Apr 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring (8) attempts a shot against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
BUFFALO (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres are moving on from defenseman Michael Kesselring.
Buffalo sent the 26-year-old Kesselring and the 27th overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft to San Jose on Wednesday for the 20th overall selection.
The Sabres acquired Kesselring in a trade with Utah in June 2025, hoping the 6-foot-5 blueliner would provide some physicality and grit to Buffalo’s defensive core.
Injuries, however, intervened. Kesselring had just two assists in 34 games with the Atlantic Division-winning Sabres. He appeared in just one playoff game, seeing a scant 4 minutes, 25 seconds of ice time.
“Michael has a big frame with solid two-way ability,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He is a responsible player in the defensive zone with a well-rounded offensive game, and will be a good upgrade for us patrolling the blueline.”
Kesselring, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft, has 12 goals and 43 assists in 190 career games with Arizona, Utah and Buffalo.
We're almost a week away from the 2026 NHL Draft, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are likely making their final preparations for it.
They're set to have the No. 22 pick in the first round next Friday night and one player who could be available to them is Adam Novotny.
Novotny spent the 2025-26 season with the Peterborough Petes in the OHL and had a great season, finishing with 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games. He also had one assist in six playoff games.
He was one of several players to meet with the Penguins at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo earlier this month and really appreciated the meeting.
"They showed you your clips, usually negative ones. But, obviously, I think they just want to hear how you're going to react to "many failures," if I could say it like that. And I think I did well," Novotny said. "I think they told me I did a good job, so it was nice. I like my coaches to be honest with me. [For] all the people around, I just want to hear the truth, not walk around something and not be honest. I always appreciate that feedback, and how is that going to get better, right? So, for sure, I was happy for that."
The first thing that jumps out about Novotny is his shot. He can really rifle the puck, and he's not afraid to use it. One of my favorite examples of this came in overtime against the Brantford Bulldogs. Novotny came into the zone on a two-on-one rush and slowed up a little bit before unleashing a beautiful shot for the OT winner. The Bulldogs' goaltender had no chance on it.
He scored some nice one-timers on the power play from the right circle, and was set up from the left circle as well. Speaking of the power play, he really moves around on it, which often confuses the opposing penalty killers. Sometimes he'd be on the left or right circles, and other times he'd be at the point or behind the net.
Sticking with special teams, he can also play on the penalty kill and had a beautiful shorthanded goal against the Niagara IceDogs. He came in on a breakaway and made a sick backhand move for a goal.
Novotny also showcased his speed on that goal, which is another strong element of his game. He's a good skater with a nice first burst and also skates with a ton of power. He's hard to knock the puck off of once he gets moving.
Don't sleep on Novotny's play around the net, either. He likes to crash the crease and get his nose dirty in those battle areas. With his size, he's tough to move once he's there.
He still needs some work as a playmaker, but that could come as he continues to develop. He did have some nice plays where he set up teammates for goals, but I still felt his playmaking was lacking a bit.
I liked his effort and compete level throughout the season, too. He does a solid job of getting back to help defensively and never gives up on a play.
If he's there at 22, I can definitely see the Penguins looking at him, since he has many of the traits they look for in a draft pick.
The 2026 NHL Draft will take place next Friday. The Chicago Blackhawks currently hold the 4th overall pick, only behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks.
There is reason to believe that Ivar Stenberg, the consensus second-best player in the draft, will fall to the Blackhawks at 4. That could happen if the Maple Leafs select Gavin McKenna, the Sharks select a defenseman, which is an organizational need, and the Canucks select their head coach's son, Caleb Malhotra.
Although that scenario makes a ton of sense, something happened on Wednesday that could change everything.
The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Michael Kesselring and the 27th overall from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the 20th overall pick. The Sabres basically gave up Kesselring so that they could move up 7 spots.
Kesselring gives the Sharks another good, young player to work with on the blue line. That could, in theory, feel less pressure to draft one.
If that were the case, they could select Stenberg and add him to their embarrassment of riches at forward. Of course, that would likely eliminate the Blackhawks from getting one of the three top forwards in this year's draft unless they trade up.
San Jose is by no means "set" on defense, but this is another good piece added to their puzzle. They still could stand to add another top prospect at the position, which would be good for the Blackhawks, but this is certainly a wrinkle in the lead-up.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
The Buffalo Sabres made a notable move on Wednesday, trading defenseman Michael Kesselring and the 27th overall pick of this year's NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for this year's 20th overall pick. The move is not surprising, as Kesselring struggled during his only season as a Sabre.
