Sabres assign Zach Metsa, expected to activate Michael Kesselring

The Buffalo Sabres have assigned defenseman Zach Metsa to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The move will open the roster space to activate defenseman Michael Kesselring off of injured reserve. Head coach Lindy Ruff said he expects the team to make that roster move before Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, as long as all goes well in the morning.

Kesselring has missed the first nine games of the season with a lower-body injury sustained in an Oct. 1 preseason game. The injury delayed his debut with the Sabres, after joining the team alongside Josh Doan in the June trade that sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth.

That trade will be top of mind as Kesselring prepares for his first regular season game in the blue-and-gold. Doan has already wowed fans with his early-year performance, netting six points and already rivaling a top-line role. But at the time of the move, many expected Kesselring to bring Buffalo the bigger impact, after he proved to be a capable top-four defender in Utah.

Kesselring played in all 82 games of Utah’s inaugural season. He received the lowest average ice time (17:41) among a heavily-rotated Utah defense, but routinely faced tough roles alongside top defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and against top competition. He was strong on both sides of the puck, showing off a strong stick, lightning-quick speed, and heads-up passing. Those talents led Kesselring to 29 points on the year, the second-most on Utah’s blue-line behind Sergachev (53).

Kesselring looked similarly capable in his rookie season of 2023-24. He finished that year with 21 points in 65 games, while operating from a third-pair role with the former Arizona Coyotes. With two years of improvement to start his career, he now seems well-poised to bear some more responsiblity with the Sabres. Buffalo has relied on Conor Timmins and Metsa to fill the right-side behind captain Rasmus Dahlin. Timmins has faired pretty well in the second-pair role, recording three assists and 24 blocked shots in nine games. Metsa has been less productive, with no scoring and just two blocks in four games. Kesselring should step ahead of Timmins on the depth chart, placing him next to former first-overall pick Owen Power. Power’s sturdy defense could be a great match for the typically-aggressive Kesselring.

Meanwhile, Metsa’s brief appearance in the NHL will come to an end. He played the first NHL games of his career this season, after starting the year with two point-less games with the Americans. Metsa led Rochester’s blue-line with 46 points in 69 games last season. It was his second pro season. He posted 24 points in 54 games as an AHL rookie. The 27-year-old will look to return to his top role on the Rochester blue-line, and could remain a call-up option should Buffalo face anymore injuries.