When the Buffalo Sabres traded for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan on June 26, many people asked why the Sabres made the trade. It wasn’t because of who they got in return, but the fact that they had to trade away a 23-year-old 60-plus point scorer in J.J. Peterka to acquire Kesselring and Doan.
Maybe the value isn’t there on paper, but the Sabres addressed some needs with the trade. Sure, losing Peterka’s production is going to hurt, but the truth is that he did not play defense at all. From what it seems like, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff does not want players like that on the roster. We saw last offseason when they bought out Jeff Skinner and brought in players like Ryan McLeod and Jason Zucker that the team is trying to build a roster to play a 200-foot game, which they should be doing.
One last thing before I get back writing –– Buffalo is getting two 10/10 humans in Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan.
Always open and willing to talk and really cared about their play and the team. Will be exciting to see what they do there.
— Belle Fraser (@bellefraser1) June 26, 2025
I believe there will be a lot of people shocked this season when Doan and Kesselring have a big impact on the team, on and off the ice. From what I’ve heard around the Utah Mammoth, both players are 10/10 human beings, too.
Michael Kesselring Adds Size to Defense
Kesselring is a massive defenseman. Coming in at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he’s not afraid to get physical if he needs to. He’s not a heavy hitter, but he can fight occasionally if needed. He has one of the hardest shots in the league, with a recorded shot of 103.77 miles per hour early last season. The 25-year-old adds exactly what the Sabres are looking for.
Coming into the offseason, the Sabres knew they needed to add a right-shot defenseman to play with Owen Power this season and beyond. There weren’t a ton of options to pick from, but they feel Kesselring will make a huge impact on the team moving forward.
His analytics may not necessarily stand out, but he gets the job done. According to Evolving Hockey, in overall play, he ranked in the 38th percentile; in offense, he ranked in the 27th percentile, but in defense, he ranked in the 69th percentile across the entire league. The Sabres did not bring him in to be this fantastic puck-moving defenseman who can give you 40-plus assists a season; that’s not who he is as a player. The Sabres already have three players who can do that in Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, and Power. Kesselring can shut down opponents in transition, in his own zone, and is fundamentally sound in all facets of the game. I’d expect him to get a lot of minutes on the penalty kill, too.
Also, adding Kesselring to this blue line will help Power just play his game and not have to worry about anything else. Power has all of the potential in the world; there is a reason why he was picked first overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Plus, it’ll give him a consistent defense partner that he can gain chemistry with. The Sabres, at least for now, did great adding Kesselring to the roster. I expect big things for him this season and beyond.
Josh Doan Is Exactly What the Sabres Needed
There are mixed reviews on Doan as a part of the trade. Some think that he is nowhere near the offensive threat that Peterka is, which he isn’t, but that does not mean he is a bad player by any means. The Sabres needed defensive help in the middle six badly, and they got it with Doan. He’s not going to light up the stat sheet like Peterka, but if Doan isn’t producing offensively, at least he can contribute to the lineup in other ways.
However, offensively last season, while playing fourth-line minutes in Utah, he recorded 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 51 games played. If you go back to the 2023-24 season, he played 11 games to end the season and recorded nine points (five goals, four assists). He has the offensive upside, but his defensive game is what stands out.
His underlying analytics were solid last season. According to Evolving Hockey in overall play, he ranked in the 54th percentile; in offense, he ranked in the 34th percentile; however, in defense, he ranked in the 85th percentile. Also, another thing to note is that according to Money Puck, with players who played a minimum of 200 minutes last season, he was third on Utah in on-ice goals percentage at 58.3%.
Josh Doan, acquired by BUF, is a young two-way winger with a high motor and promising passing skills who put up very strong underlying numbers (but few goals) in a fourth line role with Utah last season. #LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/rceIboCKM0
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 26, 2025
The 23-year-old winger has a ton of upside in his game. Doan is a very underrated passer who can create plays in the offensive zone. He also plays a 200-foot game, which should help the Sabres keep the puck out of the net. He had a particularly unlucky season, however; the only rough aspect of his analytics is his finishing ability. Nevertheless, I expect that to improve as he gets a better opportunity in Buffalo.
Doan is projected to slot in as the third-line right winger, with McLeod centering him and Jack Quinn being the left winger. That line combo has the potential to be one of the better third lines in the league. Doan, like I mentioned, plays a 200-foot game and got unlucky last season; his analytics suggest he will produce better numbers on the stat sheet this season. McLeod is coming off a career high in goals, assists, and points. Quinn was shaky to start the season, but in the last two months, he was close to a half-point per game. Doan adds so much to that line, and I expect that trio to play well at both ends of the ice.
I have a strong feeling that Kesselring and Doan are going to be better than what a lot of people think. Will they light it up every night? Not necessarily, but they will contribute in more ways than one.