With the Sabres moving on from Kesselring, let's take a look at three more Sabres who have the potential to be traded next.
Devon Levi, G
Devon Levi has been a very popular name in the rumor mill since Buffalo's season has ended. With the Sabres having three other goalies ahead of him on their depth chart, it would not be shocking if the Sabres give Levi a fresh start elsewhere. This is especially so when noting that he did not play in a single NHL game this season.
In 52 games this season for the Rochester Americans, Levi had a 23-20-9 record and a .904 save percentage.
Jordan Greenway, LW
The Sabres need to free up cap space with them having so multiple pending free agents, both unrestricted and restricted. Due to this, it would not be surprising if the Sabres traded Greenway and his $4 million cap hit before July 1. He is simply making too much for his role as a bottom-six forward.
In 40 games this season for the Sabres, Greenway recorded one goal, six points, and 57 hits.
Josh Norris, C
Josh Norris is another Sabres forward who should be watched this off-season. While he is a key part of the Sabres' forward group, his $7.95 million cap hit is definitely high for what he provides. With this, it is fair to wonder if the Sabres could try to flip him in a trade package to land another high-impact forward.
In 44 games this season with the Sabres, Norris had 13 goals, 21 assists, and 34 points.
Ryan Craig has been named the fifth head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Yes, the fifth. Incredibly crazy considering the team has only been around since 2017 and has made it to the Stanley Cup Final three times since inception.
The former Brandon Wheat Kings captain has been handed the keys in Vegas, by a familiar friend, nonetheless. Thus completing a coaching climb through the only NHL organization he has ever known from behind the bench.
Photo by Rusty Barton/Game On Magazine
Craig, 44, joined the Golden Knights as an assistant coach ahead of the franchise’s inaugural 2017-18 season and quickly became part of one of hockey’s greatest expansion stories. He helped guide the team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five of his six seasons as an assistant and was behind the bench when Vegas captured its first Stanley Cup championship in 2023.
From there, Craig continued building his resume with the organization’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
Over three seasons as Henderson’s head coach, Craig helped the club improve each year, increasing its win total from 28 victories in 2023-24 to 29 in 2024-25 before a franchise-best 39-21-12 record and 90-point campaign in 2025-26. The Silver Knights also advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs this spring.
Long before his rise through the Golden Knights' organization, however, Craig’s leadership qualities were on display in Manitoba.
The Abbotsford, B.C. product spent five seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings from 1998 to 2003, where he played under current Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who was Brandon’s owner and general manager.
Craig served as the Wheat Kings' captain for two seasons, led the club in scoring twice and was named to the WHL East First All-Star Team during his final junior season. He was also recognized as both the WHL and CHL Humanitarian of the Year.
That leadership followed Craig throughout his professional playing career.
Selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the eighth round of the 2002 NHL Draft, Craig went on to play 198 NHL games with Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Columbus. He also appeared in 711 AHL games and served as captain of an incredible nine different teams, including the 2015-16 Calder Cup champion Lake Erie Monsters.
Now, after years of leading as a player and developing as a coach, Craig will get his first opportunity running an NHL bench.
For the Wheat Kings, it represents yet another connection between Brandon and one of the NHL’s most successful modern - and sometimes cutthroat - franchises.
More than two decades after McCrimmon watched Craig grow into a leader in Westman, the two are reunited as they look to bring another Stanley Cup to Vegas.
The San Jose Sharks traded for a defenseman on Wednesday, June 17 and also changed where they will select in the first round of this month's NHL draft.
The Sharks acquired Michael Kesselring from the Buffalo Sabres. As part of the trade, they will move seven spots down in the 2026 draft, giving up their 20th overall pick for Buffalo's No. 27 pick. The 20th pick was previously acquired from Edmonton in the Jake Walman trade.
Kesselring was limited to 34 games because of injury and had only two assists. But he had seven goals and 29 points in 2024-25 with Utah, which sent him to Buffalo with Josh Doan in the J.J. Peterka trade.
The Sharks were in need of defensive depth with John Klingberg, Mario Ferraro, Nick Leddy and Vincent Desharnais potentially heading to unrestricted free agency. Kesseling is a restricted free agent.
The Sharks will now select second and 27th in the first round of the June 26-27 draft. They got the No. 2 overall pick in the second draft lottery drawing.
Sharks-Sabres trade grades
Sharks: B-
The Sharks need defensive depth and Kesselring showed promise during his time in Utah. They still hang onto their two first-round picks but will select 27th instead of 20th with their second pick.
