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Sharks Trade No. 20 Pick for Kesselring, Gain 2026 No. 27

6/19/2026

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Summary

Sharks Trade

San Jose Sharks traded the No. 20 pick to Buffalo for Michael Kesselring and Buffalo’s No. 27 pick in the 2026 draft.
Kesselring, a 26-year-old right-shot, is in year of a $2.8 million contract and becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 after posting two assists in 34 games this season.
Sharks hold the No. 2 pick in 2026 and have risen to 86 points, yet remain four points from a playoff spot.

Summary

Sharks Acquire Kesselring

Buffalo’s cap crunch forces re-signings for Alex Tuch, Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn and makes Michael Kesselring a restricted free agent on July 1.
San Jose, holding pick, adds Kesselring to a thin, right-shot defense.
Mike Grier called the trade a “buy-low” move, noting arbitration could lock Kesselring into a deal before 2027 unrestricted free agency and ties to Will Smith and coach Ryan Warsofky could aid his fit.

Summary

Kesselring Scouted

Scout No. 1 rates Kesselring a prospect because of his size and mobility.
Scout No. 2 rates him a blueliner who could add penalty-kill depth.
Scout No. 3 noted his 2024-25 output would have placed him on San Jose behind Orlov and Ferraro.
Stathletes stats show he led Utah’s defense in carries, carries to shots and wins per 60, yet posted league-worst neutral-zone turnovers and lowest pass-completion rate in 2024-25.

Summary

Sharks Poll

Fan poll asked if Sharks paid right price for Kesselring, offering Yes/No answers.
Matthew Fairburn first projected Kesselring’s four-year cap hit at $4.25 million, then revised it to $2.86 million.
AFP Analytics suggested a fair deal of $3-$3.5 million per year over four years.
Corey Pronman called picks 16-36 “Tier 3” middle-of-the-lineup prospects.
Grier said talks for Rangers’ Braden Schneider and Devils’ Simon Nemec did not materialize.

History

Historical Context

In 2006 the Boston Bruins signed Slovak defenseman Zdeno Chara after his free-agency departure from the Ottawa Senators, adding a 6-foot-9 blueliner who later captained Boston to the 2011 Stanley Cup and earned the Norris Trophy in 2009; similarly, the San Jose Sharks traded a 2026 second-round pick for defenseman Michael Kesselring, showing teams’ recent focus on acquiring immediate defensive depth over future draft value.

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Sharks Trade

San Jose Sharks traded the No. 20 pick to Buffalo for Michael Kesselring and Buffalo’s No. 27 pick in the 2026 draft.
Kesselring, a 26-year-old right-shot, is in year of a $2.8 million contract and becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 after posting two assists in 34 games this season.
Sharks hold the No. 2 pick in 2026 and have risen to 86 points, yet remain four points from a playoff spot.

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