Why Michael Kesselring from Utah HC makes sense as a trade target for the Maple Leafs

Standing at 6’5″ and weighing 215 pounds, the 25-year-old RHD is having a solid season with Utah with 22 points (six goals and 16 assists) in 56 games. He has begun to emerge as a dependable two-way threat with a booming shot, solid defensive play, good puck-moving skills, quality skating, and a willingness to jump into the play when needed. Kesselring also enjoys doing all of the dirty work as he is willing to lay the body, block shots, and is not afraid to drop the gloves if necessary.

This sure does sound an awful lot like how Jake McCabe plays, with the only difference being that Kesselring is younger and is a natural right-shot. Knowing how much Leafs fans have loved and appreciated what McCabe brings to the table, getting another version of him could pay a lot of dividends for a team that severely misses his presence anytime he goes down with an injury.

Not only does the eye test paint Kesselring in a positive light, but so do the underlying numbers at 5v5 where he is ranked in the upper half of Utah in every category:

Of course, there are some drawbacks to Kesselring that the Leafs would need to keep in mind if they wish to acquire him. He is by far the least disciplined player for Utah as he leads his team in penalty minutes with 65, which would also well surpass Ekman-Larsson who currently leads the Leafs in this department with 40. Kesselring’s willingness to play physically will certainly be appreciated by head coach Craig Berube, but he would need to teach the young blueliner how to improve his discipline.

Speaking of young, Kesselring is only in his second full season in the NHL and there will be some concerns about his overall lack of experience. Having played in the AHL as recently as last season may give fans some pause in putting faith in a guy who is still relatively raw at the NHL level, especially given that he puts a lot of pressure on himself because of his desire to do well. It can certainly be offset by the veterans on the Leafs who would surely be willing to teach him some things along with the team’s facilities that can help Kesselring with whatever he needs.

While these are certainly concerns, they are not things that can’t be solved and are fixable things that the Leafs should be able to help rectify. As for what it would take to pry Kesselring out of Utah, that is where things get tricky given how much the team likes him even with his ice time decreasing in recent weeks. He is on a two-year contract that pays him an AAV of $1.4 million and will be an RFA when it expires in 2026, which alone would make his asking price pretty high.

The Leafs would have to be willing to give up a quality piece from their team, be that a roster play, prospect or, draft pick for Utah GM Bill Armstrong to entertain the idea. That means guys like Ben Danford or Noah Chadwick would need to be on the table along with a roster player and a second-round pick at minimum for Utah to consider the idea of trading Kesselring.

It is a steep price to pay and one that Treliving may be hesitant to go for, but it would be worth it because they would be getting a quality young blueliner who plays a solid two-way game. He would help shore up their depth in a meaningful way while providing a McCabe-like skillset as an RHD. Though he is inexperienced and lacks discipline, Kesselring’s playstyle would translate well in the playoffs and fit right into the system that Berube is trying to implement.

While it won’t come cheap, the Leafs should still inquire about Kesselring as Utah looks to clear up their logjam on the back end.