last year isn’t exactly comparable to the potential 8-figure UFAs.

 

[wetcoast]

Good gamble for San Jose and I wonder who Buffalo is hoping to get.

 

[Zarzh]

Draft experts, I was under the impression picks 15-40ish were absolute meyhem and could be completely unpredictable. Is there expected to be a large drop off or tier break somewhere between 20 and 27?

Otherwise it seems like giving up an asset for a complete gamble, not knowing someone you love on your personal board is even available and worth the trade up to 20.

If everything goes somewhat as expected, there should be a massive dropoff around 23 or 24. I would say more than a tier in all honesty.

At 20 you can get a pretty good scoring prospect, a big forward with a high motor who can score, or a solid two-way center with some scoring upside depending on who is left you can leave with a very solid prospect. At 27 there's really only massive projects left.

 

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Really like this move from SJ stand point.
Im Habs fan and wanted Kesselring.

SJ gonna be a problem in a couple years

 

[Yatzhee]

If everything goes somewhat as expected, there should be a massive dropoff around 23 or 24. I would say more than a tier in all honesty.

At 20 you can get a pretty good scoring prospect, a big forward with a high motor who can score, or a solid two-way center with some scoring upside depending on who is left you can leave with a very solid prospect. At 27 there's really only massive projects left.

As a Sabres fan, I do not believe Jarmo has any intention of picking 20th. He’s not done. There is cap to clear yet. Kesselring was iced out by the current Sabres top 4 D, he was never going to get one of those positions. He was an RFA, had a year to UFA. Doan more than covers the Peterka trade.

There’s more to come from the Sabres, who, in case some have forgotten, just made the playoffs for the first time after 14 seasons and did so by being the best team in the regular season since December. They made a good showing in the playoffs as well. Here’s a good tidbit, they also host the draft this year. No, I don’t believe Jarmo is remotely done.

 

[TotalHomer]

Pretty solid value for Buffalo for a guy that wasn't wanted.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Me reading HFBoards claim the guy with 2 apples in 34gp and sat for Logan Stanley in the playoffs will fix the Sharks D-corps.

 

[Beerz]

Meh... I didn't like the move when we traded Peterka for him. Luckily Doan turned out to be a unicorn.

I just don't think Kesselring has the brain power to be a top 4 Dman.

I am fine with this move.

 

[PullHard]

I like the player a lot and it’s too bad he wasn’t a fit for Buffalo

That being said, I can’t believe they got to move up that much after the season he just had. Great return here IMO and I hope he succeeds in SJ massively.

 

[Bizz]

Me reading HFBoards claim the guy with 2 apples in 34gp and sat for Logan Stanley in the playoffs will fix the Sharks D-corps.

Me watching jealous fans of other teams throw out his stats from last year while conveniently leaving out the fact that he was injured the whole season and Buffalo wasn't deploying him properly when he did play.

 

[PattyLafontaine]

2nd round value seems about the cost to move up. I just don't get it before knowing who is there at 20OA.

What do you guys need from the draft?

 

[GeeoffBrown]

This will be a fun trade tree to follow