Sabres acquire 20th-overall pick from Sharks

The Sabres move up 7 spots in next week's NHL Draft.

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By Jourdon LaBarber
@jourdonlabarber Sabres.com

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired the 20th-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 27th-overall pick and defenseman Michael Kesselring.

San Jose previously acquired the 20th pick from Edmonton in exchange for defenseman Jake Walman in March 2025.

Kesselring spent one season with Buffalo after being acquired from Utah alongside Josh Doan last summer. Injuries limited him to 34 games, during which he tallied two assists and averaged 13:24 of ice time.

The Sabres are set to pick four times in the NHL Draft, which they will host at KeyBank Center on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27. Their list of picks is as follows:

Round 1 (20th overall)

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

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