Michael
Kesselring
D · SJS · Balanced · Below average
- PAL
- 31
- WAR
- -0.4
- Value
- 35
- PTS
- 2
2025-26№ 294 / 325
Michael Kesselring (San Jose Sharks) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Michael Kesselring
HEIGHT : 196 cm · WEIGHT : 98 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : January 12, 2000 · Florence, United States
Drafted : 2018 · EDM · round 6, pick #164
Contract : $4,500,000 · 2026-27 → 2028-29 · Standard Contract (Extension) · UFA
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | San Jose Sharks | 19 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| 2025-26 | Buffalo Sabres | 34 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 50 |
| 2024-25 | Utah Hockey Club | 82 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 89 |
| 2023-24 | Arizona Coyotes | 65 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 66 |
| 2022-23 | Arizona Coyotes | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| NHL totals | 209 | 12 | 46 | 58 | 224 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Buffalo Sabres | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Michael Kesselring: our analysis
2025-26 season: 34 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS, 0 +/-, 13:24 TOI. WAR -0.4 (294th of 325) · PAL 31, below average.
In 2025-26, Michael Kesselring, 26, posts a PAL Rating of 31 out of 100 (below average), and his WAR of -0.4 ranks 294th among 325 regulars, in the bottom quarter.
His strengths: creation (84, well above average), power play (71, above average) and possession (62, above average). On the other hand, offense (2, among the weakest in the league) and discipline (9, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV offense (+0.4); his biggest cost: finishing (-1.9).
A marked decline: his PAL was 60 in 2024-25, against 31 now; his WAR went from -0.1 to -0.4.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 35 (poor return) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Michael Kesselring's story
Growing up in Florence, South Carolina, Kesselring left home to pursue prep-school hockey in New England, skating for New Hampton School under the direction of his father before finishing 2017–18 with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.
He spent 2018–19 between Des Moines and the Fargo Force, then took the collegiate route with Northeastern University in Hockey East. Those seasons in junior and college, combined with his size and awareness on the ice, led Edmonton to take him 164th overall at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Kesselring opted to turn pro during his sophomore year and signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Oilers on 22 March 2021. He arrived in Bakersfield on an amateur tryout for the tail end of 2020–21 (three points in 21 regular-season games and six postseason appearances) and then established himself with the Condors, producing 2 goals and 13 points in 55 games in 2021–22 and breaking out offensively with 13 goals and 22 points in 49 games in 2022–23.
Edmonton traded him to the Arizona Coyotes on 2 March 2023 along with a 2023 third-round pick for Nick Bjugstad and Cam Dineen. The Coyotes recalled him immediately and he made his NHL debut on 3 March 2023 against the Carolina Hurricanes at Mullett Arena, before being reassigned to Tucson the next day. His career path continued with a move to Utah, then an exchange to the Buffalo Sabres on 25 June 2025 with Josh Doan for JJ Peterka, and ultimately a trade to the San Jose Sharks on 17 June 2026 followed by a three-year contract signed 28 June 2026.