Sabres: B
Kesselring didn't pan out in Buffalo because of an injury. They move him rather than re-sign him and jump seven spots in the draft.
The 2026 NHL Draft is quickly approaching, and while the Detroit Red Wings don't currently have a selection in the opening round, the top news story surrounding the organization is the future of captain Dylan Larkin.
Earlier this month, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Larkin had requested a trade from the Red Wings despite having affirmed his commitment and desire to win the Stanley Cup with the organization in April.
Since then, numerous reports have surfaced over Larkin's alleged short three-team trade list, though newer reports indicate that his representation is willing to entertain expanding that list.
In the meantime, former Red Wings four-time Stanley Cup winner Darren McCarty stated his belief that Larkin was turning his back on the club that selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. Now, McCarty's longtime Detroit teammate Chris Osgood is weighing in.
Speaking on the "Ozzy and Keats" podcast, which he co-hosts with former broadcaster John Keating, Osgood admitted that Larkin's trade request caught him by surprise.
"That's tough, it's real tough," Osgood said. "I'm surprised for sure. Both sides - it's difficult, it's hard when you give three teams. I believe his agent, he has Vegas, Florida, and Minnesota. The thing with that is, you're Steve Yzerman - and he's been through this before with Martin St. Louis and Jonathan Drouin, he's going to be patient."
Osgood then pointed to GM Steve Yzerman's tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning, when he navigated trade requests from captain Martin St. Louis and Jonathan Drouin.
Yzerman ultimately dealt St. Louis to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan, while taking a much more patient approach with Drouin before eventually moving him to Montreal for Mikhail Sergachev.
"It's one thing to make the request, but in the end, it's Steve's job to make sure the Wings get what they expect back in a deal," Osgood said. "I think it's going to go on for quite some time to be honest, John. I just don't see a path with any of those teams."
While many have speculated that the Red Wings could deal Larkin at some point during the NHL Draft later this month, there remains the possibility that Yzerman chooses the patient approach with this situation until he feels he gets the best possible return for Larkin.
There's also the very real possibility that Yzerman doesn't receive what he feels is an adequate offer from another club for Larkin and ultimately retains him.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Big Red Machine - Jan. 12 2009 - Vol. 62, Issue 14 - Ken Campbell
THINGS ARE NOT SUPPOSED to be this way. As the domestic auto industry finds itself hanging by its fingernails, the gap between the Detroit Red Wings and the rest of the NHL continues to widen.
When THN conducted its first-ever NHL franchise ranking last season, the Red Wings finished ahead of the pack by a considerable margin, then went out and won the Stanley Cup, then signed the most sought-after free agent of the summer after he pursued them. So much for parity in the new salary-capped NHL.
Last season, the Red Wings’ margin of victory in our overall totals was 14.5 points over the Ottawa Senators, but this season they’ve bulged that lead to 21.5 points, this time over San Jose.
Yup, things are looking absolutely rosy for the Red Wings, that is until you step outside the Joe Louis Arena. If the Big Three in Detroit were near as solid and successful as the Wings’ Big Three of Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, they wouldn’t be on the verge of bankruptcy and holding out their hands for a government bailout. Detroit relies on the auto industry as much as any city does on its main employer and when the defending Cup champions have to sell tickets for some games for as low as nine bucks and still can’t fill the building for all of them, well, these are very difficult times.
There has been enormous amounts of speculation about what would happen to Detroit if one or more of the Big Three was forced to close its doors. It’s a scenario Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch does not want to contemplate.
“I can’t anticipate the automakers not being a part of the Detroit scene – let alone the U.S. economy – and so I don’t even want to speculate on that,” said Ilitch in an email. “I’m hopeful the president and the others in Washington will work with the auto industry to make sure the U.S. keeps a strong manufacturing base at home.”
There are, oh, about 25 other teams who would be doing cartwheels if they had the Wings’ attendance problems – they couldn’t even sell out the building for a Dec. 18 showdown against the Sharks – but their average numbers through 15 contests were still a robust 19,630 per game.
“I would say that given everything that has gone on to this point, we’re thrilled with our support,” said Red Wings GM Ken Holland. “Do I worry about it? Yeah, because I live it every day. I feel for people when I pick up the paper and see people losing their jobs.”
Holland is quick to point out, however, that if the Red Wings played in an 18,000-seat arena, they’d be selling out every game. The Red Wings play in a market where there are professional baseball, basketball and football (well, sort of) teams and huge athletic program at the University of Michigan. They have 3,600 more seats to sell per game than the Edmonton Oilers, “and they only have one team,” Holland said.
