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yesterday

Sharks Sign Michael Kesselring to Three-Year, $13.5 Million Deal

San Jose paid up to end his restricted-free-agent year by buying two UFA seasons so the 26-year-old can compete for a bigger role on a thin right-shot blue line.

Jan 24, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring (8) skates with the puck against the New York Islanders during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Overview

  • The Sharks formally signed Michael Kesselring to a three-year contract worth $13.5 million on Monday, creating a $4.5 million average annual cap hit and removing his pending RFA status.
  • San Jose acquired Kesselring from the Buffalo Sabres in a draft-day swap of 2026 first-round picks on June 17 when Buffalo took No. 20 and the Sharks received No. 27.
  • Kesselring comes off an injury-marred 2025–26 season in Buffalo in which he played 34 regular-season games, recorded two assists, averaged 13:24 of ice time, and was often a healthy scratch in the playoffs.
  • The deal buys two unrestricted-free-agent years in addition to the remaining RFA year and contains no trade protection, raising his cap hit from roughly $1.4 million to $4.5 million and giving San Jose short-term control without movement restrictions.
  • The Sharks view the signing as a low-risk, near-term attempt to fill a scarcity of right-shot NHL defensemen and offer Kesselring top-four opportunity if he regains the form he showed in Arizona and Utah, while the club continues to develop defensive prospects from the 2026 draft.