Sharks sign Michael Kesselring to three-year contract extension

The Edmonton Oilers originally selected Kesselring in the sixth round (No. 164 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. The Florence, S.C. product never played with his draft club before being traded to the Arizona Coyotes in 2023, alongside a third-round pick in that year’s draft, in exchange for center Nick Bjugstad.

Kesselring quickly developed into an everyday NHL defender with the Coyotes and, later, the Utah Hockey Club, appearing in 156 games over parts of three seasons and collecting 53 points (12 goals, 41 assists). But in the summer of 2025, the newly rechristened Utah Mammoth traded Kesselring and Josh Doan to the Sabres in exchange for RFA winger JJ Peterka.

Initially pegged as a potential top-four defender for the Sabres, Kesselring instead struggled to stay in the lineup under head coach Lindy Ruff. He dealt with injuries early in the season and never established a foothold in Buffalo, eventually sitting out 12 of 13 playoff games as a healthy scratch.

Kesselring is now one of only five defensemen with NHL experience under contract with the Sharks for the 2026-27 season, joining Dmitry Orlov, Sam Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni, and Nolan Allan. The Sharks worked to address the position with their selections at the 2026 NHL Draft, adding Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9 overall and Ryan Lin at No. 21.