The economy aside, things haven’t looked this good for the Red Wings in some time. Ask any pro scout on the circuit and he’ll tell you the Wings have as many as a half-dozen NHL-caliber players on their minor league roster in Grand Rapids and their stable of young players is solid. They’ve been perennial contenders, dominant in the regular season and very good in the playoffs, have one of the best owners in hockey and the undisputed strongest front office in the game, have drafted and developed players very well and despite the fact they have filled a 20,066-seat rink only eight of 15 games this season, attendance is still a strong point.
Holland attributes some of the Red Wings’ success to luck, but that’s like saying the best poker players in the world somehow get the best cards all the time. The Wings make much of their own luck and their ability to put together a perennial Cup contender is what made Marian Hossa choose them last summer.
The Red Wings rarely sign bad contracts, which gives them flexibility with the salary cap and if they do have to make a trade, it gives them a valuable player and doesn’t force them to trade one headache to acquire another one. At some point in the New Year, Detroit will almost certainly announce it has signed Henrik Zetterberg for the balance of his career.
All of which makes it difficult to believe that the Red Wings will fall from their perch anytime soon. They may not win the Stanley Cup every year, but it’s difficult to believe they’ll fall off the map the way previous finalists such as Carolina, Edmonton, Tampa Bay and Ottawa have.
Every team in our franchise rankings was graded in nine categories and we concentrated primarily on the seasons spanning from 2002-03 through 2007-08. Our categories are: front office continuity; attendance; regular season finish; ranking in last year’s THN Future Watch; playoff performance; entry draft record; how teams are doing this season; franchise values; and, quality of ownership.
1 FRONT OFFICE CONTINUITY
Sure, you can debate this one. After all, the Nashville Predators have had the same GM and the same coach since they were a cuddly little expansion team and they haven’t won squat.
But we still believe there is a lot to be said for front office stability. Teams earn a maximum of 10 in this category and the Predators, Minnesota and Buffalo did that on the strength they’ve had the same GM and coach the past five seasons.
Teams that had three coaches and/or GMs were awarded eight points; four received five points; five got three points; six received one point; and, Chicago, which has had three GMs and four coaches since 2002-03, received a bagel.
Those who filled in for coaches or GMs on an interim basis were not included in the totals.
2 ATTENDANCE
Attendance is a bit of a mug’s game in the NHL because nobody knows what the actual figures are in many American markets. For example, the Canadiens draw 21,273 for each game and every seat is bought and paid for, but a number of southern U.S. teams have thousands of free giveaways, which inflates numbers.
In this category, teams received a maximum of 10 points based on their attendance figures for this season and the past five seasons.
The points were given for attendance with respect to percentage of capacity of the arena rather than straight attendance numbers. The Edmonton Oilers aren’t penalized for playing in a small building, but the Chicago Blackhawks, who tried until last season to fill the cavernous United Center with a bad team, take a hit here.
Teams averaging 100-percent-or-better capacity received 10 points, something all the Canadian teams but Montreal managed to do, along with the Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers. Those drawing between 98.9 to 99.9 capacity received nine; 96-98.8 received eight; 90-95.9 got seven; 97-89.9 earned six; 84-86.9 received five; 80-83.9 earned four; and, 70-79 got three.
3 REGULAR SEASON
Yes, it probably has something to do with the fact that for the past three seasons, the Red Wings have hada pretty steady diet of St. Louis, Chicago and Columbus, but we’re very confident the Wings would pile up points no matter which division they inhabited.
As it is, their regular season success over the past half-decade has been nothing short of astounding. The Wings ran away with this category on the strength of capturing three Presidents’ Trophies the past five years and finishing no worse than third overall in any season since 2002-03. How dominant have the Red Wings been in the regular season? Well, consider that their average of 114 points per season is nine points better than second-place Ottawa and Dallas.
The score in this category was determined by teams’ regular season finish in each of the past five seasons. Clubs were assigned a numerical value based on where they ranked in the league each season, earning 30 points for finishing first overall down to one for the 30th-place team. That total was then divided by five to determine average placing per season since 2002-03.
The Red Wings received 30 points for each of their Presidents’ Trophies in 2003-04, ’05-06 and last season, and they earned 28 points for finishing third overall in ’02-03 and 29 for being second in ’06-07. That gave them a total score of 147, which averages out to 29.4, almost five points ahead of the second-place Senators.
For the second straight year, the Blue Jackets pull up the rear with just 5.2 points.
