Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - When the Buffalo Sabres traded JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth last June, they were looking for a big, right-handed shooting defenseman for their top-four group.
Then general manager Kevyn Adams did insist on winger Josh Doan being part of the deal, and wouldn't make the trade without him. But Michael Kesselring was the main cog of the deal coming back to Buffalo.
Less than a year later, Kesselring has been traded away, shipped off to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday as part of a deal that also sees both teams swapping first-round picks in this year's draft. Buffalo will now select 20th overall in Round 1 next Friday night, while the Sharks will now pick 27th overall.
Because of injuries, Kesselring only played 34 games for the Sabres, picking up no goals and just two assists. He was a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs, only getting into one game for less than five minutes of playing time.
Kesselring was hurt in training camp, and didn't get into his first game until Oct. 28. He had trouble regaining his speed and strength, and admitted he probably came back too soon from one of the injuries.
Towards the end of the season, as Kesselring was a healthy scratch, he said he disagreed with how he was being handled by head coach Lindy Ruff, but he continued to work hard in practices. The emergence of Mattias Samuelsson turning into Buffalo's best defenseman on many nights, and Bo Byram re-signing a two-year contract made it very unlikely that Kesselring was going to be that top-four defenseman they thought they were getting.
By the end of the season, Ruff had placed Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa ahead of Kesselring on the depth chart.
Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen would've had to re-sign Kesselring, who will become a restricted free agent on July 1, and the team is tight up against next year's salary cap, depending on if they re-sign winger Alex Tuch.
Kekalainen has stated he wants to get winger Zach Benson re-signed to a long-term contract. He also has to re-sign forwards Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn too.
Adams knew there was a very large possible upside to Doan, but he even exceeded those expectations. Doan netted 25 goals and added 27 assists for 52 points last season. He has a nose for the puck, and is a relentless forechecker and battler in front of the net.
Doan quickly became a fan favorite in Buffalo, and an obvious favorite of Kekalainen, who signed him to a contract extension of seven years, $48.65 million ($6.95 million AAV).
Peterka was supposed to be the best player in the trade, but in his first season in Utah, he scored 25 goals and registered 47 points. Doan is, by far, the better player.
Buffalo has had the 20th overall pick three different times in team history:
- 2002: FW - Dan Paille
- 1999: FW - Barrett Heisten
- 1980: FW - Steve Patrick
