Sabres setting up to lose Michael Kesselring originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Buffalo Sabres changed their defensive pairings for Game 4 in Montreal.
Many fans would’ve assumed that means Michael Kesselring went into the lineup. But no, it was Luke Schenn. Kesselring remained a healthy scratch.
And at this point, it certainly seems like Kesselring’s time in Buffalo is running very short.
There’s still time for a surprise playoff cameo to change things, but at the moment, Kesselring is on his last legs with the Sabres.
He’s a pending free agent, and so Buffalo would have to actively pursue re-signing him. Otherwise, he could chase a spot with more playing time elsewhere.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently said that it’s worth “keeping an eye” on Kesselring, because Friedman doesn’t necessarily see him returning to Buffalo.
The 26-year old Kesselring arrived in Buffalo during the offseason. He came with Josh Doan in the trade with the Utah Mammoth that sent J.J. Peterka in the other direction.
This season, Kesselring appeared in just 34 regular season games for the Sabres. He had two assists, 38 blocked shots and 25 hits.
Buffalo rarely gave him a big role, and even in the games Kesselring played, he averaged 13 minutes and 24 seconds of ice time.
Kesselring has played just once in the playoffs so far, when Logan Stanley needed a game off in the first round. In that appearance, though, Kesselring got just 4 minutes and 25 seconds of action.
It certainly doesn’t seem like Kesselring would want to return if this was going to be his gig again. And at this point, it’s clear the Sabres don’t see Kesselring as a crucial player toward their success.