4 FUTURE WATCH
The Phoenix Coyotes didn’t do a very good job of drafting players in the first half of the decade, but things are undoubtedly looking up on that front.
Here at THN, we take a lot of pride in our annual Future Watch issue, which ranks each NHL organization on the quality of its prospects and NHL roster players under the age of 22.
Teams could earn a maximum of 10 points in this category and the Coyotes, Blackhawks and Penguins did just that by being the top three teams in last season’s edition. Teams ranked 4-6 received nine points; 7-9 got eight; 10-12 was worth seven; 13-15 was worth six; 16-18 received five; 19-21 was worth four; 22-24 received three; 25-27 received two; and, 28-30 one point.
So what do the Penguins, Coyotes and Blackhawks have in common? They’ve all had a bevy of high picks in recent drafts.
You know there’s parity in the NHL when the team that wins this category has won just one Stanley Cup and has fewer than half the available points in the category.
In this portion, we examined each team’s playoff performance from the spring of 2003 through last season. We awarded 12 points for a Cup; eight for a final appearance; six for making it to the conference final; four for getting into the second round and two for qualifying.
The Anaheim Ducks, with their Stanley Cup and appearance in the final in 2003, took this category with 28 of a possible 60 points.
Since they lost the Cup final to the New Jersey Devils in ’03 (eight points), the Ducks missed the playoffs (zero), lost in the Western Conference final (six), won the Stanley Cup (12) and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs (two). Despite winning the Cup last season (12 points), the Red Wings are two behind the Ducks in this category after losing in the Western Conference final (six), losing in the first round twice (two points each) and losing once in the second round (four).
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Panthers and Coyotes, who kept us from having to use our fingers, an abacus or any other calculating device by missing the playoffs each of the past five seasons.
6 ENTRY DRAFT SUCCESS
The path to the Stanley Cup starts in June at the draft table. That maxim has been proven time and time again by successful teams. Teams that draft and develop well always have a stable of young players who can push for jobs or be used in trades to fill a hole in the lineup.
Scores in this category were determined by each team’s performance in the five drafts from 2000 through 2004, the logic being the players from those drafts have separated themselves as either full-time NHLers or minor-leaguers by now.
We examined each of those drafts and awarded one point for each player who either is or has been an NHL regular. The team drafting the player receives the credit for the player even if he established himself with another organization.
If a player was drafted twice after re-entering the draft – and he became a regular – both teams that drafted him receive credit for the player.
The Sabres, who have had a remarkable run of success in producing big-league talent, lead the league with 11 NHL players over that period in Paul Gaustad, Jiri Novotny, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, Keith Ballard, Daniel Paille, Denis Wideman, Thomas Vanek, Jan Hejda, Nathan Paetsch and Drew Stafford.
The Coyotes, who produced just Fredrik Sjostrom and Ben Eager, are last in this category.
7 2008-09
It would be impossible to rank the into account how franchises as of right now if we didn’t take they’re doing this season.
And to the surprise of no one, the record-setting San Jose Sharks are the top team.
In this category, we came up with the score based on where teams stood in the NHL standings as of Dec. 16. Since teams had played a different number of games, we based our rankings on winning percentage and not points accrued.
As was the case with our five-year analysis, we assigned a numerical value based on each team’s position in the standings, with 30 for first place down to one point for last. But since the season was barely one-third complete, we felt giving 2008-09 the same weight as the first two categories would skew the rankings. So, we took the scores and divided them by three, meaning the Sharks received 10 points in this category.
At the time of our ranking, Tampa Bay and the Islanders were tied for last place, so we assigned them two points each for being 29th – just 0.7 points out of 10 when divided by three.
8 FRANCHISE VALUE
Very straightforward. We took the franchise values for this season according to Forbes magazine and teams received one point for each increment of three that they were on the list. This season, the Rangers, Leafs and Habs were the top three teams, so they each got 10.
9 OWNERSHIP
It’s not a coincidence that the teams that make a habit of being successful have strong ownership. When it comes to on-ice success, it truly starts at the top. This category was ranked out of 10 and five teams earned perfect marks.
The Red Wings are owned by Little Caesar’s pizza baron Mike Ilitch and for the past 20 seasons they have set the standard for NHL ownership. Ilitch is involved enough without being a bother to the coach or manager and his commitment to the community will help the Red Wings through what promise to be difficult economic times.
Ilitch and Peter Karmanos were rivals on the Detroit minor hockey scene through the 1980s; as an NHL owner in Carolina, Karmanos has proven to be Ilitch’s equal in virtually every way. Karmanos’ teams have struggled since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, but he remains committed to a non-traditional hockey market in Raleigh.