Internationally, Kesselring represented the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, recording one goal and three assists in ten games and helping Team USA capture the gold medal. On the ice he is straightforward: a large, physical defender who can step up offensively and move the puck from the blue line.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 19:04
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:09
- SH TOI/GP
- 2:14
- Pts/GP
- 0.16
- EV points
- 3
- Hits
- 11
- Blocks
- 18
- Takeaways
- 7
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 47.5 %
- Off. zone starts
- 32.6 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
12between 4 and 19 (80% range)
- Goals
- 2
- Assists
- 10
- Games
- 64
So far: 3 pts in 19 games. The team has played 19 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.20 pts per game (last season: 0.06).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
Trend
Declining
- Points per game: 0.32 in 23-24, 0.06 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 60 → 31
Outlook, age included
↓ DecliningAge 26: prime years
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 75 %
73
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 87
- Confidence 73 %
- ST
- Strength
- 83
- Confidence 79 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 51
- Confidence 75 %
- DU
- Durability
- 62
- Confidence 73 %
- CK
- Checking
- 78
- Confidence 79 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 89
- Confidence 54 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 56
- Confidence 79 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 75
- Confidence 75 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 77
- Confidence 75 %
- DF
- Defense
- 72
- Confidence 71 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 57
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating87
- Top speed (35 %)35.4 · 74
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)3.821 · 90
- Distance /60 (20 %)15 · 92
- Speed consistency (15 %)34.8 · 77
ST — Strength83
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)5.462 · 77
- Body mass (50 %)1.023 · 83
EN — Endurance51
- Ice time per game (45 %)16.5 · 60
- Total ice time (20 %)435 · 50
- Shift length (15 %)42.3 · 50
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)14 · 52
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)1.411 · 56
DU — Durability62
- Share of games played (100 %)0.71 · 62
CK — Checking78
- Hits /60 (70 %)4.02 · 79
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)3.354 · 78
- Season volume (10 %)3.258 · 64
FG — Fighting89
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)1.765 · 89
DI — Discipline56
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.096 · 55
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)1.129 · 52
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.567 · 85
PA — Passing75
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.423 · 79
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.348 · 67
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.019 · 76
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)3.952 · 69
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.065 · 51
SC — Scoring77
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.206 · 74
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.271 · 83
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)-0.115 · 57
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.143 · 80
- xG per shot (10 %)0.034 · 71
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)12.8 · 86
DF — Defense72
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)-0.026 · 69
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.156 · 85
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.622 · 74
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)-0.086 · 66
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.518 · 60
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)58.2 · 76
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)3.969 · 68
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience57
- Career regular-season games (65 %)74
- Career playoff games (25 %)13
- NHL seasons (10 %)55
OV — Overall73
- DF · Defense (30 %)72
- PA · Passing (22 %)75
- SK · Skating (12 %)87
- SC · Scoring (12 %)77
- EN · Endurance (9 %)51
- ST · Strength (6 %)83
- DI · Discipline (5 %)56
- CK · Checking (4 %)78
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 73 | 87 | 77 | 72 |
| 2024-25 | 79 | 89 | 80 | 68 |
| 2023-24 | 75 | 86 | 80 | 69 |
| 2022-23 | 77 | 79 | 75 | 76 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
-0.4
wins above replacement
294 of 325
PAL Rating
31/ 100
Performance · Below average
172 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
35/ 100
Poor return
1.40 M$ · expected PAL 47
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 42
- Defense
- 48
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 2
- Creation
- 84
- Shooting
- 25
- Possession
- 62
- Defense
- 46
- Discipline
- 9
- Power play
- 71
- Penalty kill
- 41
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | BUF | -0.4 | 31 | 35 | 1.40 M$ |
| 2024-25 | UTA | -0.1 | 60 | 69 | 1.40 M$ |
| 2023-24 | ARI | -0.3 | 31 | 42 | 0.93 M$ |
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
3/ 100
Low
better than 3% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
58/ 100
Average
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
1/ 100
Low
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 218 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 4
- Shot selection
- 26
- Penalties drawn
- 97
- Puck management
- 32
Defense
- Takeaways
- 69
- Discipline
- 0
- Safe zone exits
- 40
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
| Season | Team | IQ | Off. | Def. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | BUF | 3 | 58 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | UTA | 85 | 96 | 35 |
| 2023-24 | ARI | 20 | 44 | 13 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
-0.4
wins above replacement
-0.6 to -0.2 — 90% interval
294 of 325 defensemen
-2.3 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +0.4
- EV defense
- -0.2
- Power play
- 0.0
- Penalty kill
- -0.1
- Shooting
- -1.9
- Penalties
- -1.4
- Average → replacement
- +0.9
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | BUF | 34 | -0.4 | -0.6 to -0.2 | 294/325 |
| 2024-25 | UTA | 78 | -0.1 | -1.5 to 1.2 | 234/314 |
| 2023-24 | ARI | 65 | -0.3 | -0.9 to 0.3 | 253/316 |
| 2022-23 | ARI | 9 | -0.2 | -0.3 to -0.1 | 258/334 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 150.8 km/h84th percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 34.6 km/h66th percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 2192nd percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 38.4 %13th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 82.6 km80th percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 5.08 km53rd percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 39.4 %11th percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.8 %37th percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 43.8 %11th percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2174th percentile | 049th percentile | 0.0 %27th percentile |
| High danger | 175th percentile | 084th percentile | 0.0 %60th percentile |
| Mid range | 136th percentile | 073rd percentile | 0.0 %50th percentile |
| Long range | 1691st percentile | 077th percentile | 0.0 %67th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
DAL
MIN
LAK
CGY
OTT
VAN
BUF
BOS
MTL
TOR
DET
NSH
EDM
STL
FLAMichael Kesselring: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Michael Kesselring have in 2026-27?
