Camp Notebook | Kesselring a seamless fit on and off the ice

When the Buffalo Sabres traded for Michael Kesselring in June, they got exactly what they’d been looking for in a defenseman: shoots right, shoots hard, contributes offensively, skates well and plays with a physical edge.

Kesselring has already flashed those abilities through a week-plus of training camp. Just as impressive, however, has been his seamless fit into the Sabres’ locker room and growing team culture.

The former sixth-round pick, who spent his first three NHL seasons with Arizona/Utah, arrived in Buffalo knowing a few Sabres players. He teamed up with Tage Thompson at this year’s IIHF World Championship and lived with the Thompson family before he and Josh Doan’s housing arrangements were in place. He knew Ryan McLeod from Bakersfield, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate, and Jason Zucker from the Coyotes.

“A few familiar faces, but all the guys have been great; obviously it’s a young group – I’m kind of right in that middle age with everybody, so it’s been easy,” said Kesselring, 25. “It’s been fun to get along with these guys.”

“Upbeat – he’s excited about getting going,” said head coach Lindy Ruff, sharing his early impressions of Kesselring. “I think his vibe is good.”

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A year ago, Kesselring might not have shown up and felt so comfortable, so quickly, around new teammates. But thanks to a breakout 2024-25 campaign in Utah – 82 games, 29 points (7+22) and an impactful physical presence – he arrived in Buffalo highly confident of his place on a young, on-the-rise roster. The Americans’ gold-medal run at Worlds, with a series of must-win games in Sweden, also helped.

“Going into camp last year, I was still trying to prove I was an everyday-er, I felt like,” he said. “Honestly, 15 games in, I was like, ‘Okay, I can be a really good player in this league.’”

That fitness level Ruff referenced was evident on Day 1 of training camp, when every player went through what he called a “compete skating drill.” The collective grind of that and other fitness testing, Kesselring feels, went a long way toward building team chemistry, and the Sabres have quickly taken notice of the newcomer’s work ethic.

“Guys that I think are going to fit into this team and this city perfectly,” Thompson said of Kesselring and Doan, packaged together in that June 26 trade from Utah. “Blue-collar guys, work extremely hard, guys that put the team above themselves, and they just want to win and help the team in any way possible. … I think that's going to help push the team in the right direction.”

Part of the Sabres’ direction, as repeated throughout camp, is to become harder to play against. The blueliner with seven fights and 205 hits in his 156-game NHL career is bringing an attitude he hopes rubs off on the rest of the roster.

“I want to play meaner all the time – that’s one thing I talked to Lindy and [general manager Kevyn Adams] about and something I want to keep growing on,” Kesselring said. “That’s a role that I want to help show everybody, ‘Hey, if we play a little bit meaner as a team, it’s gonna help us have some success.’”

Added Ruff: “Group toughness is really important. I think another guy that puts himself in that category will help lift other guys, for sure.”

Kesselring may be surprising some Sabres with his all-around impact, but not Doan, his roommate who made the transition with him from Arizona to Utah to Buffalo. This time last year, Kesselring’s presence and personality quickly won over the young locker room and budding fanbase in Salt Lake City.

“Everyone in the room loves him; when you’ve got that going for you, it’s easy,” Doan said. “He defends his teammates. He fights. He’s not afraid of, really, anybody on the ice. And when you’re on the ice with him, you’re comfortable, and it wears off on people that know, no matter where they are on the ice, if he’s out there with them, that he’s in their corner.”

As the headliner of Buffalo’s offseason acquisitions, Kesselring understands – and appreciates – the expectations being placed on his shoulders entering a crucial 2025-26 season.

“Just listening to [Rasmus Dahlin] talk, and Lindy and Kevyn [Adams], I’ve never felt like I’m gonna be such a big part of a team,” Kesselring said. “It’s really, really exciting for me. It’s everything I’ve wanted at this level; the opportunity’s there, so I’ve just got to go grab it.”

Here’s more from Friday’s training camp session at KeyBank Center.

Friday's practice lines

Injury updates

Jiri Kulich (undisclosed) and Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) both missed Friday’s practice, while Alex Tuch (undisclosed) and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) both participated.

Check out the Injuries and Transactions page for full updates on their statuses.

Konsta with the big guys

The Sabres returned to their groups from the beginning of camp: NHL guys first, AHL guys second. But one key exception Friday was forward Konsta Helenius, who practiced with the NHL group in Kulich’s place.

Though just 19 years old, Helenius has played in all three preseason games and hasn’t looked out of place. The 2024 first-round pick scored a goal Monday, notched an assist Tuesday and has consistently stood out with his pestilent style of play.

“To me, he looks stronger, he looks more confident, he’s making a few more plays, skating looks good,” Ruff said. “He’s doing all the right things.”

With the head coach’s trust, Helenius seems increasingly viable as an in-season call-up candidate from Rochester (AHL).

Community Day

After practice, groups of Sabres headed out to interact with fans at a variety of locations – schools, medical centers, businesses, etc. – across the city.

“I think it’s vital,” Ruff said. “To get out to be part of the community, I think it helps build a culture of basically just giving back. We’ve got a group that’s lucky to do what they do, and to get out there… There’s a lot of young people, a lot of our fan support that doesn’t often get in touch with a player.

“In a community like ours, it’s a feeling of family, and I think that’s real important.”

Up next

The Sabres host the Red Wings at KeyBank Center on Saturday at 3 p.m. Tickets are available here.

The game will be streamed live on Sabres.com.