In Calgary, the Flames are owned by a group of Calgary oilmen led by former NHL chairman of the board Harley Hotchkiss, a group that has ushered the Flames into an era of unparalleled prosperity.
They proved in Edmonton that ownership by committee could work, then made a seamless and encouraging transition by selling to a local and passionate billionaire in Daryl Katz, whose biggest challenge is finding a way to build an arena with only $100 million of his own money.
A group led by former Rangers executive David Checketts now runs the St. Louis Blues and while the results haven’t come quickly on the ice, the Blues are back to selling out on a regular basis.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have traded defenseman Michael Kesselring and the 27th overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 20th overall pick of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Kesselring had been the subject of trade rumors since the completion of the Sabres' season. Now, he is heading to San Jose, and the Sabres have moved up seven spots in the first round because of it.
A change of scenery was definitely needed for Kesselring, as he struggled during his lone season with the Sabres. He was limited to only 34 games this regular-season with Buffalo, where he had two assists and 50 penalty minutes. He was also scratched for all but one playoff game for the Sabres this spring.
With this, it is not surprising that the Sabres have moved on from Kesselring. He will now be looking to bounce back on the Sharks, where he should have a more prominent role.
Kesselring was acquired by the Sabres last off-season with Josh Doan in the deal that sent JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth. While Kesselring's time in Buffalo is over, that trade has certainly been a good one for the Sabres due to Doan's big breakout year.
BUFFALO (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres are moving on from defenseman Michael Kesselring.
Buffalo sent the 26-year-old Kesselring and the 27th overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft to San Jose on Wednesday for the 20th overall selection.
The Sabres acquired Kesselring in a trade with Utah in June 2025, hoping the 6-foot-5 blueliner would provide some physicality and grit to Buffalo's defensive core.
Injuries, however, intervened. Kesselring had just two assists in 34 games with the Atlantic Division-winning Sabres. He appeared in just one playoff game, seeing a scant 4 minutes, 25 seconds of ice time.
“Michael has a big frame with solid two-way ability,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “He is a responsible player in the defensive zone with a well-rounded offensive game, and will be a good upgrade for us patrolling the blueline.”
Kesselring, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft, has 12 goals and 43 assists in 190 career games with Arizona, Utah and Buffalo.
One of, or maybe even the most intriguing, players in the 2026 NHL draft is Swedish center Viggo Bjorck.
The skilled right-handed shooter put up an impressive six goals and 15 points in 42 games in the SHL, regarded by most as the second-best hockey league in the world. Outside of the SHL, he posted eight goals and 20 points in nine J-20 playoff games in Sweden.
Bjorck also won gold with Team Sweden at the World Junior Championship, scoring three goals and nine points in seven games. He then earned a spot on Sweden’s World Championship roster, becoming the youngest Swedish player to ever participate in the event. In eight games, he scored one goal and six points, but made a noticeable impact in Sweden’s top six.
Bjorck is a feisty player who loves to have the puck on his stick. He excels at zone exits and entries, routinely doing so with possession. He’s also stellar at finding pockets of space in the slot to fire shots on goal, very similar to players like Brayden Point and Logan Stankoven.
Those are two players he’s been compared to, largely due to their play styles, but also physically.
Bjorck, alongside fellow 2026 NHL draft prospects, recently completed the Scouting Combine, where he was listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds. While his game is polished on both ends, his skating is high-end, and he competes hard, his size as a center is undersized, which is holding him back from being a top-five or top-three pick in the draft.
The Panthers don’t usually go down the route of selecting undersized players, but Bjorck’s skill, two-way prowess, and compete level are all traits that should make him a great NHL player.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source.Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators hired longtime NHL player and former Boston Bruins executive Jamie Langenbrunner as a special assistant to new general manager Chris MacFarland on Wednesday.
Langenbrunner, who scored 243 goals with Dallas, New Jersey and St. Louis during an 18-year career that included a pair of Stanley Cup victories, will focus on professional scouting, collegiate free-agent scouting and recruiting, and special assignments with the Predators.
The 50-year-old Langebrunner spent more than a decade with the Boston Bruins after retiring in 2013. He worked in various capacities with the Bruins, including stints as a development coach and director of player development before becoming assistant general manager in 2022.
A member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Langenbrunner won the Cup with Dallas in 1999 and New Jersey in 2003. He also served as captain of the silver-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
His departure means the Iowa Wild will soon be led by their third head coach in three years and the fourth since Bill Guerin took over Minnesota's hockey operations in 2019.