Michael Kesselring has 0 goals and 3 points (3 assists) in 19 games in 2026-27.
How old is Michael Kesselring?
Michael Kesselring is 26 years old: he was born on January 13, 2000.
How tall is Michael Kesselring, and how much does he weigh?
Michael Kesselring is 6'5" (196 cm) and weighs 216 lb (98 kg).
Where is Michael Kesselring from?
United States: Michael Kesselring was born in Florence, South Carolina, United States.
What team does Michael Kesselring play for?
Michael Kesselring plays for the San Jose Sharks in the NHL, at D, wearing number 7.
Is Michael Kesselring injured?
No: Michael Kesselring is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Michael Kesselring?
Michael Kesselring produced -0.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 294th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 31 out of 100: below average for his position.
How much does Michael Kesselring make?
Michael Kesselring earns $1.4M for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 35 out of 100 (poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Michael Kesselring's contract end?
Michael Kesselring's contract runs through the 2028-29 season; he will then be an unrestricted free agent.
Is Michael Kesselring overpaid?
Yes, his output falls short of what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 35 out of 100 (poor return), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Michael Kesselring a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 294th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Michael Kesselring getting better?
No, he is slipping: his PAL rating went from 60 in 2024-25 to 31 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Michael Kesselring played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Michael Kesselring has 1 point (0 goals, 1 assist).
What are Michael Kesselring's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Michael Kesselring has 209 games, 12 goals, 46 assists and 58 points. His best season: 2024-25, with 29 points in 82 games.
Where was Michael Kesselring drafted?
Michael Kesselring was drafted 164th overall (round 6) by Edmonton Oilers in 2018.
Is Michael Kesselring better at home or on the road?
No real difference: in 2026-27, he averages 0.13 points per game at home (1 in 8 games) and 0.18 on the road (2 in 11 games).
How does Michael Kesselring perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Michael Kesselring has 1 game and 0 points in his career. His pace (0.00 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.28).
Which player is most similar to Michael Kesselring?
Elias Salomonsson: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Elias Salomonsson's page →Is Michael Kesselring a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 12 points in 2026-27, or 0.19 points per game.
Does Michael Kesselring have siblings?
Yes: his brother Mason Kesselring (played junior hockey with the Langley Rivermen and Coquitlam Express (BCHL) and for Curry College in NCAA Division III).
Is Michael Kesselring related to anyone famous?
Yes: Casey Kesselring (father, played professional hockey at the ECHL level and has served as a minor, high school and junior head coach since 2003); Kayda Bosse (cousin, Love Island USA Season 8 finalist, finished fourth with her partner Zach Gergiou).
What is Michael Kesselring's nationality?
Michael Kesselring is American. Internationally: United States: 2025 IIHF World Championship — 1 goal and 3 assists in 10 games; helped Team USA win the gold medal (first since 1933).
How many championships has Michael Kesselring won?
1: Gold medal, 2025 IIHF World Championship with Team USA.
Where did Michael Kesselring play before turning pro?
New Hampton School (high school hockey, New England Prep), Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL, end of 2017–18), Des Moines Buccaneers and Fargo Force (USHL, 2018–19), Northeastern University (Hockey East, ended college career after sophomore season in 2020–21).
How many points is Michael Kesselring projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 12 points in 64 games in 2026-27 (4 to 19 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his San Jose Sharks teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)