Michael Kesselring Is Hungry to Contribute as He Eyes Return to Sabres Lineup
MONTREAL - Michael Kesselring didn’t mince words after the Sabres’ morning skate at Bell Centre.
“I’m starving,” he said - not once, but three times.
And he wasn’t talking about lunch.
Kesselring, 25, is starving for ice time, for consistency, for a chance to make his mark in Buffalo. More than three months into his first season with the Sabres, the defenseman has suited up for just 17 games.
He’s still chasing his first point in blue and gold. But more than anything, he’s chasing the feeling of being fully back - physically and mentally - after a frustrating run of injuries.
After missing Tuesday’s win over the Nashville Predators, Kesselring could be back in the lineup tonight against the Canadiens. Head coach Lindy Ruff called him a game-time decision, but Kesselring sounded optimistic.
“I feel like I’m at 90 [percent], so I think I’ll be good to go tonight,” he said. “We’ll take it from there.”
That 90 percent mark is key. Kesselring isn’t interested in gutting it out at 80 percent and risking another setback - not after the road he’s traveled this season.
He’s already dealt with a knee injury in training camp and a high ankle sprain that’s lingered since mid-November. He recently tweaked that ankle again, forcing him to miss another stretch of games.
“I take a hit and it goes back - I feel like a week, it goes back 10 percent with how I’m feeling,” he explained. “So I just want to feel at least around 90 percent when I’m playing.”
That cautious approach is as much about performance as it is about health. Kesselring knows that if he’s not moving well, he’s not helping the team - and right now, the Sabres’ blue line is playing well enough that there’s no room for passengers.
“It’s tough right now - our D are playing really good,” he said. “They don’t want to break up the rhythm, we’re winning, so I’ve just got to find a way to get myself in there, play solid, and just keep gaining trust and go from there.”
That trust is something Kesselring is eager to earn. In his last game - Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss to Minnesota - he was clearly trying to make something happen. He narrowly missed a scoring chance early, then dropped the gloves with Marcus Foligno in a spirited scrap.
“I just wanted an impact,” he said. “I honestly didn’t have him in my mind that game for the fight.
But I just wanted to do something, and it worked out good. Really close off the post.”
It’s been that kind of season for Kesselring - flashes of impact, followed by frustration. He came to Buffalo as part of the JJ Peterka trade with the Utah Mammoth, and while the tools are there, the opportunity has been hard to seize.
Before his most recent absence, Kesselring felt like he was starting to turn a corner.
“I felt like I was gaining some traction,” he said. “It’s been hard to get going, so I don’t want to go out there at 80 percent and I’m not playing well enough, and then I’m not playing, not moving well, not helping.”
That’s why these next few weeks matter. With the Olympic break looming, Kesselring is hoping to stay in the lineup, stay healthy, and keep climbing.
“Honestly, just try to make it pretty healthy to the break,” he said. “Then I’ll get some time to heal up more. And then hopefully I can really push after that.”
For now, he’s skating with Jacob Bryson in practice, while Zach Metsa rotated in as the extra defenseman. If Kesselring does get the nod tonight, it’s another chance to show he belongs - and maybe, finally, to get on the scoresheet.
But more than anything, it’s a chance to feed that hunger.
Because Michael Kesselring isn’t just starving for minutes. He’s starving to matter.