But while another coaching search will dominate the headlines, Iowa's problems extend far beyond who's standing behind the bench.
The Iowa Wild finished the 2025-26 season with a 27-36-9 record, placing 28th out of 32 AHL teams. It marked the third consecutive season Iowa finished near the bottom of the league standings.
In 2024-25, Iowa finished 27-37-8, ranking 30th out of 32 teams. The year before, they posted the exact same 27-37-8 record and finished 29th.
Three straight seasons near the bottom of the standings would be concerning for any organization. However, the bigger issue is that Iowa hasn't been able to offset those struggles with a steady pipeline of NHL-ready talent.
The standard defense of poor AHL results is simple: winning isn't the primary objective. Development is.
That's true. But the problem for Minnesota is that Iowa hasn't done enough of either.
Over the past three seasons, the club has struggled at both ends of the ice. Iowa ranked 30th in the AHL in goals against in 2023-24, allowing 245 goals. They slipped to 31st in goals against in 2024-25, surrendering 251 goals. This season, they finished 31st in goals scored.
They haven't been able to defend. They haven't been able to score. And they haven't been able to win.
What's particularly puzzling is that these struggles have occurred while Minnesota has repeatedly been praised for possessing one of the NHL's deepest prospect pools.
For years, the Wild's sytem ranked among the league's best. Yet many of those highly touted prospects either bypassed Iowa entirely or spent years there without becoming NHL regulars.
Since Guerin became general manager in 2019, only three of his Wild draft picks have appeared in at least 45 games for both Iowa and Minnesota: Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and Daemon Hunt.
Rossi and Ohgren were traded as part of the blockbuster deal that brought Quinn Hughes to the Wild. Hunt was traded to acquire David Jiricek before eventually being reclaimed on waivers from Columbus.
And Jiricek was a failed development project.
He played 51 AHL games with Iowa and 31 NHL games with Minnesota. The Wild traded Hunt, a 1st-round pick in 2025, 3rd and 4th-round picks in 2026 and a 2nd-round pick in 2027 for Jiricek before trading him for Bobby Brink one year and three months later.
Meanwhile, several other notable prospects spent years developing in Iowa with little NHL opportunity to show for it.
Ryan O'Rourke, the 29th overall pick in 2020, played 229 games for Iowa but never appeared in an NHL game with Minnesota. After going unsigned, he spent part of this past season with three different teams.
Carson Lambos, a first-round pick in 2021, has played 207 games in Iowa and has appeared in just one NHL game with Minnesota.
David Spacek, selected in the fifth round in 2022, has suited up for 192 AHL games while appearing in only two NHL contests for the Wild.
Jack Peart, a second-round pick in 2021, has played 123 games in Iowa without making his NHL debut.
Michael Milne, a third-round selection in 2022, played 172 games in Iowa and appeared in one NHL game before being traded to Tampa for a guy who spent a few months in the Wild's orgazation.
In fact, only five drafted players who have played both NHL or AHL games for the Wild since Guerin became general manager remain in the organization today.
Jesper Wallstedt, Lambos, Spacek, Hunter Haight and Hunt. That doesn't necessarily mean those players won't become NHL contributors.
Wallstedt has emerged as a legit NHL goaltender and was the Wild's starter in thr playoffs. While Lambos and Spacek may still have opportunities ahead of them.
Haight seems like he has an NHL future but whether that is actually with the Wild will remain to be seen.
This does raise questions about Iowa's overall track record as a development environment. The constant turnover hasn't helped.
Mike Murray originally oversaw Iowa before transitioning into a role focused solely on assisting Minnesota. Matt Hendricks later took over as Iowa's general manager.
Behind the bench, Tim Army gave way to Brett McLean. McLean left after two seasons to join the Vancouver Canucks' NHL coaching staff. Cronin lasted one season before accepting a position with St. Louis.
Now another coaching search begins.
At some point, Minnesota has to determine whether the issue is coaching, management, roster construction, player evaluation or the development system itself.
Because after three consecutive bottom-five finishes, the questions are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The Wild don't need Iowa to win a Calder Cup every season.
But they do need Iowa to become a place where prospects improve, earn NHL opportunities and learn how to win.
Right now, the results suggest that isn't happening nearly enough.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Zakhar Bardakov came to Colorado believing his breakout season in Russia had finally earned him a real NHL opportunity.
Instead, it became a one-year stopover.
According to PuckPedia, Bardakov is expected to sign with KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg after spending the 2025-26 season with the Colorado Avalanche. While the 25-year-old forward is heading back to Russia, Colorado will retain his NHL rights as a restricted free agent after his one-year entry-level contract expired.
The decision isn't exactly a shock.
Bardakov found a home on Colorado's fourth line, but that's where he stayed. According to reports, the Russian forward became frustrated with his limited role and spoke with his agent about the possibility of securing more ice time. That request apparently never led to a bigger opportunity.
On a roster overflowing with offensive talent, there simply wasn't a path to consistent minutes.
Bardakov finished his rookie campaign with one goal and 10 points in 60 games while averaging just 7:17 of ice time per night. When the playoffs arrived, he never saw the ice.
For a player still trying to establish himself, returning home offers something the Avalanche couldn't: the chance to play meaningful minutes every night and continue developing in a familiar environment.
Ironically, it was that same environment that earned him his NHL shot in the first place.
Originally selected by the New Jersey Devils in the seventh round (203rd overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Bardakov spent several seasons developing in the KHL before his signing rights were traded to Colorado in 2024 as part of the deal that sent Kurtis MacDermid to New Jersey.
At the time, he looked like nothing more than organizational depth.
He had produced six goals and 18 points in 42 games during the 2022-23 season before following it with six goals and 12 points in 51 games in 2023-24. There was little reason to believe he was on the verge of becoming an NHL option.
Then came a breakout that changed everything.
Bardakov exploded for 17 goals and 35 points in 53 games with SKA St. Petersburg during the 2024-25 season, finishing with a plus-20 rating and eclipsing his offensive totals from the previous two seasons combined.
The surge convinced the Avalanche he was ready to make the jump across the Atlantic. With injuries piling up throughout the organization, Colorado brought him to North America to provide depth and energy in the bottom six.
He answered the call, appearing in 60 regular-season games and earning the trust of the coaching staff with a physical, reliable style, even if the offensive numbers never followed.
Now, his departure creates another vacancy on an Avalanche roster that is quietly being reshaped.
Colorado traded Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators earlier this week in a move widely viewed as a salary-clearing decision, making Bardakov the second forward to leave the organization's depth chart in as many days.
The Avalanche still hold his NHL rights, leaving open the possibility of a return down the road.
For now, though, the player who bet on himself by coming to North America is betting on something else: that more opportunity back home will ultimately give him the best chance to make it back to the NHL on his own terms.
On Tuesday, Philadelphia Flyers GM Danny Briere took to the podium with assistant GM Brent Flahr for their annual pre-draft press conference, and although they didn’t reveal any names, you can get an idea of what they may look for just by reading between the lines.
Fans always talk about their team needing a specific position in the draft, and while that may be true, NHL front offices tend to just take the best player available.
"Especially in the first round, I think we try to be careful, try to go with the best player available," Briere said.
With that, the Flyers have taken a lot of centers over the last few years, with those players starting to approach making the NHL. Is there still a point in drafting them without landing the big fish?
Flahr insists the Flyers will "continue to target centermen."
Sounds pretty simple to me. You saw it this past season with Denver Barkey playing a lot of wing, even though he was drafted as a center.
The Flyers just shipped away the 5-foot-9 defenseman Emil Andrae, aligning with the team's recent philosophy, which is getting big, mobile blue-liners.
Neither Briere nor Flahr shut down the idea of drafting a smaller player on the back end, but "If you're drafting a smaller defenseman, they have to be dynamic," said Flahr.
Could this mean that if Xavier Villeneuve is there at 21, Briere and Co. won’t hesitate, or is that conversation happening as we speak?
For many NHL teams, they’re looking for a right-shot defenseman; that’s not the case for Philadelphia.
"Our left side, especially, is a little thin," Flahr mentioned when talking about the idea of trading back, which seems like it might be in play. "We've drafted a lot of players the last few years. . . maybe there is value to just trade back."
When you’re holding onto the 21st pick in most drafts, you have one or two guys you are really hoping to fall. For the Flyers this year, it seems as though a big left-shot defenseman would be that for them.
Malte Gustafsson is a potential top-10 pick, but if he slides a bit, the Flyers can burn up some assets to go up and get the 6-foot-4 Swede. Gustafsson fits the high hockey IQ they mentioned during the conference; he skates well and defends well in the neutral zone, which is an element many players need to play in head coach Rick Tocchet's system.
At this point, given the organization's needs, the Flyers can almost do no wrong going with a left-shot defender of some kind early in the 2026 NHL Draft.
